A lot of people experience Performance Anxiety. Whether it is anxiety about a big presentation, a part in a stage show, or some other area where one is expected to perform, everyone has at one point or another been at least a little irrationally afraid. Maybe you worry that you wont' do well, or that you're not prepared, or may you're worried that your worry will make you freeze up. Performance Anxiety can vary between being simply a small twinge that must be overcome to a true psychological disorder that must be corrected with the help of a qualified mental health professional.

Symptoms of performance anxiety

Since everyone, at one point in time or another, has experienced Performance Anxiety, most people should be familiar with the symptoms. Clammy hands, a feeling of fear in the pit of your stomach, cramps, sweating, and nausea are just a few of them. Anxiety can become fear, and fear can produce the fight-or-flight response in your body that can dump adrenaline into your system. Because, as a general rule, you aren't going to fight or flee in a performance situation, your adrenaline is often wasted, leaving you more jittery and nervous than before.

Another symptom of Performance Anxiety is being unable or unwilling to put yourself in a situation where you may be called upon to perform in the first place. This can include not taking any part in a play you were involved in, or not taking a promotion that is offered, to avoid the possible humiliation involved. If, however, your anxiety has reached a point where it impacts your quality of life, either by making performances unbearable or by compelling you to avoid them altogether, you may wish to seek the help of a qualified mental health professional.

Coping and Treatment of performance anxiety

If your Performance Anxiety is bothering you, there are ways of coping. For people who have manageable anxiety levels, simply socializing more and performing more can help to alleviate or make your fear and anxiety disappear, as you become familiar with performing and it becomes no longer a feared unknown. There are also organizations like Toastmasters International that can help you improve your public speaking so that if your anxiety was linked to your inexperience with speaking in front of groups, then you can learn the techniques that will help you excel at it.

However, if your Performance Anxiety has reached an unmanageable level, it could be considered glossophobia (from the Greek words glosso- meaning tongue, and -phobia, meaning fear or dread), and it may be wise to seek professional help. A qualified mental health professional can assess your condition and decide on the best course of action, whether it be medication or therapy or a combination of the two. Common medications for anxiety include Valium, Xanax, Celexa, Zoloft, and Paxil. The most common form of therapy is cognitive behavioral therapy, where a patient's qualified mental health professional assists him or her with their issues by correcting the thought process that led to the anxiety in the first place, through therapy, group sessions, journaling, and exposure to the type of event. No matter how bad the performance anxiety, with treatment it can be taken care of in the vast majority of cases, so that if not gone it is down to a manageable level.

Causes of performance anxiety

The psychological support community does not currently have a concrete reason why so many people experience Performance Anxiety in one form or another. For some people, the root cause can be traced to a single traumatic event from their past. For others, their Performance Anxiety comes, not from an actual event, but only the fear of an actual event. There are some studies that have indicated that excessive anxiety can run in families, or that is due to an imbalance of chemicals, but these studies are still being researched, and are not definitive answers to the question of where this anxiety issue arises from. Until the full cause is found, there may not be an easy cure, leaving patients to go through medication and therapy. Nonetheless, with that treatment, most people can recover from their anxiety completely in a short time. And those that do not have a crushing anxiety problem have resources to turn to, too, such as Toastmasters International, which, as a non-profit, is geared only for helping.

Hope this article helps you for treatment of performance anxiety.

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