Do you feel like a stigma still exists around mental illness?
Yes. I have a very close friend who suffers from bi-polar disorder and depression and takes medication for it, and her partner also suffers with their mental health. But neither one of them will go to therapy or talk to anyone about it, because in their minds, as soon as they talk to someone, that means they’re crazy. And I just feel like saying, ‘No, no, no – you need someone to talk to. Just because you might lose hope every now and then or you might need to reach out, that doesn’t mean you’re weak, it just means you need some help – and that’s okay.’ I’m sure there are people who consider themselves normal who have loads of issues, anyway. You shouldn’t hide these feelings or pretend to be something you’re not, because sometimes we all need somebody.
Are these feelings something you’ve experienced?
Me, my brother and members of our family have had our issues with mental illness, and to be honest, I think everybody does. Everyone doubts themselves sometimes, it’s just more intense for some people than others. The more we can put it out there, the better people will feel. People from every walk of life, including famous rockstars, are affected by mental illness. Fame, money or acting like it doesn’t exist won’t fix the problem – it’s by talking about these feelings that people will get help. For us in the band, we approach our live shows as a form of therapy – it’s gotten to the point where we need to play shows for our mental well-being. Finding those outlets that make you feel good is important, because they can calm you down and give you a perspective on things. Whether it’s playing a rock show, making art or collecting tin cans, you have to hold on to those things that bring you joy. I like to ramble to people online about it, because it brings us together. I’ve seen some Halestorm super-fans from Germany talking to people in Brazil about mental health, and I think that’s really powerful. The more allies we have, the more perspectives we can change.
What would your message to anyone struggling with their mental health be?
You are not alone. I didn’t expect this thing to blow up like it has, but if you search #RaiseYourHorns, there are thousands of people who have taken it upon themselves to say, ‘Here’s a picture of me, I suffer from mental illness. This is what I’m dealing with.’ Hopefully, it’ll make people feel less like an island. I’ve been down those rabbit holes in my mind before, where you feel like you’re the only one who’s dealing with your problem. Things compound themselves and you wonder why you can’t fix the problem, and that can lead to you questioning whether you deserve to be here. So having that perspective and realising you’re not alone is important, because mental illness is human nature. It’s not like there’s a tiny minority that are dealing with these issues – the majority of people will go through some kind of mental trauma in their lives. If these silly ideas I have on the internet serve to calm one person down about their feelings, then I’ll be happy. Everyone is so afraid of not being okay, but it’s okay not to be okay. I have really good days and then I have days where I feel like I have no idea what I’m doing in life. But that’s okay – that’s being human. The problems are compounded by the generation we now live in, because there are celebrities who, through the media, teach us that we’re supposed to be perfect – heaven forbid you have an eyelash out of place! It’s a crazy mentality. The reason I’m passionate about mental health is because I interact with people online every day who are affected by it. I get handwritten letters from fans who are hoping that I can relate to what they’re feeling; people who feel hopeless but then, through music, start to regain that somewhat. Because of that, I can’t not act when events like Jill’s death happen. I want to be an active part of this community and put out that hope when I can. It’s been amazing to see everybody lift each other up over the past couple of days. I get tagged in all these posts, but people need to realise that it’s all them. We have the power to band together as a unit, lift each other up and support one another. It’s been beautiful to watch this happen, especially at a time when it seems like there’s so much negativity in the world. It’s just been really great to see.
Words: Jake Richardson