Like so many actors and actresses, famous singers often become overwhelmed with expectations and pressures after stepping into the spotlight, often leading them to fall into depression. Some singers, though, such as Tyler Joseph from Twenty Øne Piløts, have used music and fan encouragement as a means to slowly recover. And conversely, countless fans around the world have claimed that TØP's music has saved their lives; these fans would often turn to music rather than self-harm when they had a particularly bad day. Unfortunately, there are, of course, those artists who have passed due to mental health issues, such as Chester Bennington (and there are speculations of Avicii). Nevertheless, their music has touched so many people and helped so many suffering fans all across the world.
In your personal life, do you know anyone suffering from depression that turns to music for (almost) protection? And for yourself, even if you do not suffer from depression, are there any artists that you find particularly great for relieving the stress and sadness of a bad day?
I definitely think music is a common method for people to apply in their lives when they are stressed or depressed. When a person turns on their favorite music, they will definitely feel more comfortable or forget about their stressful life. For me, I love the feeling of listening to my favorite song and then just focusing on the lyrics to distract myself from my busy school work or stress. I usually listen to songs that are upbeat or happy because these songs usually make me smile or jam to the music so that I can relax myself from all my stress. There are also many songs with lyrics that help people withstand their depression and stress because sometimes people can relate to the lyrics. For example, Junky by Brockhampton is a song that covers depression and homophobia, which can help some people feel like they are not alone. My favorite line is "The hard part always seems to last forever" from Khalid's Saved.
Recently, a new singer called Billie Eilish rose to the top of the billboard and became widely famous. Almost all my friends are listening to her and I also find her music really mesmerizing. However, if you actually listen closely to the words and the music, the lyrics and the tune is actually not so optimistic. Sometimes, those music soothes stress because people sometimes "sync" with the music, however, if the music sounds too "negative", it might even push people further into the abyss.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/how-music-can-help-you-heal
This article does a really good job summarizing the positive effects of music therapy. The end of WWII when a lot of veterans started experience post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is when music therapy began to be used as a technique to combat depression and other mental disorders.
Benefits of music therapy include:
1. Music can help encourage emotion expression. It can help you let go of suppressed feelings.
2. Music can speed up your heartbeat or slow down your breathing.
3. Music can help with addiction. Both playing or listening to music can help rid one of their destructive emotions.
I believe that music is, without a doubt, incredibly healing and helpful towards individuals who are suffering from severe mental illness. I have friend that went through a phase of depression through numerous reasons including family dynamics, school, and social life. However, he attended music therapy sessions, where he listened to music that helped him find his inner-peace. Although he is not completely over the illness yet, he is rapidly improving his condition.
I think music can be incredibly healing, and it is great that many artists have found redemption through it. I do, however, have a question. At what point is music condoning self-harm and or suicidal thoughts? Is it possible for music to normalize unhealthy thoughts and behavior for the people listening to the music, even if that is not what the songwriter/singer intended?
I echo the famous saying "music is therapy for the soul." There's music for every occasion, mood, you name it. I turn to music, not only when stressed or sad, but also when happy, and I think listening to other artist's sing their stories has indeed touched a lot of people, if anything, it's always great to know that you're not alone in whatever you're going through. Personally, when stressed, I listen to Afro-beats, which are extremely lively and fun, in an attempt to relieve my stress and get me feeling motivated to tackle whatever I have left to do.
I'm not a particular "fan" of country music, but songs about rural life, dirt roads, and simple times can make me feel much better when I'm feeling down. I have family members who enjoy soft rock/folk, so I suppose the genre has some nostalgic value to me. I would really recommend trying a genre completely different than what you're used to to encourage new feelings when you're stuck in a rut.