Meteorologist Nate Byrne looked breathless and nervous while giving the weather forecast on live TV in Melbourne, Australia.
“I actually have to pause for a moment,” said Byrne, 39. said on tuesdayDuring the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s morning program “News Breakfast” on August 13th.
“Some of you may know that I have panic attacks from time to time, and that’s exactly what’s happening right now.”
The moment was posted on Instagram.
He then cut the segment short and asked co-host Lisa Miller to take over, but Lisa Miller assured him it was okay and that Byrne has been open about experiencing panic attacks. He explained calmly.
The meteorologist then returned to camera and thanked his colleagues for their support.
“I’m sorry if I scared anyone a little bit there,” he said.
“Not really, because you’ve been very honest about having panic attacks on air before. It’s so great that people know that panic attacks can happen to anyone. That’s true,” Miller said.
Live television triggered Mr Byrne’s first panic attack, he says. Revealed in 2022 essaycalling it “absolutely horrifying.” It happened after he was a little late for his segment and ran into the weather wall.
“My brain was screaming, ‘Run!’ as my heart raced, my breath came in gasps, and sweat poured from every pore,” Byrne wrote.
A psychologist told Byrne that the problem may have been because she was trying too hard to control her breathing, which didn’t provide enough oxygen to her brain and triggered a flight response.
Since it happened repeatedly, the doctor temporarily prescribed the following medicine: Beta blockera type of drug that slows the heartbeat. This was helpful, as were techniques to “distract” my brain, such as pushing my thumbnail into the side of my finger during an episode. However, Byrne continues to have occasional panic attacks.
He has learned that it is important to open up to colleagues and let them know that they may need help if it happens on air. The experience changed his perspective on mental health.
“I knew that things like anxiety and depression were very real, but I had no idea that sometimes we lose control of our brains, and how our brains are controlled. “No,” Byrne wrote.
Anthony Porcari, a digital creator based in Washington, shared a similar experience. having a panic attack About a recent TV appearance.
Carson Daly’s panic attack experience
Today’s Carson Daly, 51, also opened up about his struggle with panic attacks. He had never heard of them when he first experienced them while hosting MTV’s “Total Request Live” in the 1990s.
“I thought I was going to die,” he recalls. “My heart started racing and fear ran through my body.”
Panic attacks are symptoms caused by stress and anxiety, Carson said.
In 2018, the TODAY co-host revealed that she had been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, which causes excessive and sometimes bothersome feelings of anxiety and worry.
He started seeing a therapist and learned tools to manage his anxiety, including meditation and breathing techniques. Medications also helped.
“That doesn’t mean you’ll never have a panic attack again. Your body can always trick your mind,” he said.
He “wears his mental health struggles like a badge of honor.” I’ve always had anxiety. I dealt with panic attacks. I’ve been to a lot of therapy. ”
“I’m designed this way because God made me this way,” he added.
What is a panic attack?
According to , it is the sudden onset of intense fear or discomfort. Anxiety and Depression Association of America. It can occur suddenly for no apparent reason when a person is calm, or it can strike when a person is feeling anxious.
Dr. Todd Furchione, intensive program director at Boston University’s Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders, told TODAY that even though there is no threat, the body reacts as if it were in danger.
“That’s kind of a false alarm,” Falchione said. “It’s all internal, and that’s what makes it so scary for people. If you had a big spider in front of you and you were reacting to it, you’d say, ‘Why am I reacting to that?’ I understand what you’re doing.”
The climax of a panic attack lasts only a few minutes, Falchione said, because the body can’t maintain that level of fight-or-flight excitement for long.
Panic attacks can occur with any anxiety disorder, he added.
According to , some people may develop panic disorder, a condition in which they have frequent, unexpected panic attacks. National Institute of Mental Health.
What are the symptoms of a panic attack?
Patients may suddenly experience “almost paralyzing fear.” American Psychological Association he pointed out. They also feel like there is no way to stop the panic attacks.
Symptoms include a racing heart, difficulty breathing, nausea, lightheadedness, tremors, and tingling in the hands and lips. People can also experience a sense of unreality, of not being present or disconnected, Falchione said.
Panic attack treatment
According to the American Psychological Association, therapy can help identify triggers and teach people how to slow their breathing and overcome panic attacks. Anti-anxiety drugs, antidepressants, and beta-blockers may be part of treatment.
People who experience frequent panic attacks may benefit from telling a loved one or co-worker what they can do if a panic attack occurs, says the medical director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Dr. Ken Duckworth previously told TODAY.com.
This allowed Byrne’s colleagues to quickly fill in for him when he had a panic attack and the cameras rolled.
