Today, October 10th, is Mental Health Awareness Day, something the music industry can never talk enough about.
Because behind the glitz and glamour, serious problems are almost always pervasive. But nobody ever seems to want to talk about it, for any number of reasons. Perhaps an artist thinks they’re admitting defeat by saying they’re having a tough go at it. Another artist may be worried they won’t be seen as cool or clout-heavy if the industry knows they’re suffering.
But worst of all are those who are suffering and don’t even know it.
Mental health has a way of sneaking up without us knowing, and unless we catch the red flags early on, digging ourselves out can be made that much harder.
So on this day, we decided to chat with three artists about the early signs of mental health problems they experienced at different stages of their careers. Each example is different and the ways they coped are too, but that’s because they have to be.
Learn More About World Mental Health Day Here
MOUGLETA
Mougleta is no stranger to the music industry, and her pop-infused sound mixed with traditional Oriental sounds has catapulted her to new levels of success she could have never dreamed of.
But with success comes a darker side that few talked about, at least until now…
Their Early Signs Of Mental Illness:
“I’m an overthinker so that’s a personality flaw that makes me susceptible to stress. My anxiety reaches its peak when I’m on the road, away from family, friends, and familiar surroundings, or when I just completed a major project and waiting for results. God help me if personal issues enter the mix during this time. I’m not big on alcohol or other substances, but I find myself turning to sugar, candy is my poison of choice. It may not sound that serious, but trust me, this has caused me untold health issues especially when it comes to my weight and skin. It goes without saying that after a temporary relief this tends to cause me even more mental health issues on top of whatever I was dealing with at the time”.
What They Do About It:
“Nowadays, when I start feeling stressed the first therapy I apply, is sharing how I’m feeling with someone I really trust, if I’m unable to reach them I tend to go back and listen to motivational voice notes that I’ve saved from my trust circle. The next thing I do is meditate, this could be just zoning out from anything work-related for an hour or so. I also fill up with water, lots of water, it really helps to take my mind away from sugar. “ So my main advice to artists would be, not to keep things bottled up, share with the people that care about you, and keep moving”.
Robin Schulz feat. Mougleta – Rockstar Baby
RUTH ROYALL
Still riding the high of taking her solo show on the road for the first time this past summer, Ruth Royall entranced crowds with high-energy, self-assured sets at the likes of Glastonbury Festival, where she hosted the Glade Dome all festival and many more.
But when you’re first breaking into the industry as she has, nobody tells you about what to expect. The pressures add up and the expectations come flying at your out of nowhere many artists can often be caught flatfooted by the pressure…
Their Early Signs Of Mental Illness:
“In 2020 during the first national lockdown, I was spending a huge amount of time on social media just scrolling the hours away. The world had shut down, live music had been postponed and my only option as an artist was to take everything I did online. The internet is a hard place to separate reality from fantasy and I found myself living in a filtered, edited world and it was taking its toll.
I was using my social media to connect and communicate with my fans and community and was filtering or editing nearly everything I posted or shared. It was starting to distort the way I viewed myself when I looked in a mirror, warping my sense of self without me even noticing or connecting the two.”
What They Did About It:
“I decided to stop using filters on my social media to try and combat this feeling and regain my physical sense of reality. This was something I just wanted to do for myself but loads of people connected with me and decided to join me. In August 2020 we ran an online take over called #KeepItReal. Hundreds of artists and fans shared unfiltered photos of themselves online with #KeepItReal painted on their bodies to celebrate real bodies and boycott the unrealistic beauty standards set by the media.
This whole process has hugely improved my own sense of what beauty means to me. I have so much more confidence in myself and my body. The music industry can at times be a dark place when it comes to body image. We are constantly exposed and documented and judged but this experience has shown me that you can take control of this stuff and you can choose how you feel about yourself.”
Ruth Royall – Appletree is out via NewState on 14th October
Pre-save HERE
JAY MASON
Many people chase after a dream in music without having a full idea of what exactly a ‘career in music’ entails or requires. It’s turbulent, it’s unpredictable and lonely.
These can cause artists and other personalities to find comfort in the familiar and seek a sense of escapism that can quickly snowball into unhealthy behavior.
For some, it’s in drugs and booze, and for others, it’s in vices that are, at least on the surface, less overtly harmful but can quickly become unhealthy if left unchecked
Their Early Signs Of Mental Illness:
Big ups to Magnetic Magazine for doing this article on Mental Health Awareness Day. I’ve struggled with a video gaming addiction for many years during my career as a musician and songwriter, so I definitely know how it feels to struggle with mental health.
What They Did About It:
“My advice would be to focus on what triggers certain addictive behaviors (like drinking) to prevent you from constantly going for that quick painkiller, instead of looking at the real issue. The word HALT, hungry, angry, lonely, and tired is a nice checklist I learned from fellows. Are you feeling lonely during touring? That’s ok, but instead of numbing those feelings with something like alcohol, see if you can reach out to friends and colleagues to have a chat with. Talking about it takes a lot of weight off your chest and the majority of the people in the creative industry have probably experienced something similar. It takes some courage to be vulnerable like that, but prevention is the best cure. “
