NFL Star Fred Taylor Opens Up About Living with Anticipatory Anxiety

NFL Star Fred Taylor spoke about living with Anticipatory Anxiety on the Bailey and Buck Unplugged Podcast

MIAMI, FL, UNITED STATES, August 26, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In a powerful new episode of Bailey and Buck Unplugged, NFL Star Fred Taylor pulls back the curtain on his battle with anticipatory anxiety and panic attacks.

During the conversation, Taylor describes his earliest symptoms — heavy breathing, rapid heartbeat, chest tightness, and overwhelming thoughts — and how those physical signs often led to moments of intense fear. One of the most vivid accounts he shares is a panic attack mid-flight in 2017 that left him feeling trapped and unable to breathe.

Taylor shares: “I was just sitting there and I started having difficulties in breathing and I stood up, walked to the bathroom like, ‘What’s going on?’ And then my mind kind of shifted towards, ‘Well maybe something’s gonna happen on this plane, I’m trapped… How am I gonna get to the hospital?’ And I started hearing my heart… seemed like it was beating out of my chest, and I was really in a state of panic.”

After landing, the symptoms returned days later, leading Taylor to visit his doctor. “He diagnosed me with anticipatory anxiety. He was like, ‘You’re thinking… you’re overthinking.’ And that’s also part of it. You can think these things and create these thoughts… that’s why you have to try to figure out these different strategies and techniques to use to get out of your head… because as long as you sit there, it’s gonna exacerbate the anxiety or that feeling.”

Taylor says tools like the “5-4-3-2-1” method, deep breathing, and even “having those pieces of the Sour Head candy” have helped him interrupt the cycle.

Listen to the full episode on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major streaming platforms.

About Bailey and Buck Unplugged: Bailey and Buck Unplugged is the go-to podcast for raw, unfiltered conversations about mental health from guests in sports and entertainment. Hosted by 2-time Super Bowl Champion Robert Bailey, former Dolphins cheerleader Bailey Brooks Mashburn, and mindfulness and performance coach Misty Buck, the show dives deep into the mental well-being of celebrities and public figures, tackling controversial topics, bold opinions, and untold stories. With a mission to break the stigma around mental health and reduce instances of teen suicide, the podcast proudly supports the Kennedy Kids Foundation.

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NFL Star Fred Taylor Opens Up About Living with Anticipatory Anxieity

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