Today is World Mental Health Day. When I was younger, I never imagined I’d be open about something so personal—especially as a CEO. For years, I prided myself on my mental toughness and resilience, assuming I could handle anything life threw my way. That all changed quite suddenly in 2018, when a curveball in the form of a panic attack blindsided me for the first time. It happened in a taxi on the way to breakfast in New York (proving that fate has a nice sense of timing, given the role The Sopranos played in the ensuing drama. See the link below for all the gory details). Long story short, I thought I was coming down with food poisoning or motion sickness. Following an extended and fruitless visit to a public restroom, I finally retreated to a park bench across the street just trying to steady myself. An outsider might have dismissed my ordeal as unimportant; an inevitable side effect of entrepreneurial existence. For me, it was one of those rarest of rare moments—a game-changer so meaningful that life will never be the same. On the outside, things looked great—I had a flourishing business, a thriving family, and seemed to be running the gauntlet of middle age with confidence and style. On the inside, however, there were days when I was just trying to keep my head above water. The panic attacks could last ten minutes or an hour; could occur on a Sunday night as the workweek approached or on a Friday evening as it ended. Being at home helped, but it didn’t make the episodes vanish altogether. What made a real difference for me was getting professional help—seeing a therapist, drawing real boundaries, and letting others in. Dropping the idea that I had to be invincible, even with my team, was what finally gave me some breathing room. If any of this resonates, know that struggling with mental health doesn’t mean you’re broken or weak. Don’t tough it out in silence—talk to someone you trust, reach for real support, and take care of yourself in meaningful ways. Treat your mental health like a story in which you’re completely invested versus a sidenote for another day. I learned the hard way that silence about mental distress can have raucous consequences; together, we can keep the conversation going. https://lnkd.in/gy3XRYxZ #WorldMentalHealthDay #MentalHealthAwareness #Leadership #Anxiety #MentalHealthAtWork #YouAreNotAlone
Thank you for sharing this Levi and being open and vulnerable - the struggle is real and as you said, noone really knows what happens on the inside! Just learning to recognize the signs is a huge deal! Love your point about not treating this as a side note!
Adam Carley
6d
Thanks for sharing Levi. I've had my own challenges with anxiety. Therapy rocks.
Jerry Hinson
6d
Been there, done that Levi. I was on a plane halfway between Dallas and Chicago and in the middle seat. I literally saw an event happen in almost real time where I imagined that I was hurting people and getting tied up and put in the planes bathroom. That actually took place in my mind in less than five or six seconds. It scared the you know what out of me. I wasn't the same person for a few years and even now I pray to God to please never let it happen again. So far so good!
SVP & GM, Revenue @ Equifax | Business Builder | Portfolio Fixer
1wWow, thank you for sharing this Levi. So critical to drive awareness that things are not always as they seem on the outside, mental health is so important.