Performance and Anxiety

Documented Clinical Success since 1978

“It’s wonderful to be involved in the pursuit of peak performance. It’s absurd to be paralyzed by fear of not being perfect.”
                                       - jonathan berent

Jonathan Berent, L.C.S.W. has treated over 10,000 individuals of all ages with social anxiety. He is the author of “Beyond Shyness: How to Conquer Social Anxieties” (Simon & Schuster). He has been featured on over 1500 television and radio shows; from “Oprah” to “Opie and Anthony”. His public speaking experience has included just about every type of show imaginable. He has mastered the art and science of controlling the physiology of performance and can teach it to you.

Listen to individuals who have resolved performance anxiety

Performance is a multi-dimensional dynamic that applies to many aspects and venues of life: academics, career, money making, public speaking, relationship building, sex, communication, sports, the performing arts and more.

“Performance” is multi-dimensional because it is composed of a “mind state” which includes thinking, attitude, and emotion, as well as physiology and behavior.

The fact that performance worries are at the basis of social anxiety - the anxiety disorder of the millennium - characterizes our highly competitive and technological society. The fact that competition and technology is increasing every day is a fact of life, which many individuals of all ages find distressing and unfair.

Common performance problems include fear of public speaking, fear of communicating, fear of groups, fear of intimacy, fear of being noticeably nervous as in blushing and sweating, fear of losing control, fear of panicking in public, fear of making mistakes in general and in specific venues like the athletic venues, school, or on stage, and eating disorders. When this fear/anxiety reaches the point where avoidance occurs, a phobia is present!

Logic teaches that experience will teach and improve skills and self-confidence. Often logic is overwhelmed by emotions of embarrassment, shame, and humiliation which create avoidance and handicap the development of skills acquisition. This avoidance perpetuates anxiety and inhibits self-esteem. It can create depression, career dysfunction, family chaos, and many stress related symptoms, including deep blushing and severe sweating.

Many individuals become so obsessed with the quest for perfection, or to be perceived as perfect, that they avoid situations where this is not possible, or “burn out” with worry and anxiety.

Concepts imperative for peak "performance"

1. Understand the “physiology of performance”. Learn to accept the flow of adrenaline (the physical nervousness) and it will be the source of productive energy.
2. Differentiate between performance and identity. There is a big difference.
3. Absorb the notion that “high performance” individuals embrace the opportunity to learn from mistakes!
   

Your Options

1. Free Introductory CD
2. The book, "Beyond Shyness: How to Conquer Social Anxieties" (Simon & Schuster)
3. Comprehensive self-therapy audio CD program for social and performance anxiety
4. Public Speaking Anxiety: Self Therapy Audio CD Program
5. Therapy in Great Neck, New York
6. Telephone therapy
7. Selective Mutism Seminar on Audio CD
8. "Parenting The Selectively Mute Child": Self-therapy Audio CD Program
9. "Social Therapy and the Learning Disabled: A seminar on Audio CD
10. Free social-ability questionnaire
11. Free "Parent Addiction" quiz
12. Subscribe to the Tip of the Month Club

There are many free self diagnostic options at www.social-anxiety.com