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Markus Lanz Reveals Past Panic Attacks on Podcast as Debate Over Mental-Health Sick Leave Grows

The episode links his story to a debate over rising psychological sick leave driven in part by shifting diagnostic boundaries.

Overview

  • Lanz said he suffered a severe bout of panic attacks around age 27, felt "like a zombie," and feared collapsing from a heart attack.
  • He described systematic endurance running as the turning point that helped him regain trust in his body and recover.
  • The conversation with Richard David Precht cited reports that work absences for psychological illnesses rose by nearly 50% between 2014 and 2024.
  • Precht argued that part of the increase reflects an expanded set of diagnoses and a redefinition of what counts as illness.
  • The hosts questioned generational resilience and noted that burnout remains a contested, not clearly defined medical diagnosis, as Lanz urged greater sensitivity to mental health.