TERRIFIED about presentation

[suessmayr]

I have a law presentation coming up and I'm shit scared. I'm in my final years and must have done literally dozens of presentations at uni but since getting off bupe (53 days ago) I'm waaay more anxious. Just thinking about it I get hot and sweaty and completely freak out.

I think it's possible to arrange things on the basis of illness so that I don't have to present to the class but simply to my tutor. I'm not sure which would be better. Conceivably the second. But I'm seriously - and ashamedly - considering just forgoing this portion of the assessment (5 percent). I can't even explain how fucked I get in the head just from thinking about this.

I would really appreciate any suggestions.

 

[tommy34]

I'm no expert but would they give you an let you do it infront of your tutor only considering your studying law? The only suggestion I can think of would be a benzo. Sorry I can't be of much assistance but i've been looking for the answer to your question for years. I used to stand up infront of my class in high school and studder. I get shaky walking into a lecture theater still.

 

[I NUK3D U]

I often have to present publically quite a bit, and it never get's easier lol.

(1) I find the more prepared I am, and the better I feel the presentation is, the more confidence I can go in with. Make sure, if you do withdraw, you're doing it for the right reasons. IE. prepare the presentation and practice as best you can, and only pull out at the last moment if you feel you can't do it. You should know the subject matter well enough so that you're simply talking about it freely as if talking to a friend about the last football game. Try and avoid noting the presentation verbatim. That way, you can glide through at whatever pace you're comfortable with.

(2) Go last: personally, I'd rather go first and get it over with, but a good trick is going last and making sure you ask questions at the end of other students' talks. It gets you into the habbit of opening yourself up individualy in the environment you're in and it's amazing how it calms the nerves when it's actually your turn to stand up and present.

(3) Remember to regulate breathing. When I'm nervous, I forget to breath and end up having to stop. This is almost more important than the presentation text itself.

Just my 0.02. Good luck.

 

[Ixchellian]

Or.... when in doubt....... PowerPoint it.
Even a half-intelligent mongoloid zombie can make it through a tough presentation with that..... although it tends to make an audience of zombies as well.

 

[suessmayr]

tommy34 - I took some valium before my last tute. It was effective in a limited way, but it totally fried my mind and I couldn't understand or even follow what was going on, which made me more nervous. Law gets pretty hectic over here - it's way easier for me to attend Arts classes - and I think that benzos probably are not an option because of the confusion they produce.

I NUK3D U - That sounds like very good advice. It's only one person per week though. I just don't know what I'll do if I need to leave, even if I'm just doing it for the tutor. When I panic my head gets all fucked and I can barely hear myself speak, or I can, but it sounds like I'm listening to a stranger. I can't think well and feel disconnected.

 

[miloserp]

I had to take a public speaking class and being a naturally kind of nervous person I would always have a racing mind and heart before the presentation. Like was said before, preparation is one of the best ways to ease the anxiety. You might feel better in the long run if you tell yourself you can make it through and complete the presentation than trying to find an easier way. Look in the light of what would make you feel better afterwards and go off that. Everyone gets anxious in their own way so you are not alone in that respect. I had to be videotaped for my presentations, at least you don't have to see yourself later on video, right?

 

[Bojangles69]

DO NOT do it if you DO NOT feel like you can and it will be a traumatic experience.
That was about 90% of the reason I always use to get nervous was I always felt like there was no way to escape it and I was going to give the presentation even if I had a heart attack doing it.

When I started walking out, sure it affected my life, but it centered the control back on me. "Fuck them, noone knows what this really feels like, why should *I* be ashamed if I have a legitimate problem". But you need to promise yourself you will try again when you feel more ready.
Once I found beta blockers, the first one was very difficult psychologically, the association was still there to my physical anxiety and all the shaking and what not. But after that first speech on beta blockers, I noticed I didn't shake or stutter once, and I made myself a promise that I would then try to really conquer the problem. But ONLY because I found a med I finally had faith in. If you do not have the much faith in your current cocktail, once you get in that class, if you feel like the worlds gonna end, then walk out. I only say this because I tried commiting suicide once when I gave a presentation, had a panic attack during it and then ran out in a fit of paranoia. It ate me up so badly I just swallowed a crapload of barbituates and xanax and woke up in the ER. It was horrible. Once I got out of the psychward I told myself "for now on I'm not doing anything because I'll feel too ashamed if I don't do it" As last time I tried not to feel ashamed, and did it, I almost died.

TAKE IT SLOW. Only do it when you are ready. But I still say you go in, and just see how you feel at the begining of class. If your body is reved up with 5,000 pounds of adrenaline, it can cause a panic attack, so I'd obviously say leave or talk to the professor at that moment outside. And don't ask her what you should do. Tell her what you are doing and why. Otherwise like I said if you feel somewhat calm, then go for it. That is the best advice I can really give you.

