The Truth of Singers with mental illness in 2023

Who are the singers with mental illness? We will explore what singers have suffered from mental illnesses, present and past. What were these illnesses’ causes, and how has the music industry impacted their mental health?

It’s important to remember that singers are also human beings and suffer from the same illnesses that we do. The inspiration for this post was the recent news of singer Lewis Capaldi who has publicly announced his diagnosis of Tourette syndrome.

I want to explore how singers cope with mental illness in the music industry and has their careers caused their mental health to decline. I would also like to explore the importance of how everyone should take care of their mental health and ways to do so.

Singers with mental health

• Brian Wilson
• Carrie Fisher
• Rocky Erickson
• Syd Barrett
• Naomi Judd
• Lauv
• Daniel Johnston
• Audra McDonald
• Brad Pitt
• Jim Carrey
• Vivien Leigh
• Jackson Pollock
• Ruby Lax
• Russel Brand
• Drew Barrymore
• Troian Bellisario
• Ray Davis
• Patty Duke
• Amanda Bynes
• Jenifer Lewis
• Mel Gibson
• Anthony Hopkins
• Demi Lovato

These are the singers with mental illness that have spoken about it publically. There could be many more singers with mental illness that we don’t know about; this is probably because the stigma of having a mental illness means you are weak or insane if you need to have therapy.

Musicians who sing about mental illness – singers with mental illness

Singers with mental illness who are open about their condition are known for writing songs about their experiences with mental illness. Take Demi Lovato, for example; she has struggled with bipolar and eating disorders. Demi Lovato has often spoken about her mental health, which is very positive as it normalises talking about mental health and spreads awareness.

Demi Lovato’s song ‘It’s ok not to be ok’ removes the mental health stigma. This is because it’s about reassuring ourselves that struggling is ok. Before this song, Demi Lovato released a song called ‘I love me’ about her struggle with her self-esteem issues.

In this interview, Demi Lovato mentions that being in the public eye in the music industry has resulted in her dealing with anxiety, depression and addiction. She speaks out about her struggles, hoping her experience can help those struggling with similar situations and make them feel more positive.

“talking and to people and asking for help is more than ok” (Demi Lovato). This is a positive message from Demi Lovato, and hopefully, this message will help those struggling in the public eye and out.

Lewis Capaldi – singers with mental illness

Lewis Capaldi has been in the music news lately after openly speaking about struggling with anxiety before fame which has escalated from being in the public eye.

Capaldi explains that he dealt with anxiety pre-fame; however, being in the public eye “..tipped him over the edge…” (L. Capaldi) and caused the panic attacks. This is evidence that being in the music industry’s public eye can cause singers with mental illness to worsen.

My Advice on how to combat mental and physical health – singers with mental illness

As a singer, I have encountered mental challenges that have knocked me off course. I want to share my tricks during a bad mental health day.

• Journal – there is no better release than journaling what you are feeling. Sometimes writing your feelings out can help you understand your emotions and how they were triggered in the first place.
• Meditate – find a quiet place, preferably outdoors, in a green area away from the noise. Open a meditation app like ‘Headspace’ and meditate for a few minutes daily. You can feel the tension leave your body even if you go outside and take a few deep breaths.
• Talk – talk about how you are feeling to someone you trust. Sometimes the people who love you know you better than you know yourself. They can sometimes spot patterns in your behaviour, see things you haven’t noticed about yourself, and help you deal with the issue. It also helps if you can afford a therapist.
• Get a pet – If you’ve already got a pet, then you already understand how a pet can instantly make you feel better; I have a cat myself, and a quick cuddle and a little play time with my cat can boost my mood. A cat’s purr has been proven to decrease stress. Over on Amazon right now are deals on cat gifts and treats; check out the deals here.

What artists are bipolar?

• Mariah Carey
• Scott Stapp
• Halsey
• Sia
• Pete Wentz
• Odean Pope
• Selena Gomez
• Mathew Good
• Bebe Rexha
• Adam Ant
• Kristin Hersh
• Steven Page
• Charley Pride
• Demi Lovato
• Max Bemis
• Mary Lambert
• Justin Furstenfeld
• Craig Owens
• Beth Hart
• Ray Davies

Famous cases of mental illness – singers with mental illness

It is great when a high-profile person speaks openly about their mental health experiences. People who look up to these artists will be influenced positively to talk about their mental health.

An excellent example of this is Chrissy Teigen-postpartum depression; even though she suffered, she had a positive outlook on the experience. “I want people to know it can happen to anybody, and I don’t want people who have it to feel embarrassed or alone.” (University of Utah Health, 2017). If you are suffering from postpartum depression, then I recommend Postpartum depression journal; the journal has prompts and advice on how to get onto the road of recovery.

Another well-known artist to suffer from mental health is Adele. Adele also suffered from postpartum depression, but also, Adele doesn’t tour as much, and she takes long breaks after completing a tour where people claim that she ‘disappears’. This is evidence that being in the spotlight in the music industry has a toll on your mental health and body to the point it can make you exhausted and take year-long breaks.

