# The Truth About Hollywood’s Favorite Anxiety Drug | Really? no, Really?

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/really-no-really-with-jason-alexander-peter-tilden-6004825/the-truth-about-hollywood-s-favorite-anxiety-drug-really-no-really
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/really-no-really-with-jason-alexander-peter-tilden-6004825/the-truth-about-hollywood-s-favorite-anxiety-drug-really-no-really.md
Podcast: [Really? no, Really? with Jason Alexander & Peter Tilden](https://stenobird.com/podcast/really-no-really-with-jason-alexander-peter-tilden-6004825)
Published: 2026-02-03T16:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/CTL6222739915.mp3?updated=1770447382
Audio file: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/CTL6222739915.mp3?updated=1770447382
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/really-no-really-with-jason-alexander-peter-tilden-6004825/episodes/the-truth-about-hollywood-s-favorite-anxiety-drug-really-no-really
Duration seconds: 2170

## Resource

Hollywood’s latest “anxiety hack” isn’t a new miracle drug — it’s an old medication with a new spotlight. Jason Alexander and Peter Tilden dig into the celebrity buzz around beta blockers with Dr. Nasser Ghaemi, an academic psychiatrist and professor of psychiatry at Tufts University. They break down what beta blockers (like propranolol) actually do, why actors and musicians use them for performance anxiety, and the big catch: they can reduce symptoms without addressing the root cause. Dr. Ghaemi explains when “situational” use can make sense — and when it can backfire with side effects like low blood pressure, cognitive dulling, or added risk for people with asthma or diabetes. Along the way, Jason and Peter riff on Hollywood nerves, guest-star pressure on Seinfeld, and a wild story about “anxiety drugs in rivers” making salmon bolder — because of course it does. The episode lands on a bigger debate: quick-fix culture, rising anxiety in young people, and why AI therapy can’t replace a human clinician (yet). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

## Actions

- request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/really-no-really-with-jason-alexander-peter-tilden-6004825/episodes/the-truth-about-hollywood-s-favorite-anxiety-drug-really-no-really/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.
- read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/really-no-really-with-jason-alexander-peter-tilden-6004825/the-truth-about-hollywood-s-favorite-anxiety-drug-really-no-really.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.

A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed.

## Transcript

Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.