A 28-year-old man describes a persistent fear of speaking in public. Although he does not have difficulty with one-on-one situations, when giving a lecture he becomes extremely anxious, worrying that he will be humiliated.
He relates one episode in which he was forced to speak at the last minute, which resulted in his experiencing panic, shaking, abdominal cramps, and a fear that he would defecate on himself. Because of this problem, he has been held back from promotion at his place of business.
