DR. WALLACE: I'm in high school now, and I'm battling a tough problem. I get really nervous whenever I have to speak in public by myself. It's strange to me, because I can raise my hand and ask a question in a classroom to a teacher in the middle of a series of questions that various students are asking. And in these cases, it doesn't matter if I raise my hand to initiate the question or if the teacher calls on me directly. I'm fine with it either way.

But when I have to go up in front of the class and deliver a 10-minute oral report, my body always betrays me. Sometimes my throat will become very dry, sometimes my hands or legs might shake and sometimes my palms, armpits and forehead will become sweaty. Worst of all, these problems are random, so I never know which one is going to happen on any given time I must speak in public.

Why does this always happen to me? Is there anything I can do about it — Oral Reports Unleash Trauma, via email

ORAL REPORTS UNLEASH TRAUMA: Your affliction is not uncommon and does tend to reach its zenith for some individuals during their high school years. The reason this particular time in life is often the most treacherous for those who are uncomfortable with public speaking is due to the fact that teenagers are in the process of finding their way. The random physical manifestations of your anxiety are a phenomenon known as a "fight-or-flight reaction." Your body senses fear, which is actually mental anxiety, not the physical fear of harm or danger like you would feel if a wild animal were chasing you.

Over the years, I found that the best way to stay calm in situations such as public speaking is to do as much advanced planning and organizing as you possibly can. Select your clothes and shoes well in advance of the day you know you'll be speaking. Wear something you feel comfortable in and that you know looks good on you.

Next, really put in some time and effort into your speech. Write it well and directly to the point and avoid long sentences. Try to give out all of the information that you need to deliver as succinctly as you can while explaining the material well. Taking the time to do this in advance. Avoid long, flowery run-on sentences, as this will really help your confidence. You'll know in advance that your speech is tight, direct and easy to follow for the listeners.

From there, practice, practice and practice some more! Find a quiet place where you can stand up and read your speech several times for days in advance so that you know the material and the rhythm of the speech well. I can't promise you'll have a perfect outcome on your very next solo classroom speech, but if you follow these suggestions and put in the work, you'll definitely do much better than you likely would have otherwise. If you continue along this path, you'll soon find your body calming down and your ability to deliver a direct, succinct speech will greatly improve! Finally, be sure to hydrate yourself well 15 to 30 minutes before your class starts, as this should help stabilize and relax your body a bit as well.

NO, IT'S NOT IN YOUR DNA

DR. WALLACE: Do you think traits like drinking too much alcohol or smoking are predetermined in our DNA? I'm asking because my father's oldest brother, my uncle, is a super heavy-duty smoker. He smokes so many cigarettes a day that my father often refers to him as someone who "eats cigarettes" all day, every day.

My dad has two older sisters, and he's the youngest of the four kids. His brother is the oldest sibling, and my dad told me that he was smoking so much in high school that it disgusted my dad, who never tried a single cigarette in his life.

A friend of mine from high school was vaping on the way home the other day, and she gave me a chance to try it. At first, it felt awkward, but I did like the flavored taste, and I learned how to breathe the vape steam in correctly.

I haven't bought any vaping paraphernalia, but my friend keeps allowing me to get a few puffs on her vaping device, and I keep doing it. Do you think I might be predestined to continuously vape like my uncle continuously smokes? — Starting to Vape, via email

STARTING TO VAPE: No, you are not predisposed to vape, smoke or inhale any substance at all beyond oxygen. And smoking or vaping is not in your DNA. You are making an unwise decision to breathe in harmful toxins into your body.

The manufacturers of these devices and their cartridges often put various flavors into them as part of the attraction, hoping to get young people like you hooked on their destructive products. Your uncle repeated smoking cigarettes over and over and over many years ago, and obviously, he got hooked on tobacco and was never able to break his addiction.

You should immediately cease doing any vaping at all. I'm quite confident you'll soon find that you don't need it and won't miss it. Finally, do yourself a favor and spend a few hours on the Internet reading all about how damaging vaping is to the human body, especially to young people like yourself.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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