Jeff Probst revealed that the Survivors The psychology team was ready to help Ben Katzman after suffering from a panic attack.
“Not only do we have doctors on site, we also have our mental health specialists on site, our psychology team,” Probst, 62, said on the Wednesday, April 10, episode of the “On Fire” podcast. “So in this case we informed our psychologists what happened and if there was even the slightest concern that Ben was in real trouble we would intervene in the most appropriate way.”
The long-time host acknowledged that this may seem “counter-intuitive” since the game is designed for players to tap into their “physical and emotional reserves.” However, for Probst and the producers, the participant’s physical and mental health comes first.
“I am very proud of our aftercare program for medical and mental health issues,” he said. “I don’t know of any show in our genre that does what we do. We are sticking with it and this support will last as long as a player needs it.”
The cast of Survivor Season 46 is ready to play for the million dollar prize. 18 new faces travel to Fiji to compete in the latest season of Jeff Probst’s long-running reality series. As in similar seasons of the new era, the new players are initially divided into three tribes […]
During Wednesday’s episode of Survivor 46Ben, 31, woke up in the middle of the night in “panic mode,” breathing heavily. Ben, who shared that he suffers from anxiety, described the moment as “50 seconds of hysteria”. His tribemate, Kenzie PettyHe stood by his side to comfort him until the panic subsided. (Kenzie shared that her mother and sister also suffered from anxiety.)
Although Probst wasn’t there to witness the sweet moment between Ben and Kenzie, he was proud to witness the moment again.
“I’m obviously touched and very pleased that Ben’s community, in this case especially Kenzie, took care of their own children,” he shared. “It’s a very big change in the game compared to say 15 years ago when that might not have happened.”
Probst emphasized that the show’s focus on mental health comes as society’s culture has prioritized wellness in recent years.
“It gets overlooked, but Survivor has always been a reflection of our culture,” he explained. “And when you look back and look back at our last 23 years, you’ll see how we reflect each season and you’ll see the change and growth of our culture with each season because of things that happened in those early seasons , would never happen.” Today. And things that are happening today we couldn’t have imagined 15 years ago.”
Since “Survivor” premiered in 2000, several players have been medically evacuated and some of their injuries have been downright frightening. Michael Skupin was the first contestant to be eliminated from the game on Survivor: The Australian Outback in 2001. On the 17th day, the software publisher fell into the campfire, causing him serious injuries […]
Ben isn’t the only player to experience mental health issues while taking part in the reality series. In Survivor 45, Brandon Donlon suffered a panic attack during the first challenge in the first episode. After being examined by the medical team, Brandon was cleared to play, but was the second person voted out.
Later this season Katurah Topps Also had a panic attack during a challenge and stepped back to calm down. Katurah stayed in the game and ultimately took fourth place.