drinking alcohol definitely doesn't help. maybe taking a benzo such as klonopin or Xanax will take the edge off. but the best was is just to be prepared. I suffer from severe anxiety yet I teach all the time and have to go give lectures frequently. they scare the hell out of me. but I know I can do it because I am well prepared with my subject matter. I know it inside out. I have the speech written out but I know the material so well that if I stumble in the speech, I know enough about what I am talking about to recover from my mistake. having confidence and passion in what you are presenting is enough to help you through the anxiety. I know in the beginning I would black out from the panic,, but I would use good self talk telling myself that I know what I am talking about so I have nothing to be afraid of and that would usually calm my nerves enough to get the presentation going and once I was going my passion would kick in and the knowledge would take over and the anxiety would take a back seat. just really have to have that confidence in what you are speaking about and you will be fine. focus on that. take care.