 

[RobotRipping]

how about an alpha/beta blocker? They're quite often used for performance anxiety. I take 10mg propranalol and it stops the physical aspects of anxiety very well and overall I find it more effective than using benzos and there's no mindfuck/confusion. For me all that adrenaline destroys me and I'll get shakes/tremors/talk too fast during a presentation.

 

[suessmayr]

I've been on Inderal (propranolol) for about 10 days. My current dose is 40mg. It does absolutely fuck all for the subjective experience of anxiety - it merely seems to help somewhat with what was the biggest issue for me, namely sweating on my face. But to be honest I still have all the same symptoms, just to a slightly lesser degree, and I wonder how much the Inderal is actually doing. There was one tute when I thought for sure I would have to bail but astounded myself by staying and apparently not sweating at all, so maybe it's doing more than I think.

The problem is that for me - to my way of thinking and for my phobia specifically - this presentation is not like a small step up from merely attending, it is literally and without question the most stressful thing I could conceive of doing right now. They say you should create a heirarchy for your stressors and I cannot think of one thing that would be worse than this. So it's like going from 'moderately stressful situations that you can leave without consequence' to 'absolute fucking shitstorm of stress that you are locked into and cannot avoid'.

 

[RobotRipping]

yeah I can relate, I hated the social aspect of school, presentations, and sitting around a table with 8 people and a prof just having a discussion every day. I'm not sure how I even made it through. In high school I could handle presentations easily but for some reason in university I'd get really intense anxiety and then the physical effects would be obvious, which of course made it worse. I used to just get really high before my presentations but that was probably just as obvious. I'd see plenty of other people shaking, nervous, messing up words or just having terrible presentations, that always made me feel better.

I usually take a while to mentally prepare myself, visualize the whole thing and then just impulsively go up, spit it all out and be done with it. I once had to lead a one hour philosophy class by myself, I shook the whole time I think but once you get going, start breathing and just dealing with it, it's not as bad as you think beforehand. I skipped half of my classes due to anxiety and forced myself through presentations, however I had the chance to take some classes online, which was perfect for me, no presentations, no face to face contact, no being trapped in a room with no way out. I've run out the door when a prof was writing stuff on a whiteboard lol (several times) so I understand where you're coming from.

 

[suessmayr]

Yeah thanks man.

I was also totally sweet in school, and even at uni until I cut the bupe! I've done this shit so many times before but now it's like a whole different game. Just thinking about it makes me feel sick - it's totally irrational. If it was an Arts subject I would probably just get wasted but because it's Law and the standard is so high I think that would just make me even more nervous, because my head would be all fucked up. And we have to receive questions and respond to them extempore.

I think I'm going to try to arrange to do it just with my tutor. I'll probably feel even more anxious in this situation but the plus would be that, if I needed to bail/go to the bathroom, I wouldn't be disrupting the class/humiliating myself as badly.

 

[Legerity]

If you go through with the presentation, either in front of the class or your tutor, then you will have experienced one of your biggest fears. I would predict that your general anxiety level would decrease after realizing that you were able to make it through that which stressed you the most.

Is there any way of explaining your situation to the professor?

 

[highhooked]

I know it may not be much, but this hasnt been suggested yet and is a strategy that i use that seems to helps me out and ease the anxiety.

Try to add a little humor or just laugh at yourself. When you get people laughing or even if its just you that laughs it eases tension. It doesnt have to be anything really witty and you dont have to think to hard about it just something for a little chuckle. It can be something totally unrelated that you say before you start or while your getting ready.

When i get nervous i just do something stupid and laugh haha. Even if people are laughing at me and not with me it brings down my anxiety. I dunno if this will help, im just trying to add another technique because i know how stressful these can be. Good luck whatever you do.

 

[n3ophy7e]

Try to add a little humor or just laugh at yourself. When you get people laughing or even if its just you that laughs it eases tension. It doesnt have to be anything really witty and you dont have to think to hard about it just something for a little chuckle. It can be something totally unrelated that you say before you start or while your getting ready.

This is a good suggestion but in my opinion and experience it should only be utilised if the speaker is good with humour. Otherwise it is more likely to fall flat and could possibly make the speaker more uncomfortable.

I think I'm going to try to arrange to do it just with my tutor. I'll probably feel even more anxious in this situation but the plus would be that, if I needed to bail/go to the bathroom, I wouldn't be disrupting the class/humiliating myself as badly.

