Kim V. (Public Speaking)
Risk Manager
Austin, TX
I've had problems with a fear of speaking in certain situations for the last seven and a half years and it was negatively affecting my professional life. There were a lot of tasks and projects that I was veering away from doing that I should be doing. I got away with it for a while, but I couldn't get away with it anymore and it was becoming noticeable at work. I had to travel alone without my boss and I had to step up and start talking in professional settings.
I would start to feel nervous a couple of hours prior to speaking. I tried to prepare ahead of time, but nothing overpowered the anxiety. My blood pressure went up because I was so anxious and I would continue to feel that way 24/7 before meeting with a really big client, so it was extremely draining. I wasn't sleeping well and I felt like my blood pressure was about to pop. I tried Xanax, but it didn't really help because I felt drowsy, but had the fear and anxiousness. In my field, there are a lot of risk management jobs that pay well, but also involve a lot of talking and directing others. I started realizing that I probably couldn't keep a job in this field if things continued this way.
I felt out of control because I couldn't manage the anxiety. I feel it in my neck and my chest and it would get to the point where it was happening almost every day and that made me exhausted. I wasn't sure what to do. At one point, a client wanted me to give an update on a conference call and I just put the phone on mute and had to calm myself down; I couldn't speak. At times, I would hesitate to even make a phone call at work. The final straw for me came when I was meeting with a client and they asked me to give a presentation to the owner. I started panicking and it was two months away! I made myself sick over it and it was all for nothing because the presentation was cancelled.
I heard about A New Day Hypnosis on Citysearch. I started noticing results within a week of my first session. When I started speaking I didn't panic the way that I normally would and I stopped having that peak of anxiety that was so overwhelming. It's been a lot easier than I thought it was going to be. I've taken every opportunity to update staff with our hotlines and I've done all of them without a problem. I feel more in control now. I don't have those patches of anxiety anymore and recently when I've had to talk, I've been able to do it without a problem. I haven't had any panic attacks and, as a result, I've been taking advantage of every opportunity to talk.
I feel more confident at work taking on the things that I should have been doing a long time ago and that makes me feel more competent. The most important benefit for me has been the ability to do these things that really freaked me out before. I just pick up the phone and do it now. I would recommend A New Day Hypnosis because of the difference that I've seen in myself. I feel confident that I'm stepping out there to do the things that I used to avoid. I'm able to function without the anxiety and that has been a real relief for me.