Q: I am a 27 years old man having a serious problem of nervousness, which becomes severe at the time of public speaking or before an interview. I have tried deep breathing and drinking water as well but nothing worked. Sometimes, I tremble and my heart starts beating fast, so I use alcohol and the problem gets solved for that period of time. Please suggest me some substitute for alcohol, which I can take before such situations.

A:This advice is only to be taken if your problem is limited to what you have described, and you have no other emotional difficulties. There are two approaches to performance anxiety, commonly called stage fright in the United States. One is a Benzodiazepine tablet such as Xanax or Valium taken a half hour before the performance. The other is a beta-blocker, most commonly used for high blood pressure treatment. Beta-blockers are good for shaking hands and voice, etc. Many professional musicians use beta-blocker before performing to steady their hands.