Herb,
This is my first message back to any post on here as I just
joined a few days ago. I do understand you’re feeling uneasy speaking in public
and as the post below by a professional stated it is not uncommon at all! For
example my wife that is both a Boy Scout and Girl Scout troop leader that I
deem as “normal” also gets the chills/ sweats/ rapid heart rate when needed to
speak in front of an auditorium filled with people. In all honesty I couldn’t even
imagine myself doing that as I would just pass out thinking about it. From
reading and understanding what I know about panic disorders, the best thing to
do if not wanting them is repeated exposure. For example the more times you
make these speeches and frequently, the less you will have any problem with
doing them. J In
that same aspect, my family and friends say that what I do for a living would
freak them out moving tens of thousands of dollars in and out every week as a
retail seller. The thing is, I do it
every day so it is NO BIG DEAL. However ask me to go to the dentist or go to
any mall filled with people or even a dinner out with the family or friends and
“forget it” “instant panic attack” just thinking about it!!! Avoidance kicks in
and everything else this program tries to teach! By your post, you are
obviously extremely smart and have a well above average IQ! The only unfortunate
thing is by being that way one tends to “overthink” everything that is also a trigger
for panic attacks. I am going to work
through this program in hope that it can help and hope you will do the same.
Best wishes… David
