Overcoming chronic severe nervousness-what's the solution?

Hi Bart,

Welcome to the Forum.

Everyone experiences nervousnes now and again, and a small amount of adrenaline can be helpful in motivating us. Nervousness in interviews, when doing presentation and on meeting new people is very common.

However as you've found too much nervousness can get in the way of enjoying situations and good performance.

I think you'll find it useful to read this article on Panic Attacks and Anxiety, and this on Public Speaking and this website devoted to Panic Attacks has some great tips that many have found helpful.

Best wishes

Hi Bart, I'm not a professional but can relate to your dilema, as I too suffer from the same condition. After any speech I gave in front of a crowd I could not recall a word I said or remember hearing my own voice. To this day if I think of the word "relax" I can actually feel my body doing so, as I am always tense with some form of anxiety.
Again, I'm no professional, but from my experiance I believe it took years for you to become this way and will take years for you to recover. I cannot suggest how you might do so, but realizing you have a problem is a big first step.
By all means, seek help.

Thanks Twoten and Mike for your replies!

My doctor recommended that a tranquiliser might be useful before my next interview or presentation.

Has anyone taken tranquilisers for these situations?

Thanks!

Bart

Hello Bart,the good news is that the anxiety you have been experiencing is very treatable and a lot more common than people realise.That being said i realise how restricting it can feel and empathise with your plight.Mike is so right to suggest that you clink on the link and read up about what is actually happening.That can be the first step of being back in control by understanding what is happening (which demystifies everything)and reintroducing alot more relaxation back into your life.What i would strongly urge you to do is to visit a hypnotherapist who is trained in the Human Givens approach to therapy.Without taking away from the obvious limitations that this may have caused you this really is a very treatable problem.I have seen many clients with similar difficulties and without the need for prescription medication they are now back in control and enjoying life with feelings of relaxation and increased optimism for their future.I look forward to hearing of your progress.

My doctor prescribed lexotan for me when I told him I was anxious about an interview I had yesterday.

I took it 15 minutes before the interview and I have to say that I felt so relaxed and good during the interview. There was no increased heartbeat of shaky voice etc. I really feel that I couldn't have done any better in the interview.

I think I'll be taking Lexotan in future now whenever I have an interview or a presentation etc.

Hi Bart

Now that you have had the experience of being relaxed in an interview, why not try to achieve the same by natural means?

Making it a goal to become an expert at relaxation will enable you to conquer your nerves whenever you feel them coming on - this will in turn boost your self confidence and make it less likely for you to get nervous.

I highly recommend learning how to relax yourself quickly, and then how to condition yourself to respond with relaxation - after all if you relax, then physiologically you cannot be nervous - it is the direct antidote to your problem.

Results may not come overnight (does anything worthwhile?) but when they do, they will be lasting and you will have done it yourself.

You might like to try our free hypnosis course as a starter!

Best of luck

Roger

Thanks for your reply Roger. I had a session in with a hypnotherapist last week. So far I haven't seen any improvement but I've another three sessions to go. In the meantime I'll look at your link.

I've had another interview since my last one. Again I took a tranquiliser. My voice unfortunately was slightly shaky in the beginning but not as bad as it has been in the past when I didn't take medication.

There are many approaches to treating anxiety attacks.

The conventional approach is that anxiety attacks are caused by wrong or irrational thinking that requires intervention by means of psychotherapy or talk therapy.

The approach by clinical nutritionists, like myself, is based on the idea that anxiety attacks are caused by overproduction of adrenaline and cortisol. This happens when the brain is suddenly deprived of glucose, its only source of energy. This is due to hypoglycemia (or insulin resistance) a condition that interferes with the transport of glucose into cells (the mitochondria, where energy is produced). Insulin resistance causes unstable blood sugar levels reaching the brain. In a sudden descent of blood sugar levels, the body produces adrenaline to raise the sugar levels by converting glycogen (stored glucose) into glucose. But adrenaline is also responsible for the anxiety attacks without an external trigger, hence the irrationality.

The non-drug treatment is by way of adopting the hypoglycemic diet, that aims at regulating blood sugar levels within the norm and thereby avoid the release of adrenaline.

<Edited by Roger Elliott; reason link removed>

As an temporary measure one could try out taking glycerine before the anxiety arousing event (such as public speaking). One tablespoon of this sugary substance, obtainable from a pharmacist, is mixed in a glass of water with a dash of lemonade (to improve state). Glycerine is metabolized into glucose in the liver and does not trigger an insulin reaction and is slowly released into the blood stream. Nutrition aims at slowing down the insulin reaction, that causes a sudden dip in blood sugar levels.

Hi I would just like to say that I speak in public for a living and started getting 'shaky voice' attacks. I got very nervous and felt I would lose my job. I went to a hypnotherapist (just once) and worked very hard at controlling my breathing and doing visualisation. Ultimately I had to face the fear and now it seems to be going fine. I'm still nervous but my confidence is back. My points are as follows. I'd avoid any chemical treatment. Don't overdo the therapy. You could become over reliant on this. The only way to cure your fear is to face it. Your shaky voice comes from shallow breathing so controlling your breathing is important. Find good friends to confide in. I was amazed how many of my friends have similar fears. Look on this a massive challenge, even an adventure. When you beat this you can literally do anything.