LOS ANGELES, Oct 12, (Agencies): Carson Daly recounted a harrowing incident when he experienced his first panic attack. The 50-year-old co-host of "Today" revealed that he thought he was on the brink of death during his tenure as the host of MTV's teen talk show, Total Request Live. His revelation took place during a speech he delivered on World Mental Health Day at the inaugural gala for Project Healthy Minds.

Daly vividly described the moment, saying, "One September day, I thought I was going to die. I was in my dressing room, surrounded by the usual hustle and bustle that precedes a live show. The crowd outside was roaring, horns were blaring - all typical Total Request Live chaos."

"However," he continued, "something incredibly out of the ordinary occurred. Suddenly, I felt a peculiar sensation, like a snap in my brain."

Daly, who had been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, went on to explain how his heart began to race, and fear gripped his entire being. He likened the experience to having a cold compress placed on his neck, much like the ones used in Little League games.

He recalled, "I could see my producer standing in the doorway, talking to me with a completely ordinary expression on his face, probably discussing something related to the band Hanson. But I couldn't hear him. It was as though he was speaking in slow motion. I felt like I was drifting away from reality. At that moment, I feared that I was having a stroke right in front of Hanson. The episode lasted only 30 seconds, but it felt like an agonizingly long 30 minutes."

Afterward, Daly revealed that he managed to carry on with hosting the show almost on autopilot. However, beneath the surface, he was consumed by the terrifying thought that this strange occurrence could strike again at any moment. Subsequently, he visited a doctor who informed him that he had experienced a panic attack induced by stress and anxiety.

Daly knew he needed to make a change and slow down, but even with his efforts to do so, panic attacks continued to haunt him.