25 celebrities with mental illnesses – singers with mental illness

• Musicians with schizophrenia – Brian Wilson – The Beach Boys. Before his diagnosis, Brian reportedly was sleeping all time, doing drugs and overeating while hearing voices. After his diagnosis, Brian learned how to manage it and received treatment and therapy, which allowed him to finish ‘Smile’, the well-known unfinished Breach Boys song.
• Syd Barrett – Pink Floyd – suspected schizophrenia. Barrett was never officially diagnosed with schizophrenia; however, being in the music industry spotlight declined Barrett’s mental health. He was also a heavy drug user. His cognitive decline negatively affected his behaviour, so he left the band. Barrett also adds to the list of celebrities who had mental breakdowns “In my opinion, [his breakdown] would have happened anyway,” said David Gilmour, who stepped in as Pink Floyd’s guitarist after Barrett’s departure. “It was a deep-rooted thing. But I’ll say the psychedelic experience might well have acted as a catalyst. Still, I just don’t think he could deal with the vision of success and all the things that went with it.” (Wyeth, 2011)

If you or someone you know is suffering from schizophrenia and you want to have a better understandig of it, then I would reccomend Schizophrenia for Dummies it’s a great guide on understanding the basics of schizophrenia and how to healthly deal with the illness.

Or if you would like to learn about schizophrenia from first hand experience then I recommend Into the Darkness: A Journey into Schizophrenia, this book will take you on a journey through his life with living with Schizophrenia.

Rappers with mental illness

• Kanye West – Although he wasn’t officially diagnosed with a mental illness court documents from 2017 indicate that he suffers from a mental illness. Apparently his behaviour was “strained, confused and erratic” (Ranker, 2020) he was even hospitalised to treat his mental health.
• Eminem – Eminem has suffered from depression and anger issues as well as addiction.
• Lil Wayne – Lil Wayne sufferes from depression and suicidal tendencies.

If you are suffering from depression and suicidal thoughts similar to the musicians mentioned in this post, here are some self-help books I recommned to help you positively help your situation.

• Breaking Negative Thinking Patterns
• Stop Overthinking: 23 Techniques to Relive Stress, Stop Negative Spirals…
• Over Coming Depression One Step at a Time
• Making Peace With Depression
• Mind Fuel: Simple Ways to build Mental Resilliance Every Day
• The Depression Cure: The Six-Step Programme to Beat Depression Without Drugs

I hope the content and material above will help you.

• Kendrick Lamar – Lamar suffers from depression because he worries about gun violence and cannot help those in his hometown.
• DMX – DMX suffers from bipolar disorder, and he says that his stage personas represent each of his moods. This is a very creative and healthy way to express your mental health. Artists tend to write songs about their mental health experiences, and some create stage personas from them. It’s a good way to process what they are dealing with.
• Chance the Rapper – Chance the Rapper struggles with anxiety and PTSD. This has resulted in losing many close friends. He is only now beginning to talk about it, which is a step in the right direction for singers with mental illness.
• Kid Cudi – He suffers from depression which has caused him to have mental breakdowns.
• B.o.B – hinted in his song “Avalanche” that he could suffer from depression. However, he hasn’t been diagnosed.
• IT – he suffers from mental trauma after his friend died in his arms.
• Mac Miller – has sung about his struggle with addiction, but unfortunately, he eventually ended his life.
• Ariana Grande – suffers from PTSD after the Manchester Arena Bombing at one of her concerts.
• Sia has suffered from depression and addiction after the death of her boyfriend.
• Halsey – Diagnosed with Bipolar disorder
• Zayn Malik cancelled multiple shows because his anxiety had gotten the better of him. He has also suffered from eating disorders.
• Beyonce – she has suffered from generational trauma and body shaming.
• Billie Eilish – She has written songs about how she has suffered from depression and suicidal thoughts.
• Lady Gaga suffers from PTSD as she was severely bullied as a child and raped at 19.
• Louis Tomlinson – suffers from trauma after losing his mother and younger sister.
• Zendaya – She has admitted to suffering from anxiety and stage fright.
• Adam Lavine – ADHD
• Alanis Morissette – post-partum depression
• Amy Winehouse – Bipolar
• Cher – ADHD
• Frank Sinatra – Bipolar

Conclusion – Singers with mental illness

That concludes the post of singers with mental illness. I hope you have found this post informative and changed your view on certain celebrities now that you understand their struggles. I also hope you check out some recommended books if you struggle with mental health issues. Even though I am not a mental health expert, I want to create positive content that helps with the mental health stigma and hopefully benefits someone’s life.

My posts:

• Stage Presence for singers
• The best foods to eat before singing
• The best foundation for stage makeup
• How to make music on your computer for free
• The best easy to find popular music degree courses uk
• The best superfood powders uk
• The amazing build of the vegan population growth
• 100 facts about animal abuse that will shock you
• What kind of bread do vegans eat?
• Why do vegans want everyone to be vegan?