Nate Byrne experienced a panic attack on live TV. Then something beautiful happened.

Three million Australians are currently struggling with anxiety. One in four will experience it at some point in their lives, according to Beyond Blue. However, despite its prevalence, it's rare to see anxiety panic in public. 

Anxiety driven panic attacks often strike when least expected — just as we saw this week when ABC News Breakfast weather presenter Nate Byrne had a panic attack live on air.

On Tuesday morning, while Byrne was in the middle of reading the weather report, he was seen nodding to someone off-screen before calmly handing it back to co-presenters Lisa Millar and Michael Rowland. 

"I’m actually going to need to stop for a second," he said. "Some of you may know that I occasionally get affected by some panic attacks, and actually that’s happening right now.

"Lisa, maybe I could hand back to you."

Watch Mia Freedman talk about experiencing anxiety. Post continues below.

It was a rare moment on television, and despite what we can imagine was a stressful situation for Byrne, the way it was handled has been praised by viewers.

This isn't the first time Byrne has spoken publicly about his anxiety. In 2022, he penned an article for the ABC detailing his first-ever panic attack, which came on while he was on live TV.

"It was absolutely terrifying, and completely reshaped my understanding of mental health," he wrote.

"As I stood there under the studio lights, talking to people having their morning coffee and wiping sleep from their eyes, my heart was racing, I was gasping for breath and sweat was pouring out of every pore as my brain screamed 'RUN!'."

Like most panic attacks, Nate experienced tingling, a rapid heart rate, and increased sweating. What made it even more frightening was that this was all happening on-screen.

"As soon as the camera was off me, I dropped my on-air demeanour and doubled over, trying to catch my breath, light-headed and confused about what was happening."

15 minutes later, he had another panic attack, and this time, it nearly drove him to the edge.

"This time, it was much worse — I started shaking, my vision narrowed, my heart was pounding like I'd run a marathon, I couldn't breathe.

"I needed to be anywhere else, and I had no idea why," he continued.

"I'd later find out that what I was experiencing was diagnosable and manageable, but in that moment I thought that my career was over — something was taking control of me without my permission or understanding, and it was preventing me from doing what made me, me."

Since then, Nate has sought help from a psychologist, who has taught him coping strategies for when the panic attacks return. Although they have, he now approaches them from a different perspective. 

"While I appreciated that things like anxiety and depression are very much real, I had no idea about the complete lack of control you can sometimes have over your brain, nor the ways in which it can take over," he wrote.

"I still occasionally have those feelings return – in fact, as I write, even remembering my experiences have raised my hackles a bit — but talking about my anxiety and seeking treatment means that it's something I can live with and manage."

Since Tuesday, Nate has received an outpouring of support, not only from the ABC team but also from the millions of Australians who live with anxiety and panic attacks. For many, mental health disorders impact their daily lives, including their work.

Yet, few are willing to speak out about it as openly as Nate did. 

Joining him in this candid conversation is Carrie Bickmore, who recently shared her own struggles with panic attacks, which she has been dealing with since she was 20.

Telling her co-host Tommy Little on Hit Network's Carrie & Tommy show, Bickmore spoke candidly about what it's like living with the disorder.

"I’ve suffered from anxiety and panic attacks since I was about 20," she said.

"It's hard, actually, to describe what I felt. It was like shame, I think, [also] embarrassment. I don’t think I really fully understood what was going on in my own head. I think talking about it almost made me feel more anxious, so I just kept it in my own head."

The former The Project host admitted that her anxiety has held her back from taking on new opportunities, as she was terrified of experiencing an attack in a new environment. 

"There were so many jobs over the time that I’ve said no to and I look back and I think, 'Oh my God, where could that have taken me?' Incredible opportunities because I was worried that something would set me off and that I’d be humiliated forever," she said.

"But then I also look back and I think for some reason, sometimes I’d want to like lean into the challenge and, and my brain would say, 'No, don’t let the anxiety win, like you can do this.' And that’s why I said yes to The Project and ended up doing it for 14 years."

Feature Image: Instagram @sci.nate/ABC.