Carson Daly Says He Thought He Was ‘Going to Die’ After First Panic Attack at ‘TRL’

The ‘Today’ co-host described how he thought he was having a “stroke” during the terrifying experience

Carson Daly details his terrifying first panic attack experience.

The Today co-host, 50, shared how he thought he was “going to die” after suffering his first panic attack while hosting the MTV teen talk show Total request live.

According to TODAY.com, Daly’s comments came as he delivered a World Mental Health Day speech on Tuesday at the inaugural gala for Project Healthy Minds.

One day in September I thought I was going to die, Daly told the audience at the gala dinner. “I was in my dressing room and I could feel all the normal live sound in the show before it started. I heard a commotion outside. I could hear the horns, normal Total request chaos, very common.”

“Then something very unusual happened to me,” he continued. “Out of nowhere in my dressing room, I felt what I can only describe as a click in my brain.”

Carson Daly hosts Total Request Live with guest Christina Aguilera.

Kevin Mazur/WireImage

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Daly, who was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder according to TODAY.com, went on to talk about how his heart “started pounding” and “fear” ran through his body.

“It was like someone broke out one of those cold packs at a Little League game and put it on my neck,” he said. “I could see my producer talking to me at the door, completely normal expression on his face, probably saying something about Hanson. I couldn’t hear him. It looked like he was speaking in slow motion. I was literally coming out of reality. I thought, oh my god, I’m having a stroke in front of Hanson. It was over in 30 seconds, but it felt like 30 minutes.”

Daly revealed that he managed to get through hosting the show on “autopilot” but “underneath the surface, I was absolutely terrified that what had just happened to me could happen again at any moment.”

Carson Daly.

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After the incident, Daly saw his doctor who told him he had suffered a panic attack caused by stress and anxiety.

Daly said he “should have slowed down”, but despite his efforts, his panic attacks continued. Ultimately, Daly explained during his speech at the gala, according to TODAY.com, he ended up sharing his experience with a friend, which led him to begin therapy and learn about tools to manage his anxiety.

The father of four also opened up about his mental health journey during a March 2021 interview with PEOPLE and shared the relief he felt after his diagnosis.

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“I suffered for over 20 years with, at times, debilitating anxiety and panic, and I never knew it. I never knew how to define it,” he said. “After I finally opened up to my friends, one of them had a history of anxiety and looked at me and said, ‘You have anxiety.’ ”

“It was so good to get that diagnosis, because I would drive in my car for so long and start to get nervous and wonder if I should stop,” added Daly, who underwent a 14-week course of cognitive therapy. ” And now I know, ‘Oh, this is happening, wait 10 seconds and it will go away.’ Getting diagnosed and then talking about it just feels good.”

If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text “STRENGTH” to the text crisis line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education