Australian meteorologist Nate Byrne suffered a panic attack during a live weather forecast on Tuesday, and he spoke candidly about it in real time.
After reporting the rain on ABC’s News Breakfast, Byrne clasped his hands together and said: “I’ve got to take a break.”
“Some of you may know that I suffer from panic attacks from time to time,” Byrne continued, “and I’m actually experiencing one right now.”
He turned the show over to co-host Lisa Miller, who praised Byrne for his candor and referred to an article he wrote in 2022 about the first time he suffered a panic attack on live TV.
In the article, Byrne described a “truly terrifying” moment that changed his perspective on mental health, despite never having suffered from an anxiety disorder before.
“I thought my career was over. Something had taken control of me without my permission or understanding, preventing me from being myself,” Byrne wrote.
He said he sought help from a psychologist, who confirmed that what he was experiencing were typical panic attacks and helped him develop tools to manage his anxiety while on air.
The Cleveland Clinic defines a panic attack as “a sudden, brief feeling of fear and a strong physical reaction to a normal, non-threatening situation.” Up to 11% of people in the United States experience a panic attack each year.
In the article, Byrne said the experience changed his perspective on mental health.
“I had no idea that sometimes you can lose complete control of your brain, that sometimes your brain can take control away,” he said.
After returning to the airwaves on Tuesday, Byrne told viewers he was “sorry if we were in any way alarmed.”
But Miller reassured him, saying, “It’s a great thing for people to know that it can happen to anyone.”
Byrne has received support on social media, with many praising his transparency and others empathizing with his experiences.
“Talking about my anxiety and getting treatment means it’s a part of life that I can manage,” he wrote in the article, “and it means I can continue doing the things I love.”
