When it comes to some of our favorite pop and rock musicians, society seems to be of two minds about mental health disorders and celebrity.
On the one hand, many people cling to the idea that an artist must be troubled in order to do their best work. There is a longstanding sense that mental health disorders and creative genius are intertwined in inextricable ways. On top of that, some people believe substance use is a key component of creativity.
On the other hand, many people can be quite judgmental when it comes to artists who experience mental health or substance use disorders. The thinking goes that if someone is rich and famous and beautiful, they have no right to experience depression, anxiety, or issues related to drugs or alcohol. For those who think this way, a star who wallows in sadness or who uses illicit substances is being something akin to ungrateful for all of their success.
Celebrities and Mental Health
In recent years, however, some of the biggest female stars in music have been open about their own struggles. We love to listen to their songs, but we should also listen to their stories about mental health.
Life Is Not Always a Party in the U.S.A.
So many people look at [my depression] as me being ungrateful, but that is not it — I can’t help it. There’s not much that I’m closed off about, and the universe gave me all that so I could help people feel like they don’t have to be something they’re not or feel like they have to fake happy. There’s nothing worse than being fake happy. — Miley Cyrus
Katy’s Creativity is not Powered by Pain
I was with someone recently who asked: ‘Well, don’t you think that if you do too much therapy it will take away your artistic process?’ And I told them: ‘The biggest lie that we’ve ever been sold is that we as artists have to stay in pain to create.’ — Katy Perry
Sorry Not Sorry About Getting Help
The advice I’d give to somebody that’s silently struggling is, you don’t have to live that way. You don’t have to struggle in silence. You can be un-silent. You can live well with a mental health condition, as long as you open up to somebody about it, because it’s really important you share your experience with people so that you can get the help that you need. — Demi Lovato
Selena Knows Mental Health Care is not Wizardry
Sometimes, my highs are really high, and my lows can take me out for weeks at a time. When I found out I suffer from mental health issues, in many ways it was a relief because I could better understand what’s going on. I realized that there was a way to get help, and for me, that also meant finding the right treatments. Taking care of my mental health—just like my physical health—takes work, but when I do, I am happier, I am healthier, and more in control of my emotions and thoughts. I wish more people talked about mental health when I was younger so I could have learned and understood what was going on with my own health earlier on. — Selena Gomez
Pink Puts in the Work in Therapy
What I love about therapy is that they’ll tell you what your blind spots are. Although that’s uncomfortable and painful, it gives you something to work with. — Pink
Queen Bey Decrees that Self-Care is a Must
My health, the way I feel when I wake up in the morning, my peace of mind, the number of times I smile, what I’m feeding my mind and my body—those are the things that I’ve been focusing on. Mental health is self-care too. — Beyoncé
Gaga Resists Always Being on the Go Go
Part of my identity is saying no to things I don’t want to do… I check in with myself throughout the day and I say, ‘Do I really want to do this?’ and if the answer is no, then I don’t do it. And you shouldn’t either. — Lady Gaga
Tay Tay is Mindful of the Value of Staying Present
I’m beginning to think that you don’t find happiness from living your life looking ahead or back … that you find it when you look around. – Taylor Swift
We Are Not Skilled Singers, But We Can Help with Your Mental Health
You are unlikely to find a song performed by a member of the Peak View Behavioral Health staff climbing the charts. That really is not our area of expertise.
What we are good at here in our Colorado Springs facility is helping people improve their mental health and then maintain those improvements over time. If a mental health disorder is disrupting your life, we offer personalized care grounded in experience and empathy. We’d like to think that’s something worth singing about (even though we won’t).
