This morning, on ABC News Breakfast, Nate Byrne experienced a panic attack while presenting the weather. What happened next was a beautiful example of a safe place to work, relevant to live radio too.
Lisa Millar mentions, as she calmly takes the reins, that Nate has written and spoken of his anxiety and panic attacks before. I’ve shared the link to his excellent article below:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-24/nate-byrne-news-breakfast-panic-attack-anxiety/100848904
In it Nate speaks about how he didn’t initially tell Lisa about them, because he hadn’t had one for a while and didn’t think he needed to. After he experienced a major episode he asked her later what she recalled:
“I remember watching you beginning to roll into your weather spiel, something you do a dozen of times a day flawlessly. I’m not sure what made me glance up sharply, whether it was a slight hesitation, a dragging of the words.
Sitting a few metres from you I was struck that it now felt you were wading through mud, each word seeming to need so much effort,” she said.
Director of the Australian Association of Psychologists, Carly Dober, said Nate was courageous in speaking openly about his experience as he was live to air:
“To acknowledge he was having a panic attack was incredibly brave, given how intense the experience and symptoms of panic can be and how frightening it can feel in the moment.
The response from host Lisa Millar was professional, empathetic and shows how support and understanding from colleagues goes a long way. This is what support for mental health in the workplace should look like.”
Moments like these remind us that not everyone is comfortable on live TV, or radio, and sometimes even when you are comfortable, and do something over and over again, you can still have moments where anxiety or a panic attack strikes, catching you by surprise.
Radioinfo too adds to the supportive messages for Nate, Lisa and Michael Rowland. Genuine teamwork and respect on display.
Lisa Millar is departing ABC News Breakfast on Friday August 23 after 5 years, but will continue her three decade association with the ABC through other roles.
Jen Seyderhelm is a writer, editor and podcaster for Radioinfo