Our heartbeat quickens, our palms get sweaty, and maybe our mouths get dry.
Stage fright may arise suddenly or gradually and may be mild or severe.
No matter what your level of stage fright may be, there are ways to handle this condition.
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With therapy, time, and experience it is fully possible to overcome it.
Who Gets Stage Fright?
Why Do People Feel Compelled to Perform in Spite of Stage Fright?
The answer is simple.
Performing is in the blood.
Most performers cannot imagine not performing, as it is what they feel they were born to do.
Stage fright is just another obstacle that must be handled in the pursuit of the dream.
Only rarely does the phobia actually impede the performers ability to work.
Instead, it tends to appear during the time leading up to the audition or performance.
Although each persons reactions are unique, most cases of stage fright follow a reasonably predictable pattern.
The phobia generally begins weeks or months before the performance, often manifesting as low-levelgeneralized anxiety.
If you have this condition, you may begin to feel hyperalert, jumpy and full of energy.
As the date of the performance draws closer, the symptoms worsen.
When you take to the stage, though, your performer instincts take over.
Most sufferers of stage fright report that they have few, if any, symptoms during the performance.
Many performers turn to self-medication, with alcohol or drugs, to dull the pain.
Like any phobia, stage fright is highly treatable.
A popular option iscognitive-behavioral therapy, andexposure therapycan help as well.
Therapy can help you learn to replace these negative messages with more rational thoughts.
You will also be taught relaxation exercisesthat you’re free to do when the anxiety becomes overwhelming.
Stage fright is remarkably common, and many performers never seek help.
With proper treatment, however, the condition can be successfully managed.
2011;84(7):761-771.
Conquering stage fright| anxiety and depression association of america, adaa.
