Singer and actor Nick Jonas recently opened up about experiencing an anxiety episode during the 2026 Golden Globes, after a video of him stepping away from the red carpet went viral on social media. Reported by The Indian Express.
The clip, shared by a user on X, showed Jonas outside the venue taking deep breaths, drinking water, and trying to cool down. The user captioned the video, “social anxiety got the best of him.” Jonas responded directly, writing, “Yeah…it hit me like a gut punch.”
The moment sparked conversation around social anxiety, panic attacks, and how they differ—especially in high-pressure public settings.
Dr Rahul Chandhok, head psychiatrist and head consultant of Mental Health and Behavioural Science at Artemis Hospitals, described social anxiety as “a pervasive and often enfeebling psychological condition” in which individuals experience intense fear related to social interactions or situations.
He explained that symptoms can appear on multiple levels. “Physical symptoms include experiencing rapid heartbeat, sweating, trembling, nausea, and difficulty breathing. Emotionally, people with social anxiety are likely to feel extreme self-consciousness, dread, or panic in social settings. Behaviourally, such people may avoid social situations altogether or endure them with extreme discomfort,” he said.
Dr Namita Ruparel, Assistant Professor at the Jindal Institute of Behavioural Sciences, added that anxiety attacks are usually linked to fears about specific events or outcomes.
“A chain of unpleasant thoughts accompanied by worry, tension, nervousness, and intrusive thoughts about the future, and the expectation that something unpleasant may occur, is termed anxiety,” she said, adding that it can cause changes in the body, like heart rate, blood pressure, and insulin levels, to name a few.
According to her, anxiety is rooted in uncertainty and the desire to reduce perceived threats. “Anxiety causes restlessness, fatigue, muscle tension and irritability, while panic attacks cause shaking or trembling, chest pain, flashes of feeling hot or cold and a sense of detachment from the self, the world, and loss of control,” said Dr Ruparel.
While panic attacks and social anxiety attacks can look similar physically, experts say there is an important difference. “Panic attacks are sudden, while anxiety attacks are gradually built over time,” Dr Ruparel told IndianExpress.com.
She explained that panic is an intense, overwhelming fear that disrupts a person’s ability to process their surroundings. “The onset of panic attack is sudden, occurs without a warning, there is seldom no way to stop it, and the reason for panic may not be related to reality; it usually arises from perceived threat,” she explained.
Symptoms of a panic attack may include a sense of impending danger, racing heartbeat, sweating, shaking, chills, nausea, abdominal pain, throat tightness, and a feeling of losing control.
Concluding her explanation, Dr Ruparel emphasised the importance of recognising these episodes. “In either of the cases, awareness of the occurrence of these attacks is recommended to be followed by a formal diagnosis. Meditation, relaxation, and breathing techniques may help in coping with panic attacks or anxiety attacks”.
Jonas’ candid response has resonated with many, highlighting how anxiety can affect anyone—regardless of fame—and reinforcing the importance of open conversations around mental health.