Carson Daly speaks about battle with ‘debilitating’ panic and anxiety

‘It’s okay to not be okay’: Carson Daly speaks about battle with ‘debilitating’ panic and anxiety as he works with Project Healthy Minds to quell stigma surrounding mental illnesses

Carson Daly said that he’s been battling anxiety for decades.

The TV personality, 47, speaking with People on Thursday, opened up about his mental health and his path to awareness.

The Los Angeles native, who appears on the Today Show and The Voice, is working with Project Healthy Minds on an awareness campaign to end stigma surrounding mental illnesses.

The latest: Carson Daly, 47, said that he’s been battling anxiety for decades as he opened up about his mental health and his path to awareness

‘I’ve suffered for over 20 years with, at times, debilitating anxiety and panic, and never knew it,’ Daly told People. ‘I never knew how to define it.

‘After finally opening up to friends, one of them had a history of anxiety, and looked at me and was like, “You have anxiety.”‘

Daly told the outlet that he realized he had gone through it when Cleveland Cavaliers star Kevin Love opened up on the Today Show about his personal experiences with panic attacks, relating it to an experience he had during his time hosting Total Request Live on MTV.

He said that he underwent a cognitive therapy course for 14 weeks to better understand methods on how to manage the condition when symptoms arise.

Battling: Daly said that he underwent a cognitive therapy course for 14 weeks to better understand methods on how to manage the condition when symptoms arise

Battling: Daly said that he underwent a cognitive therapy course for 14 weeks to better understand methods on how to manage the condition when symptoms arise 

Candid: Daly said, 'After finally opening up to friends, one of them had a history of anxiety, and looked at me and was like, "You have anxiety"'

Candid: Daly said, ‘After finally opening up to friends, one of them had a history of anxiety, and looked at me and was like, “You have anxiety”‘

‘It felt so good to get that diagnosis, because for so long I would be driving in my car and start to get nervous and wonder if I should pull over,’ he said. ‘And now I know, “Oh, this is happening, and wait 10 seconds and it will go away.” Being diagnosed and then talking about it just feels good.’

Daly said he was bothered that people might feel ‘they’re less than normal if they also have something about them that they’re unsure about as it pertains to their mental health.

‘It bothers me that anybody could feel that It doesn’t have to be anxiety. It can be depression, it could be PTSD, or any number of things. I want to hold their hand and go, “It’s okay to not be okay.”‘

He called Project Healthy Minds ‘a great nonprofit organization with a diverse group of people’ banding with one another ‘to try and help break the stigma of mental health and also help people have access to resources through technology.’

For those in need of immediate mental health assistance, text ‘STRENGTH’ to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.