Q: Sometimes in my professional life, I need to give lectures. I have observed that at the very time of initiation of the situation, I feel imbalanced. I observe that my heart starts to run fast and it runs flow throughout the whole body and continues for sometime. This is affecting my mood and temperament. How to react in a sober way without compelling my heart into that situation?

A:What you are describing are typical symptoms of a type of anxiety disorder known as social anxiety disorder. There are many ways to get help in such cases - these include medications and other behavioural therapies/techniques. However, not many people are trained to provide such behavioural therapy. I would strongly recommend having a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation for medications - at the same time he/she might recommend a therapist. In addition, there are some self help books that you can find in bookstores or order line for social anxiety disorder/social phobia which might be beneficial.