PRO SKATER TALKS ABOUT HIS ANXIETY DISORDER 

As a super analytical and logical person, it's frustrating having anxiety. It's hard to know that something isn't important or worth worrying about and still freaking out over it. Keep doing what you're doing and know you're not alone.

I could hear the pain in your voice Jonny. I'm so sorry, its not fair to have to feel this fear and pain over something that hasn't even happened. I will definitely admit to lying in my bed crying for hours, worrying that my life wasn't going in the right direction (when I was a bit younger). It was very brave of you to ask your friend to look after you when you were severely hungover and to post this video. Thanks for speaking up and speaking out! If you ever need someone to talk to about anxiety etc, you can talk to me. You are very deserving of a healthy mind and happiness. Keep up the great work, Jonny!

Now ive got the worlds respect for you. I suffered from anxiety for 2 years, trust me i know. What worked for me is realizing that i am my thoughts. Im in control, my thoughs dont control me. E.g If you are thirsty, you drink water, if you dont, you stay thirsty. So if you think negative stuff, dont try to ignore it, rather tell it to fuck off. Take control. Swop it out like you would change the channel on your tv. Dont try to kill the fire with petrol, fear of having fear is nothing but fear itself lying to you. Look where you got yourself in life, you did that, now you tell anxiety to leave coz its lame and its a thief only out to steal your hapiness. Thanks for this video, blessings be upon you!

It's very brave of you to talk to us all about this Jonny. I've suffered from anxiety and depression for years and it's a constant battle but I've gotten a lot better. I wish all the best my friend and don't give up on working through it.

Hey bro nice video. Remember dude you will always have some one to lean on. Your on the right side of this. Your self aware enough to see what is going on with your self. Since you can see it and have recognised it. Your on the path to a greater understanding to life. Keep doing as u do. Don't let any comments or any one else get you down. Anxiety can be pretty bad. So chin up bro. Respect

Thanks for sharing, Jonny. I had a similar experience where I had a panic attack on the way to the hospital. It took several months to recover from that. By the way, meditation is not about turning your mind off. It's actually about concentrating on your breathing. Try putting some relaxing music on, closing your eyes and just breathe. Thoughts will come. Don't try to shut them down. Just let them take their course and then release them.

Love You Giger, I have been going through this and more for 5 years now, I know what the panic attacks feel like and I'd not wish these experiences on anyone. It's helpful to see that you as a pro, and youtuber that has these feelings isn't giving up. That's why i skate, to always keep pushing forward.

You're a great guy Jonny, fingers crossed for the future. Namaste.

I wouldn't wish panic attacks on my worst enemy. They feel so much more horrible than I ever would have expected. Counseling, excersize, and healthy diet help me keep it in check...but damn it's rough as hell sometimes. Hugs to anyone that has to deal with this! You are awesome Johnny!

I think you are one of the most talented skateborder i ve ever seen. i kind understand now why your not dominating this game. I wish you to healed in way to recover the place you shoud have in the skateboarding world.

Right on Jonny keep it up!

Dude, respect! Took courage to share that video. I can relate 100%

Meditation doesn't mean clearing your mind, it can just be you watching yourself breathe in and out, and gently returning your attention back to your breathing everytime you realise you've lost yourself in thought. It's basically just attention training, learning to dissociate somewhat your 'awareness' and your 'thoughts', Hope you keep getting better dude, I don't skate but enjoy your vids.

I really appreciate this video cause this happened to me 4 months ago and changed my life, I felt the same way couldn't work couldn't sleep, still have some moments but I feel like I've taken control again

keep up the great skating johnny !! your content is the best

I had anxiety the second semester of Uni, when panic attacks showed up I couldn't eat, couldn't really move or do anything but to think about all these irrational fears. After about 1 or 2 weeks of suffering from these random panic attacks I started taking some organic drops and they actually worked. I think they worked because my brain and mind REALLY wanted them to work, so it's something like it tricks my brain into thinking they work even though maybe they don't have any actual medical effect. I stopped taking them after a while and I can feel my mind stronger. I can sort of deal now with stress or anxiety, my body developed this kind of defense mechanism where whenever I feel anxiety trying to make its way to my head again my body just goes full relaxed and my brain shuts it down, doesn't let it in anymore, just as if I had taken the drops. Just thought this could help someone and to let you know it actually gets better.

