matt doyle has always been a concern. When he was a kid, he would panic about his lunch choices, and he would become anxious at the thought of committing to a peanut butter sandwich. Now possibly the most talked about star on Broadway this year, the 35-year-old actor yet concerns: about his career, about staying humble, about what comes after his recent Tony Award win.
Yes, Doyle still cares. But he is prospering.
Doyle recently sat down with psychiatrist and Men’s Health adviser Dr Drew Ramsey on the Instagram Live show”Friday sessionsto talk about her constant struggle with anxiety and panic, and share how she deals with mental health issues. The Broadway talent joined the talk just days after winning his first Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical for his role as Jamie in “Company.”
After the honor, Doyle told Dr. Ramsey that he is working to stay grounded during the overwhelming experience and that it will change his life, monitoring himself to ensure his mental well-being does not falter in the resulting care.
“I grew up wanting this and now that it’s done, now that you’ve reached that goal, that pinnacle, it’s good to remind yourself that there are always new goals,” Doyle said. “There are always things to work for and things to create for yourself. As much as I’m celebrating right now, I’m trying not to allow there to be this kind of depression, confusion or depression that comes after [questioning] What do you get next?
In general, Doyle says that working as an actor means constantly dealing with peaks and valleys in attention and success. For the actor, right now it’s about a peak the size of Mount Everest. But to cope with the fluctuating nature of the industry, where you get a standing ovation one night and your show is closed the next, Doyle said he always makes sure he has constants in his life that are as satisfying as his career, watching any professional “valleys” as an opportunity to pay more attention to your relationships, hobbies, and personal growth.
“When I started out, I had to figure out how to be okay with the valleys,” Doyle said. “I had to be okay with the down periods and be excited about what’s next instead of anxious about it.”
Doyle’s enviable, purposeful self-awareness and wholesome outlook are qualities partially informed by his years of dealing with mental health issues. The author, actor and singer was diagnosed with anxiety and panic disorder at age 13 after experiencing “very physical episodes” of panic. To address his mental health as a teenager, Doyle told Dr. Ramsey that he had to overcome the stigma to get the help he needed.
“When he was so hysterical as a kid, it was like, ‘Oh, Matt, I know. He worries all the time. He’s always so nervous,” Doyle said. “A lot of that terminology made me feel like, ‘Oh, I just have to get over it.’ Certainly that was not the case. I needed to address him and find out what he was and figure out how to heal.
“Once he started presenting himself in a much more physical way,” he added, “that’s when people really got on board with him.”
Going to therapy and taking medication helped Doyle cope with his anxiety and panic disorder over the years. But that certainly doesn’t mean mental health issues are non-existent in his adult life.
“I still have panic attacks all the time,” she said. “I recently had one on stage and it was absolutely terrifying.”
In situations like that, Doyle has found support in loved ones, leaning on them to heal the conversation during difficult times. But above all, Doyle has leaned into himself, learning how to manage commitments during particularly “crippling” bouts of anxiety and panic.
“During the times when I feel the worst pain and the worst anxiety, I still have basic steps to get up, start my day and walk into the room or onto the stage,” she said. “And a lot of those things are just things you train over time. For me, it’s going to the gym. For me, it’s forcing myself out of bed and making sure I get in the shower.”
And once you hit the stage or audition room, panic and anxiety can sometimes be unavoidable. But Doyle’s enviable self-awareness is his greatest strength, giving him a confidence-boosting, panic-busting mantra for living (and acting): “It’s recognizing over time, ‘What I have to offer is enough. I have to offer is enough. What I have to offer is enough.'”
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