After public speaking, what is the number two debilitating fear that many people have?

Fear of heights?

I know many who are afraid of spiders. This post was edited by Element 99 at July 27, 2021 9:41 PM MDT

Allegedly 30.5% of the US population has a fear of spiders.
But is that a "debilitating fear"?  I don't think so.  Most of those people aren't going to become "paralyzed" and not able to function around a spider.

I would say the fear of heights is a "debilitating fear".  
Most of those people will not be able to put themselves into such a situation ... and if they find themselves in it, they will often be "paralyzed" with fear and unable to extract themselves from the situation without help.

What Mrs. C said...that is the thing that paralyzes me. 

Speaking in front of spiders!  Is it any wonder?  They're the size of buses, have hundreds of mile-long wriggling legs, and will alway run right at you.  When you talk they jump in your mouth. If you dare to sleep,  they'll either weave a thick web across your face to try and suffocate you, or they'll lay their eggs in your ears.  Then when the eggs hatch, the young spiders eat your brain.  Did you know that alzheimer's is caused by spiders eating the brain?

A Randy D sighting.