'Barmageddon' Star Carson Daly Says Discussing His Anxiety Has Helped Him Cope

Carson Daly got candid once again about his generalized anxiety disorder and how it’s impacted his career over the years, including his time on “The Voice” and the “Today” show. 

In 2018, Daly told the world on “Today” he has suffered from anxiety all his life, and outlined the journey he took to put a name to the feelings of panic and tension he was experiencing. He admitted at the time that they date back to his start in show business on MTV. However, he made sure to note that, while being on camera has triggered his anxiety attacks in the past, he has also gotten them while out at a playground with his wife and kids, meaning they're not just a problem for public figures. 

Speaking in a recent interview with USA Today, Daly opened up about how it felt to publicly discuss his anxiety and how he still copes with it today. 

"You may know me from MTV or as a celebrity of whatever you think of me. You may think my life's perfect. I've got kids. I always look happy on TV or when you watch me on 'The Voice.' But that's just not how it works. It's not like that," Daly told the outlet. 

He revealed that people who tune into “The Voice” on Monday nights may notice him standing with his right hand in his pocket. He explained that he is using that moment to grip the flesh of his thigh in order to stave off a “high-panic” moment. 

Back in 2018, he said the thing that helped him most was learning other people deal with these issues. That allowed him to put the term “anxiety” on it and seek cognitive behavioral therapy and other effective treatment methods. Because of the positive impact it's had on his life, he’s made it his mission to use his platform to help destigmatize the mental health conversation, which he’s doing through his “Mind Matters” segment on “Today” this summer. Each segment sees him talking with someone who has overcome or is overcoming a mental health crisis of some sort.

Daly admitted he still has his moments of anxiety, but he’s learned to live with it and deal with those emotions as they come. Overall, he said opening the discussion is the single best thing that’s helped him and that he hopes will help others.

"But I think by and large, the conversations are happening a lot more frequently. You hear mental health certainly in music and pop culture and from celebrities that are up and coming … and are willing to talk about it. So I definitely think we're headed in the right direction,” he concluded. 

Daly will continue to reach out to everyday people and shine a spotlight on their unsung accomplishments by way of his upcoming competition series for USA Network, “Barmageddon.” He and Blake Shelton will join host Nikki Bella as they bring people to the country singer’s Nashville restaurant, Ole Red, for a slew of high-stakes bar games designed to put their abilities to the test.