Sharing your personal experience is very hard to do, thanks Jonny.

Grazie Jonny!

Thank You For This Jonny x

The good news is it should get more and more manageable. It sounds like you were going through a very minor form of alcohol withdrawal (which is horrible, despite the "minor"- that's just how it's referred to). More of an alcoholic rebound effect that goes much further than a regular hangover. Unfortunately, depressant withdrawal can leave some real marks on your brain that take a while to heal. So does the raw trauma from an experience like that. (You can look up the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal and check them against what you experienced) Regardless of cause, it did result in long term anxiety/panic disorder. The reason I bring this up is bc it might help people to understand what's happening to them after a prolonged 24+ hour period of heavy drinking, and the problems associated with that. (I've had a panic disorder/GAD since I was a kid and had a resurgence of symptoms around 18 until I realized they were almost always happening after heavy drinking)

respect

So gut :) damit an die öffentlichkeit zu gehen dude, habe ich auch gemacht

Your english improved so much :O

dude when was on a skate team.i would enter contest and it was horrible ya know.

Well at least for me it does. It's not a good feeling it sucks

I have social anxiety it makes it hard to skateboard

Always makes me laugh when people who speak English as a second language apologise for not being able to speak it well enough, despite the fact they speak completely fluently. Everyone who speaks English can understand everything you say with no problem. Sure, sometimes you say things that aren't semantically perfect, but literally everyone knows what you mean, it's still super clear. Great video, wish all the best for you man. You are the reason I've started skating again after a 10 year break.

i love when youtubers talk about anxiety. because it makes me feel connected to them. my anxiety is horrible and im glad i can find people who understand what i go through.

i feel ya bro. same process happened to me, panic attacks>anxiety>hypochondria. it's been years now and it's definitely gotten better but it still something to deal with everyday.

Thanks for sharing dude, it probably took a whole lot to iron all that out in your head and then share it with a bunch of strangers. Your video helped me out and I bet there's a bunch of other guys and girls who feel the same as me. Keep on keepin' it real

Cheers Jonny, glad to hear a more real side of your life. Thank you for sharing this. Despite how challenging it is to talk about these subjects, we must do our best to normalize the conversation to raise awareness & help save lives

This is EXACTLY what happened to me after my 1st panic attack. After a hangover, hyperventilating and got the numb hands thing. Had a full blown panic attack and had my wife take me to the emergency room because I thought I was dying. Then same thing....didn't leave the house because I was having panic over having panic. It was crazy. Your story is SO similar to mine. I went on meds...the whole thing. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and meditation (I started with Yoga too and it lead me to meditation) changed every thing for me. I have them still but they are few and far between. I know how to deal with them and ride the wave. Thank you for sharing this story. Its good to now we aren't alone.

wow thank you for speaking up about what a lot of people deal with! youre wonderful jonny much love

ive typed at least 3 comments and ended up deleting them due to my anxiety but thank you johnny. thank you

I had major panic attacks and anxiety disorder for 1 full year, i was suicidal, I couldn't talk to people because i felt depersonalized, its like they were talking to completely different person while i was there in the dark room watching myself speak, then i finally decided to fight this, took pills to stay calm, for sleep, and slowly i went out and talked to people, its kinda mixed how i felt about it, at the same time i was afraid of showing them how weak and insane i was, yet i felt like i didn't really care about my ego rather than well being, so after 3 months i started getting much better, at the moment people will tell me how easygoing and communicative i am, frequently talk to strangers without hesitation, life feels like life and even better than before now. for anyone concerned about this subject, thinking that things will never be back they were, you are wrong, all you need is a little bit of courage and things will get better, much better.

It's funny because people dealing with anxiety are people that others thinks like a relax, zen and chill personality just like you ! I thought you were sooo calm and bang... just a bit like me you're a small tornado inside. Respect man, good video, will watch you forever !

You're an awesome human being dude...

Hey man, great video. I suffer from anxiety too, panic attacks daily, fucked with my career, relationships, etc... but seeing one of my favorite skaters come out and discuss this topic so openly gives me confidence and reassures me. You're a hero uploading this. Peace

Jonny, you should meditate it helps a lot with the wild mind. At first no one can control their brain while meditating but after a while it creates a moments when it's not so hard. And it helped me a lot personally to control panic attacks

Love you Jonny keep up the great skating

You look so different and younger with out the mustache!! 😳 I live with Anxiety and Panic attacks are no joke! Can be the scariest experience ever! Idk if it's possible, but maybe if you have a ton to drink the night before, it can trigger it.? Yoga and meditation will definitely help! 😊 If you can master your mind like you mastered skateboarding then you will be set my friend! 🤘🏻

Well, now i see why on some of your video you are looking like you have some kind of depression. Keep working, man, it will be alright someday!

