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Dear John

Ongoing health problems when touring

First published 14th September 2006

Question:
I'm enjoying touring but I'm having ongoing health problems. I don't think they're showing on stage but I'm afraid to say in case it affects my job or needs expensive treatment.

Answer:
Although Beyond the Sea, Kevin Spacey's cinematic take on Bobby Darin's life story, tended towards an affectionate portrait, it did feature the stark image of the singer wowing the audience on stage and then staggering backstage to a waiting medical trolley and oxygen mask.

Without the right medical help Darin's life and performing career may have been even shorter. And despite the reputation of showbiz, those of us who don't throw themselves full tilt into the sex, drugs and rock and roll lifestyle can still treat our own basic wellbeing with less importance than we should. From performers who 'sing through' their sore throats to dancers who make it on stage and hoof away on sprained ankles, it is admirable to declare that 'the show must go on'. But when a whole lot of shows go on without us checking what the underlying problem is, it becomes less about bravery and more about bad business sense.

Here, two experts offer advice - one of whom has learned the wisdom of seeking advice the hard way.

What the experts say:

Naomi Wayne

Naomi Wayne is chief executive of the British Association of Performing Arts Medicine, a registered charity, founded in 1984 to provide health services for full and part time professional and student performing artists. Naomi has had 20 years experience working in health related and voluntary sector organisations.

"It's no exaggeration to say that performing artists need to look after themselves like athletes do. After all, it's their bodies and their minds - their backs, legs, voices, brains - that deliver the performance.

"In fact, performers probably have more health issues than athletes to contend with. They may suffer from muscle damage, voice problems and hearing difficulties, as well as stress and anxiety. None of these are a sign of personal inadequacy - they are just things that bodies and minds can be prone to if they are worked very hard.

"Yet while we take it for granted that athletes need looking after to keep their bodies at peak fitness and their minds perfectly tuned. We do not give performers anywhere near the same care and respect. And with the stage being so competitive, it's not surprising that performers tend to suffer secretly, forcing themselves to keep going through the pain and anxiety.

"If you are an actor, singer, dancer, musician or variety artist and you have a health problem related to performance, it is crucial to get it checked out. It is also a good idea to see a health professional who has specialist understanding of the needs of performers.

"That's what the British Association for Performing Arts Medicine (BAPAM) is for. In our clinics in central London, Manchester and Glasgow, we provide free health assessments via a team of volunteer health professionals (doctors, surgeons, counsellors, psychotherapists, physiotherapists etc) who are all mad about the performing arts.

"If you need specialist treatment, they know who to refer you to and if it costs and you can't afford to pay, BAPAM can advise about possible sources of financial help. Most importantly, it's totally confidential. So don't delay - ask for help."

John Byrne

In addition to writing his Stage Dear John column and his own comedy writing and cartooning work, John Byrne is a radio agony uncle and business coach to performers at many levels. He has more than 20 years of experience advising people on making a living and dealing with the challenges of life in the media and entertainment worlds. When it comes to taking his own advice, though, he's as rubbish as the rest of us.

"You're seeing my face in the expert slot this week because I've been an 'expert' at disregarding all the advice above for a long time. I've pushed the envelope with the best of them and like most performers, even when this carousing has resulted in a hangover which feels like Ozzy Osbourne is using your head as a rehearsal room or various other coughs and colds, I've usually been able to do the gig and recover afterwards.

"So a year or two ago, when I first started to have difficulty focusing on work at hand, I put it down to pressure and the faster pace of life in general. I didn't talk about it as a) I'm the one who sorts out everyone else's problems and b) in an industry which thrives on image and deadlines, admitting you're struggling doesn't seem sensible.

"Fast forward to this time last year. Things had progressed to the stage where I could barely focus on the simplest thing for more than two minutes and at other times even one task such as getting out of bed was almost impossible. Down to about two useful hours of work a day, I finally decided it was time to seek medical advice.

"It turns out I have had ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) for most of my life. People with ADHD often end up in the arts field because the flexible structure favours them more than, say, accountancy would. Now that I have the proper support, things are a lot easier.

"It took an almost complete collapse to give me the sense to seek medical advice - I would encourage other performers who have health worries that it makes far more sense to seek help when things are less dramatic.

John sums up

I decided to share my own story here not to suggest to everyone who has a problem with focus or concentration that they might have ADHD but to make the point that health issues untreated and univestigated tend to get worse not better. The result is usually that whatever costs or consequences you are avoiding by not finding out more will also tend to get worse the longer you leave it - or alternatively, you may be wasting energy worrying about nothing which could more usefully be channeled into your career.

Just as dangerous as the performer's tendency not to take care of themselves is the related one of self-treatment via backstage folk cures or in some cases, self-medication with drugs and alcohol.

We should not only be aiming for a career, not just one good gig, we should also be looking after ourselves so we can enjoy fond memories of that career or if we do go out on stage, it won't be because lack of common sense brought the curtain down early.

* The British Association of Performing Arts Medicine's website is at www.bpam.org. Contact Dan or Clare at BAPAM on 0845 602 0235 or admin@bapam.org.uk

* The first ever national ADHD Awareness Week in the UK runs September 18-24, more details from www.adders.org

* Feedback/queries are welcome to dearjohn@thestage.co.uk

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