Aug 10, 2026 · 23 min · 10 segments
On this episode of Holding on to Hope, we’re joined by Michael, an accredited social worker, therapist, and founder of Lived Experience Solutions. Michael grew up in Egypt, where from a young age he…
The balloon popped up under the wa- above the water.
And that's also, now reading about it in research and things like that, you find that many men experience the same.
They keep holding it, keep holding the balloon under water, until something traumatic or bodily happens, and this is where you start rushing to the ED thinking that you have a heart attack.
They do all the tests for you, and they found that the, nothing, uh, like there's no problem there, and it must be psychological.
Mm.
And you get the referral, or at least the nudge for the referral.
You have to see someone thing 'cause th- there's no explanation for what's happening for you from like organ, body organs-
Yeah
... biological standpoint.
Yeah.
So that's what happens.
I went there.
I was experiencing something.
I didn't know what it mean.
Didn't know what does a panic attack means.
In my culture, it's not something that we speak about.
Totally unknown to you.
Panic attack.
What...
Yeah.
Nobody told me that they experienced something like that.
Mm.
So it felt real.
It felt like it s- really needs, needs an ambulance.
You know what I mean? So, and then they discovered there's nothing there, so they said, "You need to see someone," which I did, and I'm glad that I did.
The balloon popped up under the wa- above the water.
And that's also, now reading about it in research and things like that, you find that many men experience the same.
They keep holding it, keep holding the balloon under water, until something traumatic or bodily happens, and this is where you start rushing to the ED thinking that you have a heart attack.
They do all the tests for you, and they found that the, nothing, uh, like there's no problem there, and it must be psychological.
Mm.
And you get the referral, or at least the nudge for the referral.
You have to see someone thing 'cause th- there's no explanation for what's happening for you from like organ, body organs-
Yeah
... biological standpoint.
Yeah.
So that's what happens.
I went there.
I was experiencing something.
I didn't know what it mean.
Didn't know what does a panic attack means.
In my culture, it's not something that we speak about.
Totally unknown to you.
Panic attack.
What...
Yeah.
Nobody told me that they experienced something like that.
Mm.
So it felt real.
It felt like it s- really needs, needs an ambulance.
You know what I mean? So, and then they discovered there's nothing there, so they said, "You need to see someone," which I did, and I'm glad that I did.
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