Stay strong man! SWEEP THE LEG JOHNNY!!

Hey brother... Dont give up on meditation... Its about developing awareness to the minds subconscious behaviours rather than trying to stop it... It takes time and ongoing effort to develop meditative states of mind but its possible for everyone. I used yoga and meditation to help recover from a serious brain tumour and the subsequent anxieties and clinical depression (PTSD) that came with it. Wish you well on the journey!

Hey Jonny, since you've been reading books about anxiety disorders and all that just wanted to leave this link for you www.bbc.com/news/health-41847030 It was just published and I thought you might find it interesting.

Danke! Thank you so much for sharing. My wife is in a similar situatiom, so I can somewhat relate to your story. I follow your channel for a long time and I noticed you lost your enthusiasm after the america trip. I thought it was because of the pressure of being pro and not having slept well. I commented you should get some rest. Once you mentioned your channel is losing views and I commented you should regain your child like enthusiasm and positive attitude. After your marseille trip I congratulated that you looked well rested and enthusiastic. In hindsight, I am sorry and I hope that I did not cause additional stress or pain. I love your channel. 50% because of your honest down-to-earth personality and 50% for the skating.

I had panic attacks so bad I was literally crippled for 5 years. Turns out a doctor decided to check my testosterone and found it was almost 0 once I got it up again it changed my life. Testosterone would have never crossed my mind because I didn't have trouble growing a beard or any other side effect but panic attacks.

Mindfulness people, look into it. It really saved me from myself. There are free apps and audio books online. "Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment"

Does anyone know if he ever ends up seeking therapy and getting medication? His symptoms sound pretty severe at times

The fear of fear is scary as fuck

i wanna skate but my social anxiety makes me nervous that people will see how bad i suck at skating and laugh at me :/ so i have a board but i never go outside :(

Hey man I gonna buy one of your pro boards off shreadquerters on tues when I get paid.. I dont kno what one I want the new yetti board or you cerbus one

This is why RU-vid is beautiful Thanks for sharing this hard part of your life. The community is here for you 😀👊

Right on dude!

Brave asf honestly, the skateboard community is usually pretty aggressive and close-minded. I'm glad you were able to post this and share your experience to all of those kids that look up to you. It means a lot.

I've went through every single bit of this, and smoking weed too much played a huge part in it.

This happens to me at least once a year, hospitalised once. so stressful, so thanks for sharing.

Did you read the Bible at all? God loves you Jonny!

Very relatable video from someone with an anxiety disorder as well, maybe a little less clickbait title like "I am a professional skateboarder living with anxiety" Something more to match the tone of the video! Idk, keep it up Jonny you got this my dude :)

Einer der wenigen, der sich auch mal als Mensch mit Problemen offenbart! Schau wie weit du es geschafft hast jonny 💖 probz dafür. 👍 Hätte gar nicht gedacht, solch ein Video hier zu finden. Ich kann das gut verstehen... Alles ist im Wandel, stetig. Das kann uns schon mal unter Druck setzen. Und dem sind wir nicht jeden Tag gewachsen... Aber auch nicht ausgeliefert! 💚 Alles gute ✌️#PEACE

I feel you dude. I suffered from anxiety for years. Mine started when smoking weed. I had to quit for the longest time because I would even take a couple hits. I'm finally over it now and business as usual but that was years of my life suffering from it. Nearly passing out in stores and everything. It's crazy how your brain can cause you physical harm.

Dude you are not alone.

Was interesting to learn about this, thank you for having the courage to talk about it!

Thanks for sharing your experience, I had my first panic attack about a month ago. I've had social anxiety for a while now, I thought that being out of school would mean the end of my torture but a few weeks into my break from education I started suffering depression and existential crisis, why was everyone walking around aimlessly like 'existence' were just a normal occurance? For me there was no way to express that and I had also started reading into meditation more than I had been before, I never thought it would help with my anxiety, I just wanted to experience something more meaningful than my current reality (waking up and working for no reason or for temporary achievements), like a spiritual journey or something. I don't want the anxiety, but I don't want to lose that reality either.