If you think you can arrange to do it just in front of your tutor and if you think that would be helpful, then do it. But one thing about social anxiety and performance anxiety is that (and you probably already know this) the anxiety is all about the anticipation of the event. Once you've actually done the presentation, you'll wonder what the hell you were so anxious about! :D I've done a lot of solo singing performances in my time and of course I get really really nervous before the event, to the point where I nearly chicken-out every time. But I always force myself to do it. When I'm performing my legs shake ever so slightly, my face twitches when I'm smiling, and my face gets really sweaty. Afterwards I always ask my friends or boyfriend "Could you see me shaking up there??" or "Could you see me sweating?" or "Could you see my face twitching??". The answer is always no, that the audience can't actually tell how nervous I was when performing. It will be the same for you. If you're anxious about appearing to be anxious, it is much more likely that the audience won't even be able to tell that you're sweating or shaking or anything like that.

The other main thing to remind yourself about with presentations is that it is difficult for everyone to speak in public. You're not the only one who has pre-presentation anxiety, every single person in your class will be worried about it to some degree. I know that might not necessarily help with the way YOU feel about it, but just remember that no-one is going to be sitting there scrutinising how nervous you are. All they will be thinking is either a) how glad they are that their presentation is over, or b) how nervous they are about their impending presentation.

Just force yourself to do it, try and stop those ruminating thoughts about how bad it's going to be, and just try to focus on getting the job done. I know that is easier said than done, but it is truly not going to be nearly as bad as your mind is making it seem, and once it's over you will be totally fine. There have been a few really good pointers posted in here by various people, and I also think you should NOT take any meds of any description in order to get through the presentation. Try some meditation or some other type of activity which relaxes you the morning of the presentation, and do some relaxation-breathing exercises just before you do it. Good luck

 

[Dave]

Lots of great advice in this thread! I can't add much, but there's a little nugget of wisdom that I learned from my flute instructor years ago: anxiety and excitement are physiologically identical. It's true. The only difference is that we add a psychological meaning to the physiological sensation, defining one as 'good' and one as 'bad'. Something that helps me with situational/performance anxiety is using self-talk to convince myself that I'm actually excited rather than nervous.

You really have to force it at first, and it does feel silly at times, but with a bit of practise it does work. I don't have a problem with presentations now... so long as I'm comfortable with the group to whom I'm presenting.

 

[suessmayr]

Thanks for all the great advice.

Why do people always assume, though, that in the end, no matter what happens, it will be ok? I'd say it is at least as likely that I'll need to leave the room. How the fuck is that ok? I can't think of anything more humiliating.

I emailed my tutor to ask if I could do it some other way. FUCK I felt like such a FUCKING moron. It took me like an hour to hit 'send'.

 

[Legerity]

^Glad you were able to ask for other options. Having to leave the room is not OK or NOT OK; it is just a possible outcome. Of course it's important to you and you do not want to feel humiliated but humiliation is based on your own judgments. So don't beat yourself up

 

[suessmayr]

I agree but I think I would have to be non-human to be able to remain indifferent in a situation like that. Kids are judgemental - they don't give a fuck.

I got back to my inbox to find a whole shitstorm taking place between the University Disability Service and my Lecturer. The Service had asked that the assessment be waived, and had explained in great detail how I'm not really supported by any meds right now and essentially still in PAWS, and the Lecturer had responded by saying basically that she thinks I need to suck it up. Then the Service wrote back essentially insisting that their request be upheld. I had a panic attack just reading the shit.

 

[n3ophy7e]

I
I got back to my inbox to find a whole shitstorm taking place between the University Disability Service and my Lecturer. The Service had asked that the assessment be waived, and had explained in great detail how I'm not really supported by any meds right now and essentially still in PAWS, and the Lecturer had responded by saying basically that she thinks I need to suck it up. Then the Service wrote back essentially insisting that their request be upheld. I had a panic attack just reading the shit.

Hmmm yes, that is not the most helpful thing to have to read...

When I was saying that you will be okay/it will all be okay, I was meaning that, well, you're not going to DIE or having any lasting trauma resulting from the presentation.

What is the absolute worst thing that can happen?
You could possibly cry/spew/run out of the room, something to that effect (which is actually far less likely to occur than you might think). But then what?? People might remember it for maybe a few weeks, max.? Then no-one will remember or care, because people just are not that preoccupied with other people to bother remembering something like that. Your anxiety is causing you to catastrophise the possible scenario, when in actual reality even the worst possible outcome is really not all that bad.
I'm not sure if that is helpful to you at all but I hope so

 

[Allein]

^^^^

I feel for you, I had to return to work last year after a 3 month break due to a breakdown and |i hold quite a seniour position. Only a week later I had to present to the board on my plans for my new department (formed in my absence!)

Power point is great for me as i dont loose my thread ...too much and I can throw in in odd bit of humour.

Over I agree with the above,"whats the worste that can happen??" you run out...so what...you freeze up and have to take a few minutes...again so what as you guys over the pond like to say "feel the fear and do it anyway"

I dont know know you but I'm gonna take a shot that you've been through, and survived much worse in the past, if you dont at least try you'll defintely feel shitty about it...more so than the short term feeling of having tried but had to walk out.