Shaadi.Com's Anupam Mittal Calls Panic Attacks The Scariest Thing That He Experienced

Mittal urged individuals experiencing anxiety and panic attacks to seek help. He stressed that there is no shame in it and it can even be done anonymously

Shaadi.com Founder and CEO, Anupam Mittal, shared his struggles with anxiety on the podcast with Ranveer Allahbadia. Talking about his experience with panic attacks, the Shark Tank India judge said that he suffered his first attack in his 20s when he was in the US. 

Mittal said that mental health is still a taboo subject for many Indians, even as several of us suffer from issues related to it. He said that he wants to share his mental health journey to help inspire the people affected by it.

“If you have never experienced a panic attack, I pray to god that you never do,” Mittal says talking about the time he lost his job. 

“A panic attack is the scariest thing I've experienced. You feel like the earth will eat you whole, the walls will crush you, you have difficulty breathing. On the outside, you look calm, but inside, there's a volcano erupting. In that moment, you are prepared to do anything. If someone told you to shoot yourself, you probably would. It's so scary,” the businessman noted.

Mittal shares that he sought solace in a friend who suffered through panic attacks earlier. However, when he again experienced panic attacks after 2008, he shared he felt helpless. 

He added that he consulted a professional around 2012. The therapist helped him understand the difference between anxiety and panic attacks. He urged individuals experiencing anxiety and panic attacks to seek help. He stressed that there is no shame in it and it can even be done anonymously. 

Mittal also shared that he always wanted an ‘interesting’ life where every day brings new challenges. “I think I wanted to stay away from routine so much that somewhere I willed it into happening. Every day is fun, every day is learning,” the businessman said.