performance anxiety

[andy-b]

Should be able are the key words…where I am, a plain medication consultation or physical exam

[niina]

I had never heard of Beta Blockers until I read this blog. They seem to be a drug for Heart problems that have been adopted by some Actors, public speakers and Musicians to reduce stage fright. I read up a bit on them and also the list of side effects; which is as long as my arm. Very scary. Personally I would never put drugs in my body before a performance, but I’m certainly not judging anyone who does, as we all have to deal with nerves in our own way.

As for the Bach flower remedies; I do use them a lot, and for me (although I don’t use them when playing music), they really work. They have no side effects, unless you are allergic to tiny amounts of alcohol. My parents know a lot about them as they have been selling them to Japan for 10 years. They never sell the Nelson’s Remedies though for reasons I can’t mention here.

There are a few very good companies: Crystal Herbs-Revival Remedy, Healing Herbs-5 Flower Remedy, Ainsworths-Recovery Remedy, and Australian Bush Flower Remedies-Bush Fuchsia or Calm & Clear. The alcohol content in one dose is equivalent to the same as in a banana.

I wish you all the best with your exam.

Niina

[Elizabeth Volpé Bligh]

I highly recommend a great book on managing stage fright: Carrol McLaughlin’s Power Performance. One of the best ways to overcome nerves is to do several “practice performances” before your big day. You line up your fake audience (teddy bears will do), come into the room, bow to the audience, and play your concert without stopping to fix mistakes; exactly as you would in the real situation. While playing, if something happens, notice it but do not focus on it until after you have finished the whole performance, then write down what went well and what needed work. Over the course of a couple of weeks, you will fix the problems and get more and more comfortable with your program. By the time the real thing comes up, you will feel like you have already been touring with the concert and will feel much more relaxed and in control. Stage fright is fear of the unknown, and you will know very well how things are going to unfold and how you are going to cope with them.

[Irene C]

Thank you all, very helpful advice and much appreciated!

[rod-c]

Irene:

I will add to what has already been said here.

[carl-swanson]

Rod- I’m really surprised to hear that it makes you sleepy. I take a much higher dose than you and I don’t have any problem with that.

You’re right. Beta blockers don’t change the fact that you are mentally nervous. But without the physical symptoms of performance anxiety as well as the racing brain that many of us go through, you at least know that you are in control.

[Irene C]

Hello,

This has been a very interesting topic and I am glad that I asked for advice.

[carl-swanson]

Irene- Different people present different symptoms when performance anxiety strikes. Your ‘mental fog and forgetfulness’ is one of the main ones that hits me. I’m hyper aware of everything around me and unable to focus my concentration. Like you, I don’t get shaky or sweaty hands. Instead, my hands are freezing cold because the adrenaline rush I get constricts the blood vessels in my hands. No amount of warmup exercises can overcome this, because the adrenaline is still there. Beta blockers eliminate these symptoms for me without making me sleepy or groggy.

[Elizabeth Volpé Bligh]

I think the way to tackle this is to amend how one thinks when practising. Since

[carl-swanson]

You’re absolutely right Elizabeth. The advice you give is excellent and necessary for any performance. I would suggest that anyone with a stress inducing performance coming up go to my web site, http://www.swansonharp.com, click on the Articles page, and read my article The Big Day, which was published in the harp column several years ago. I go into many of these issues there. But even with all of the correct preparation, some of us just crank out so much adrenaline under stress that no amount of preparation can adequately overcome the symptoms it produces. That was certainly my case. I tried everything I could think of to control the nerves before trying beta blockers. The effect of the beta blockers was miraculous. For the first time in my life I was able to perform in a way that totally satisfied me.

[Irene C]

I am going to approach my Dr. at my next appointment and speak to her about trying some Beta Blockers for performance anxiety.

[carl-swanson]

Irene-Go to my company web site, http://www.swansonharp.com, then click on the articles page, and print out the article called A PRESCRIPTION FOR SUCCESS. The article deals with what you have to go through to get optimum benefit from beta blockers. Show the article to your doctor when you talk to her.

I wrote the article with the help and advice of a medical doctor who was the husband of one of my clients. After the article was published, I gave a copy to my personal physician. She called me a few days later and asked if she could keep the magazine and if she could print copies of the article. She explained that she had lots of patients who had this problem. One was an architect who had to give presentations and was undone by nerves each time. She herself was plagued by nerves anytime she had to speak in public. So it’s a very common problem.

You asked your doctor what people did before beta blockers. In the case of musicians, many of them gave up professional music as a career because they could not control the nerves. I can’t tell you how many stories I heard like that when I was researching this article.

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