Johnny, I suffer from a panic disorder, and I have 7 + panic attacks daily. Keeps fighting brother. I know what’s it likes

keep fight bro, much french love !

same exact thing happened to me..... although obviously I wasn't a pro skater.

do you take medication for anxiety Jonny?

Great vid!

So much respect for you sharing this! Being someone who has had issues with anxiety, and still sometimes do, this was really inspiring to watch! And so cool of you to share this. Keep pushing forward man! Much love from Copenhagen, Denmark!

Thank you for making this video! Very impressed you got through that without medication, you should be very Proud. And of course I love your skating!

I had my first panic attack when I was 10-years-old. I have an acute anxiety disorder and chronic depression. The numbness and hypoventilation (breathing too deeply) is all too familiar, mein Freund. The way you described how you "felt like you were going to die" might have been accurate, but I've noticed over the 17 years of suffering from anxiety that it's more of a general feeling of "impending doom". Like something extremely bad is going to happen, and you know it, you just have no idea what that is. I do have to say though, having panic attacks for almost 2 decades now has put such a huge amount of stress on my life that dying has been a legitimate option.

i was crying most of this video at how similar it is in my own situation. i'm a transgender woman who's suffered from social anxiety for years now, and you're absolutely right about the 2 baby steps forward, 1 back ...coupled with the long, long time it takes to make actual progress out of this "hell". i feel you Jonny! really appreciate how down-to-earth you are *

Thanks for doing this dude. I've lost friends to anxiety and depression because they don't feel they can talk about mental health. The more people like you use your platform to simply talk about your experiences, the less taboo it will be, and the more we can make it normal. I hope it saves some lives. Thank you

My anxiety is probably like a 4/10 it doesn’t affect me as much and I’m glad it doesn’t but I get really weak physically and in the brain when it happens especially when doing a trick I’ve never done off something

Never give up.

hatte ähnliche taubheit, fing in den füßen an, 3 tage später der komplette untere körper + fingerspitzen, dann wurde es von tag zu tag leicht besser, hat ungefähr 3 wochen gedauert (wohl andere ursache, aber auch kopfsache). big up jonny, hauste rein

Dude been dealing with this for a couple years. It took me a day or two to watch this video because I was scared that it would trigger my anxiety. I became vegan and that helped me a ton for about a year but recently it’s been acting up. I’m about to start a program that is only juice, no solid foods and colonics. It’s suppose to clear all the toxins from your system. Makes sense, when your bodies irritable because of toxins and harmful things in your body then it’s easier to push you over the edge. Anyway if this program helps I’ll let you know man! Wish you the best and know you’re not alone either.

Jonny, im sure it was not easy to tell a story in detailed English but you did nicely! Don't let your anxiety stop from doing more non skating videos. practice makes perfect...

Nice video! I liked this. Real informative. I just started a channel with similar videos, nice job! Cheers

8:55 I've been crazy for 12 years. Agoraphobia. I'm happy you kicked it's ass before it got bad. I wear a fake smile every time I'm in public. Much love and respect always an inspiration bro.

Dude you're amazing.

Thanks Jonny - You are definitely not alone. Much love, man.

i‘m a pro beatboxer, travelling also a lot all over the world and judging battles. i started to get panikattacks 3 years ago and had the same issues like you had. i had this feelings on places where i felt like i couldnt go away from that spot that easy. for example in a bus or while i was on the judging table at a beatbox battle. so what mostly gave me the panicattaks was me telling myself that it would be very bad having a panicattak now, the famous „teufelskreis“. i started to meditate and focusing on my breathing, telling myself when i experienced the panicattack that this feeling will be over soon anyway and that i dont have to worry about it. i rarely have a panicattack now but when i have one, i kinda learned to know how to deal with it. the key is also not to running away from this situations, try to face it and learn how to deal with it. accept it that you have this feelings sometimes and believe me it will be more less and less in the future.

Thanks for sharing! I deal with panic attacks as well...

I've been watching your videos for years and didn't know. I have GAD, Panic Disorder, Agoraphobia and Depression. 12 years and counting. Sometimes it's better than others. Similar first experience to you, first panic attack lasted for several days, couldn't eat, sleep, leave my room - thought I was dying. Mine turned into Agoraphobia and I couldn't leave the house for 2 years without having a panic attack. Hope you're doing better now.

