I get anxious before I have to speak, too, but not this bad. I eat a banana for the natural beta blockers and try to be really prepared. If I am overly prepared, then I don't get so nervous.

Do you have any other anxiety, or is it just when you have to speak in class? Like, with your friends?

Sometimes I can get nervous around my friends, but not too much. I also have phobias of going to church because I had my first anxiety attack in church, also of any situation were i feel my anxiety will come up and I won't be able to leave, like going to the dentist or getting hair cut. I mean it can do it but it isn't comfortable.

How do you feel about yourself? Are you a confident person? Do you feel inferior to others?
Sounds almost like a self esteame problem. You have to gain confidence in yourself. You have to know that your are as good as anyone else around you if not better. You can lick this on your own if you put your mind to it. For some reason I am thinking you somehow feel less of a person then you really are. You also have to know that you can leave from anywhere. I have walked out of many a doctors office and other places. Heck, I even walked out of my grandson's 3rd B'Day party due to a conflict of interest. You can do it! Remember, you are not hand cuffed to anything anywhere. Get that nerve of yours up and if there is somewhere you don't want to be, by gosh, you have the choice to not be there.

I take Tae-Kwon-Do and they emphasize self worth ALOT. PMA, positive mental attitude is what my grandmaster always says. I have confidence in some things I do, maybe I am not just sure of myself. I also think I am going to have to train my brain to not react the way I do when I start feeling anxious or when I have thoughts of anxiousness. I have to re-train my brain to get passed my phobias, either by exposure or some other method. I don't know what, but the thing is I believe I can do it. I is just beyond my reach.

I feel exactly like you in some ways. When i had to make my first speech presentation, i was so extremely nervous. Went to a psychiatrist to see if he could prescribe me something before my speech. He gave me something that was so powerful, i almost felt drunk when i gave the speech. I got a good grade and got out of it fine, but afterward i felt like a dream because i was not fully aware of how my speech went!
That was the ONLY time though that i have ever seen a psychiatrist in my entire life.

Lately, i have some phobia of people in public places. If i walk down a hall, and there are people around, i feel nervous that everyone is looking at me.
I am still able to get everything done and not let anyone see that i am nervous, but i still feel it inside.

I wonder if there are some good natural herbal supplements that work to overcome this kind of nervousness that have a long term cure and not a quick fix just to get by for one occassion.

Anyone have any ideas?

Johnnybegood: You are right on track. There are so many medications out there but, they can only help so much and the rest is up to us. I truly think this is somethng you can learn to manage yourself. And I know you can do it. It is not beyond your reach at all. Do some relaxation meditation before you go to these places or do presentations etc. You may find it will help you.

Spanky2005: I am not sure about herbal supplements due to the fact I am on so much RX medication, I am afraid to mix and match (so to speak). But, it could be worth looking into. You might ask about seratonin over the couter. They use it as a sleep aid. But ask your doctor about that. It might just calm you down a bit. I really don't know much about it other then it's use to help induce natural sleep.

Hug,
Sky

You both almost sound like me when I was your age. and actually in a way still do. Inferiorority Complex? Have to feel you always have to be perfect and prove yourself to everyone else. NOT! You are who you are and you are as equal as the next person.

johnnybegood, so suprised to read this! you described my exact situation a year ago. i had always had some light anxiety problems but all of a sudden i was in my class, about to give a presentation, and as i got up to start speaking i felt this huge wave of incredible anxiety, shyness, nervousness. sweating, throat closing, the whole works. a nervousness ive never felt in my life. i carried on with the presentation (i have no idea how i managed that one) anyway and then from there on had the same (but milder) issues with simple things like asking for help and those kinda things. it takes a little time and im still working on it but i just decided to take control of whatever was happening to me and force myself to do the things that made me feel terribly uncomfortable. sounds cliche but u really just gotta push yourself, and the more you push yourself, the more confident in these social situations you'll become. medication is just an easy way out and you have to work hard for something that lasts.

Phobias in classroom is because mostly of the unfamiliarity around. strange faces staring at you makes its uncomfortable. what help is to get to know the people around you be friendly to them so when you do speak you will see them as a familiar support not a stranger menacing you. It also helps if you actually have friends (long time friends next to you) the felling of somebody you know next to you helps a lot when it comes to phobia.

I wanted to talk to some ppl who are going thru the same thing as me. I'm 20 and been suffering severe anxiety for a couple of years now. It started with a fear of blushing in class, social situations (now thats the least of my worries). I now suffer from headaches, chest pain, feeling like my throat is closing over, vision problems, dizziness and shaking on a daily basis. Its really really horrible, as you would all know. I have now developed a fear of a lot of things, small places without windows (or an escape), airplanes, boats, heights, even the cinema, these things make me feel like i'm going to die.
So, i've started meditating, and hoping that this will have some positive effect on me. If anyone can suggest anything else (other than medication) I would be really appreciative!

Johnnybegood, let me tell you. I'm a mute as in I don't talk and I haven't for ten years now. When I was eight years old I saw my father murdered and haven't spoken a word since then. I spent two years in a public school in the same grade because I had to repeat the year all because I didn't talk. I passed every exam but failed at participation. After that I was home-schooled. I know that probably doesn't help but there is a point to my story. I want to learn to talk again. So basically I have the same problem. What is it you've done so far to help with the anxiety? Let's try to help each other, I have been having panic/anxiety attacks too. I had them when I was little for a few years after losing my father but they went away over time. I can't stand being in front of people and whenever I am I freak out and, sad to say it, hide behind my girlfriend. Anyway, I've typed enough as it is. What have you done to get over this so far? I need all the help I can get to speak again, I want to propose to my girlfriend on Christmas Day. Well is there anything I can do to help you out?

I had a similar problem myself -- I hated classroom situations -- I would do almost anything to avoid them for fear of the very same tremors and shortness of breath. I found yoga, mediations, and as funny as it sounds, a relaxation chair (for 20 minutes) to help me a alot! It got me through my Master's degree!

Best of luck!

Not sure if you're still reading this, Johnnybegood, as I see it is from last year. However, I had the same problem begin for me about a year ago. My Dr. prescibed me propranolol, a beta blocker, to take on days I have a speech or presentation. You don't take it all the time, and it doesn't affect mood or personality- it is a blood pressure medicine that blocks adrenaline, so you don't get the sweating, pounding heart, blushing, etc. It has saved my life. Best of luck!