It’s normal to be nervous or anxious sometimes, but how much is too much?
At what point does nervousness become severe anxiety? A lot of people struggle with anxiety issues, even celebrities. Many of them don’t like to talk about it.
Carson Daly recently opened up about his anxiety problems.
He admitted that he has a generalized anxiety disorder and that he has been struggling with it his entire life. He hopes that by opening up about his own problems, he can help others realize that they aren’t alone and encourage them to seek help, too.
He said he had his first panic attack came when he was getting ready to do a live show for MTV’s “TRL.”
“I had a hard time breathing. I was terrified for no apparent reason.”
Although he had never had a panic attack before, he was always a little nervous.
Even as a child, there were times when he felt like he was very anxious and more nervous than other kids his age.
“I was a worrywart kid. I was always worrying. My father died when I was 5. I had an ulcer when I was in high school. I’ve been nervous my whole life.”
Carson grew up in California, but when he was hired for a job with MTV, he had to move to New York City. That made his anxiety much worse.
He explained:
“I moved to New York and my life changed overnight. At times I feel like there’s a saber-tooth tiger right here and it’s going to kill me attack me and bite my head off. I’m scared as if that’s really happening. You feel like you’re dying.”
He began having panic attacks that were so severe that he thought he might be having heart attacks, too.
He decided to seek help from a doctor. Once he learned that they were, in fact, panic attacks, he felt better, but he was still nervous all the time.
He added:
“People think, ‘Oh, he has anxiety. High-pressure life. You know, you’re on television.’ It has nothing to do with that.
“I’ve had heightened anxiety and mild panic attacks at the playground with my own children and wife there. The feeling was so gripping and so terrifying that literally, I had to leave and excuse myself.”
He had to try a few things to find the type of treatment that worked for him.
He said some people make the mistake of not searching for the right option and taking the quick fix instead.
He said:
“We live in that world where it’s like, ‘What did he take? I’ll take that too.’ It’s not that simple.
“I opted for a cognitive therapist, somebody who teaches you about anxiety, the model of it, and offers you tools on how to kind of work through it. Muscle retention relaxation really helps me.”
Although he has learned how to cope with his anxiety, he also knows it will always be a part of his life and something he will have to deal with forever.
He continued:
“This is the way I was born. This is the way I was hardwired. This is the downside the way God made me and there’s a tremendous upside, as well. That’s the flip side to the anxiety.
“I don’t walk around every single day a nervous wreck. I don’t want people to think, ‘Oh, are you okay? Are you freaking out?’ No, I’m good.”
He also added that he is no longer embarrassed of his anxiety and is proud that he is learning to overcome it. He said:
“I really wear the way I am like a badge of honor. This is who I am and I’m proud of it. People are so afraid about what other people think of you. I wish people could break down that wall, too. I guarantee you, everybody has got something.”
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