Awesome video! I know that took a lot of courage to share. Keep up the great work Johnny

Do some more how to perfect trick videos if you’re struggling for ideas, there sick

The sensation of imminent death or "dread" with a panic attack can be really overwhelming. Your body's fight or flight instincts are going wild and it's incredibly difficult to calm yourself down. What's worse is if you develop an association with panic attacks or a fear that they will occur in certain settings. This can lead to social withdrawal and worsening symptoms. At the end of the day, if youre suffering, please find someone you're comfortable talking to. Friend, family, counsellor, doctor, whoever you can open up to. If you go to a doctoror counsellor and don't think it's a good fit, tell them or look for another. As a final piece of advise that none asked for, the pillars of mental health are sleep, nutrition, exercise, and mindfulness. Medications are sometimes needed to help you focus on those things, and for some people even when everything else is perfect they still benefit from medications... That's not a failure, it's not because you didn't try hard enough anymore than a diabetic needing insulin. Take care of yourself everyone

I met you at Ollie's for the TOTW premier. You were drunk but you were nice. We talked and you were a cool guy. I didn't expect anybody on revive to be drinking, so I wasn't sure what to think. This gives me a new perspective and I've gained more respect for you for sure. Thank you for sharing. It's nice to know other skaters deal with stuff like this and get passed it

Man. I had the same situation. Life is good. No problems. Then all of a sudden, an 8 hour nightmare. I was fighting it for months. Absolutely debilitating. Comes out of nowhere. It still lingers a little, but if I stay in good physical condition, I have full control of it. Full blown panic attacks though. I’ve never experienced anything else like that. You literally feel like you’re dying and have no idea why.

Stay strong Jonny. You're such an inspirational person in my life. I hope you've gotten things figured out for yourself. Much love and respect

im a new skater with anxiety as well. ive been watching your videos since. ive been struggling to skate due to anxiety and found this video. it boggles me how much similar our anxiety went through (hospital trip, then hypochondria, etc) this gives me so much hope.

I think you’re in a unique situation Johnny. You might be wondering what to do with the rest of your life. Just take in each day and be grateful...don’t worry about your RU-vid or skateboarding, and focus on what projects and skills you want to pursue. Blessings from Texas

keep going strong peeps we are not alone ...40 million people in the U.S suffer from this alone cant imagine the world ...what's helping me is a RU-vidr name DR. Harry Barry he explains it really well and makes you understand what's going on when your medical Dr only say you probably have anxiety do some breathing exercises...not the answer I want lol...I watched his videos great examples of what's going on and I also bought his book which I'm yet to get cuz it hasn't been released in the U.S...its in Europe but to expensive to get it shipped here...anyways I also bought a book by another youtuber and author names Barry McDonagh which made a video with Dr Harry Barry doing a consultation as if it was you there ...hope this helps some one out there and we get rid of these unwanted shots of adrenaline...remember "IT'S UNCOMFORTABLE BUT NOT DANGEROUS"....

Wow, man. I can really see this video encouraging people with similar challenges. What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger! -Nietzsche Love your channel and style of skateboarding!

Danke für die Ehrlichkeit! Finde es super dass auch Leute mit Reichweite zeigen dass sie nicht unantastbar sind und die gleichen Probleme tragen wie "normale" Leute! Das gibt Mut und zuversicht! Grüsse aus Süddeutschland !

Jonny. My experience was nearly identical. It started with my hands getting numb and at some point I could not even move my fingers, my whole hand just rolled inside. What happened next is that I felt the same thing in my stomach and started panicing and hyperventillating. The most important thing to do is to control your breath. Try to breath very slowly and don't inhale too much air. Your doctor was very right. A few tips to handle anxiety: 1) Don't drink alcohol 2) If you do drink alcohol, take benzos for the next 2 days when hangovered 3) Avoid too much stimulants/caffeine 4) Drink Korean ginseng for its long term anxiolytic effects Good luck

I know this is a very old video, but I want to thank you for sharing. It is both helpful and encouraging. Thank you. Sincerely.

You are literally the only person who has explained and experienced the same exact thing that I experienced when I was 16 years old and why I have not been able to be the same for the last 12 years as I am 28 years old now dealing with the same fucking shit dude.