Matt Gutman, chief national correspondent for ABC News, visited Ann Arbor Monday evening to speak on his experiences with mental health and promote his second book, “No Time to Panic: How I Curbed My Anxiety and Conquered a Lifetime of Panic Attacks” as a part of the Sanger Leadership Center’s Leadership Dialogues speaker series, a series of events that invites various leaders to the Ross School of Business to advise and impart lessons learned to students. The event was moderated by Ethan Kross, University of Michigan professor of psychology and management.
Gutman spent years researching anxiety and panic attacks for his most recent book. He said he was inspired to write the book and attend speaker events such as the Leadership Dialogues speaker series because he wanted to share how his panic attacks challenged his work as a reporter despite outwardly appearing brave.
“I was so ashamed and embarrassed of having panic attacks,” Gutman said. “There was this sense of reputation that had flourished for my delivery on air. It’s like I’m geared to do this kind of work, and I have this acute sense of fear.”
As a seasoned journalist, Gutman said it was difficult to acknowledge how much his anxiety was affecting him, emphasizing the reaction he received when sharing his experiences.
“Admitting this to my colleagues almost universally was met with a shrug,” Gutman said. “I would tell them … ‘No no, you don’t understand, I get panic attacks all the time’ and I would get an ‘Oh, sorry.’ I was afraid to go on television and do my job, afraid of being scrutinized by my peers.”
Michelle Austin, assistant director of programs and partnerships for Sanger Leadership Center, said she was glad to have Gutman as a part of the series.
“We want to teach students about the importance of mental health and the importance of taking care of other people no matter what industry they pursue so they can go on to do really great things,” Austin said. “We serve all students and encourage students from different areas of studies and backgrounds — there are some incredible opportunities through Sanger.”
LSA senior Stewart Sharpe, who attended the event, said he appreciated Gutman’s willingness to be honest about his experiences struggling with mental health.
“I was hoping to connect with a candid speaker who has experiences and relatable journeys,” Sharpe said. “What I got was someone who was willing to be upfront and honest — especially to share intimate stories about times that they have struggled. I mean, it’s not easy to do that and it has only increased my respect for him.”
Gutman opened up about some of the coping mechanisms that he initially used to deal with his anxiety and how he navigated through finding what works best for him. Gutman said the pressure of his job made it difficult to find healthy ways to cope with his anxiety.
“I did pushups before air because you get a rush, then it helps,” Gutman said. “I didn’t want any of the producers or anybody I worked with to know that I was taking Xanax because God forbid, any of us would have vulnerabilities, right? We have to be ‘perfect.’”
Business sophomore Elizabeth Webb attended the event and said she appreciated Gutman’s vulnerability. Webb also said she thinks events such as this one are important to increase conversation on the topic of mental health around campus and in professional spaces.
“Mental health in this field isn’t well covered,” Webb said. “I myself have struggled a lot with anxiety so being able to hear from people and their honest experiences is relieving. Vulnerability has allowed him to succeed in his career path and I think that really tells us a lot about his character.”
Daily News Contributor Shreya Srivathsan can be reached at shreysr@umich.edu.