The magical cure for dartitis?

This is a question I get asked a lot by clients who want a quick fix for the mental block known as dartitis.

So, what is this magical cure?

Unfortunately, there isn’t one – because dartitis isn’t a disease. Dartitis is a mental block triggered by the brain’s stress response.

However, there is hope of eliminating it completely by using a solution-focused approach.

A client will often tell me they don’t feel anxious or overly stressed, so they can’t understand why they can no longer throw a dart fluidly.

The answer lies heavily in neuroscience and the brain’s ability to activate or trigger the stress (fight-or-flight) response without us even knowing. As remarkable as the brain is, our survival functions are still very primitive and haven’t evolved in the same way as the parts of the brain we use to throw a dart or make good, rational decisions.

Patterns of behaviour, drives, and instincts are rooted in the “original primitive brain.” For those familiar with the excellent book The Chimp Paradox (available from all good bookstores and online), this is the same part of the brain in which dartitis lives. It can be triggered in two main ways:

1. Fight-or-flight response to a life-or-death situation

For example, if you were walking down the street and saw a lion, you wouldn’t hang around to stroke it or feed it – you’d run! This instinctive reaction is essential for our survival as humans and dates back millions of years to when we were hunter-gatherers.

2. Build-up of negative thoughts

Over time, negative thoughts that haven’t been processed properly by the brain can trigger the stress response.

Negative thoughts for a typical darts player might include:

• Dreading playing in front of people.
• Fear of losing.
• Worrying about personal, everyday issues.

How does the brain fail to process thoughts properly?

It’s all to do with our sleep – specifically, the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) state, which is when we dream. REM sleep makes up only around 20% of our total sleep.

Do any of the following apply to you?

• You never remember your dreams.*
• You find it hard to get to sleep, tossing and turning.
• You wake in the middle of the night with your mind racing.
• You wake in the morning after what seemed like a good sleep but feel tired all day.

Another caveat worth considering is that alcohol consumption drastically affects the REM state when we sleep. This can lead to feelings of being overwhelmed or low in mood for days after drinking – not ideal for playing any sport at a high level, especially those requiring fine motor skills.

If you experience any of the above, you may be living in a constant state of high anxiety –trapped in the fight, flight, or freeze mode – operating in a part of the brain geared solely towards survival and self-preservation.

Key parts of the primitive brain

• Amygdala – The brain’s trigger for perceived threat or danger, responsible for initiating the stress response. Anxiety increases, the amygdala activates, and you are pushed into fight-or-flight mode. The amygdala can’t tell the difference between imagination and reality – it responds to perceived threats caused by high anxiety levels.
• Hippocampus – The brain’s library, storing patterns of behaviour, memories, and experiences. This is where dartitis is “stored” as a behavioural pattern. If the stress response keeps you in this primitive brain, dartitis (like any other habit) will continue to be triggered repeatedly. The primitive brain doesn’t know the difference between helpful and unhelpful habits – it simply thinks they are necessary for survival.

The primitive brain thrives on depression, anger, and anxiety, along with any behaviour patterns it believes are key to survival.

Breaking the loop of dartitis

To break the dartitis cycle, we need to help the brain process thoughts effectively again by restoring healthy REM sleep.

The use of hypnosis with a therapist can help. Half an hour in a trance is said to be the equivalent of up to four hours of deep REM sleep. Within a few weeks, this can bring anxiety levels down to the point where dartitis fades away.

However, the work doesn’t stop there. High anxiety is often triggered by negative thoughts, feelings, and emotions rooted in past, present, or future events.

“We are a product of our thoughts”

Every negative thought, feeling, or worry is stored in the subconscious mind – the same mind that is also open to positive suggestion and behavioural change. This subconscious makes up around 95% of our brain’s capacity and is responsible for countless everyday functions we take for granted: breathing, speaking, even driving a car.

Through hypnosis and solution-focused brief therapy, we can process built-up thoughts and create positive behavioural change. By tapping into the brain’s natural plasticity – its ability to adapt and rewire – we can manage anxiety positively, change behavioural patterns, and eliminate dartitis once and for all.