Shaadi.com founder and CEO Anupam Mittal recently opened up about his struggle with anxiety on Ranveer Allahbadia's podcast. He also said that a panic attack he experienced in his twenties caused him to reflect on his health. The Shaadi.com Founder and CEO discussed his anxiety treatment methods in an interview, and revealed that at his lowest points, he felt "irrelevant" and like a "failure."
Mr Mittal was questioned about the most significant failures in his life, and he stated that while he was in his 20s, he faced financial troubles after the Dotcom crisis. "It began with me in the US around 25 years ago. I was working, there was the Dotcom crisis, I lost my job. Everything was overwhelming. At that time I experienced a panic attack. If you've never experienced a panic attack, I pray to god that you never do," he said.
The Shark Tank India judge added, "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 were to tell you to shoot yourself, you probably might. It's so scary."
The entrepreneur stated that he spoke to his friend, read several books and tried to resolve his situation. However, he suffered an even worse setback in 2008, following the recession, which took him years to recover from. Mr Mittal said that he suffered another panic attack in 2008. "You feel helpless, especially if you are a problem solver by nature. You feel irrelevant, you feel like a complete failure, you feel useless. If your baseline anxiety level is high, you are susceptible to panic attacks," he said.
Mr Mittal said that he consulted a therapist in 2012 and continues to do so. He added "After reading and speaking to the therapist, I understood that everyone has a different mental condition. Anxiety is good. It means you have a fear of something- maybe success, exams etc. It is normal. That is not a problem with mental health."
"If your baseline anxiety level is higher than other people, it can manifest in conditions... But you won't realise it, because you think it's normal. All my life, my baseline anxiety has been higher than other people. I thought it was normal until panic attacks started," he continued.
Mr Mittal claimed that when he learned more about the illness over time, he saw that anxiety might also be a great tool. "The good thing is that most creative people, lateral thinkers, people who are driven to do something big, they have a high baseline anxiety," he said.
The Shark Tank judge also added that people should read books, educate themselves and talk to their peers about their mental health condition. He said on the show, "If you are struggling, please seek some help. You can even do it anonymously. There is no shame."
