On call: Performance anxiety
On call
Performance anxiety
Q. I am a 38-year-old junior executive. My work gets good marks from my supervisors, but I have a problem that may hamper my career. Every time I have to make a presentation, I get terribly nervous, making it very hard for me to get through my talk. I've heard there is a pill that can help, but I don't want to take tranquilizers. What do you suggest?
A. Although your symptoms occur in a corporate boardroom, not a theatre, your problem is best known by its popular name, stage fright. It's a common problem that doctors diagnose as performance anxiety. And it responds beautifully to treatment.
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