Over 40% of US adults have a significant fear of public speaking, so why is there no discussion about how to beat one of the nations largest collective phobias! A heart-medication drug called Propranolol, a prescription beta blocker, has been the secret tool for public speakers trying to get a handle on their performance anxiety and stage fright issues for a long time now. Propranolol is actually the most commonly prescribed beta blocker drug in the US. In this video, we investigate why so many public speakers use Propranolol to help with their performance anxiety issues, discover if it works, and how it works to fight anxiety. Make sure you watch to find out if Propranolol really can help you get over your fear of public speaking/glossophobia!
Full Video Transcript
Narrator (00:00):
Considering that over 40% of US adults have claimed in various surveys and questionnaires that they have a significant fear of public speaking. It's a bit surprising that there isn't more talk in the media and online about overcoming and managing one of the largest collective phobias out there.
Obviously, 99% of what we talk about here at PerformZen is the topic of performance anxiety. But you get my point.
Since the mid sixties, a heart medication drug has been the secret tool for public speakers and performers trying to manage their performance anxiety and stage fright issues.
That prescription drug is a beta blocker called Propranolol, which is actually the most commonly prescribed beta blocker in the US.
In this video, we're going to look at why so many public speakers use Propranolol to help with their performance anxiety issues. We'll share what can be expected when using Propranolol to help with your public speaking anxiety, and finally see if the beta blocker is a useful tool for speakers or if they should look elsewhere. Keep watching to learn everything you need to know about Propranolol for public speaking anxiety.
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Before we get into the details about propranolol, let me tell you about our all natural performance anxiety supplement called PerformZen. PerformZen is an all natural supplement, specifically designed to help performers stay calm under pressure while even giving you a slight mental edge. Many of our customers have used propranolol in the past and found PerformZen to be an extremely good natural replacement. So if you're interested in finding out more, learn all about us at www.performzen.com.
How Propranolol works for anxiety
Propranolol is the highest prescribed beta blocker medication in America. It's available under the brand name Inderal. In the US beta blockers have the full name beta adrenergic blocking agents because they work by blocking the effects of adrenergic hormones such as adrenaline.
Doctors typically prescribe beta blockers to treat various heart conditions like high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, and angina or chest pains. Beta blockers help with these cardiovascular issues by influencing the force with which the heart pumps blood.
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Propranolol works, generally speaking, by blocking the effects of adrenergic hormones like adrenaline on the heart. This helps the body moderate heart rate and prevent elevated blood pressure. So by blocking adrenaline, propranolol keeps heart rate and blood pressure stable.
The reason that propranolol is even used 'off script' meaning for a purpose other than what it was originally designed for, is that this process of blocking adrenaline is also extremely valuable for anyone facing a high anxiety situation. Adrenaline lies at the root of most physical anxiety and stage fright symptoms.
Actually, adrenaline isn't the only cause of typical anxiety symptoms. A large part has to be attributed to the body's natural stress response to high stress environments. But one of the main side effects of this is a flood of adrenaline into the system, which still kind of proves the point.
So propranolol helps with anxiety by blocking the release of adrenaline into the system, helping people perform on stage or give speeches in front of audiences without the typical anxiety, self-doubt, and stage fright that usually get in the way.
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Is propranolol safe?
For the most part, propranolol is considered a safe medication by most users, including for long-term use. However, there definitely are some side effects and downsides that come with the prescription beta blocker.
For example, it's common to feel slight dizziness or lightheadedness by those using a course of propranolol due to how the drug lowers blood pressure.
Propranolol can also have interactions with other medicines and may not be suitable for people who already have low blood pressure or people taking other medicine for high blood pressure.
Some also claim that propranolol is ototoxic, meaning it might have the potential to damage your ears. Ototoxicity impacts the inner ear while the symptoms are primarily related to hearing and balance, and include ringing in the ears (often called tinnitus), dizziness, temporary hearing loss in one or both ears and more.
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However, most reports of propranolol being ototoxic are fairly anecdotal and there has not been much clinical research into the validity of the claims.
So while propranolol does show efficacy in treating the physical symptoms of anxiety, particularly performance anxiety and stage fright, if any of these side effects or downsides sound inefficient or are deal breakers for you, then you might want to consider an alternative to propranolol to help with your anxiety and stage fright issues
Can propranolol help with public speaking fears and anxiety?
Because of the way beta blockers like propranolol work within the body, we've worked with and spoken to a whole lot of performers and public speakers who use them to block the symptoms of performance anxiety.
Actually, one of the first popular mentions of beta blockers being used for anxiety purposes was a Lancet Magazine article from way back in 1965. That article, in depth research into the field, plus plenty of personal accounts of propranolol helping with stage fright and anxiety helped us to understand why so many speakers are using propranolol.
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In short, propranolol is effective for nearly eliminating the effects of adrenaline during a speech. The side effects are relatively minimal, and the biggest potential downside, truthfully, is a risk of becoming too reliant on the beta blocker if you use it for every high anxiety situation.
If you can avoid becoming dependent on propranolol, it is a very effective tool for speakers.
As with any medication, of course, propranolol will not work 100% the same for every single person. So if propranolol isn't effective enough to help with your anxiety, or if you don't like the sound of the downsides we covered in this video, then check out one of these other videos in our channel where we cover several alternatives to overcome anxieties, fears, and stage fright that come with performing.
And until next time, break a leg.