Mental Health Awareness Month
This month all of the songs and writing in my posts will be in an effort to bring attention and perspective to Mental Health Awareness month. Of all the illnesses that affect the people you see everyday mental issues are the most misunderstood. The other thing that makes this topic so important is that each person is able to help the people around them to a greater degree than they realize. The impact you can make on someone with cancer is limited but your effort and kindness for someone suffering with mental health issues can literally be the difference between life and death. Just last week Avicii lost his battle with mental health and commited sucide. I've selected songs that are meant to invoke empathy, inspire, and articulate the struggles of mental health issues and addiction.
Twilight
“You don’t deserve to be lonely
But those drugs you got won’t make you feel better
Pretty soon you’ll find it’s the only
Little part of your life you’re keeping together”
Elliott Smith had mental health and addiction issues, it is reported that he was smoking up to $1500 dollars of heroin and crack each day. He also was paranoid and believed he was being followed by a white van. However he was starting to turn his life around and gave up all drugs, alcohol, and caffeine. He also was finishing the details on his latest album that was set to release soon.
He got in an argument with his girlfriend, she claims she locked herself in the bathroom then heard a scream and when she opened the door he had a knife in his chest. It was reported as a suicide based on her testimony and his mental health history. However the autopsy confirmed there were no drugs in his system and was much more consistent with homicide than with murder, including possible defense wounds on his hands and multiple stab wounds in his chest. His girlfriend was never charged and she later sued his family for 15% of his estate claiming that she was entitled to it since they lived together. I think it is very likely that Elliott Smith's murderer got away with the crime based on an improper investigation by the police, allowing his mental health and addiction issues to bias their investigation.
the middle
“Don’t write yourself off yet
It’s only in your head you feel left out or looked down on
Just do your best
Do everything you can
Don’t you worry what their bitter hearts are going to say”
This song was inspired by an email from a fan that the lead singer received from a high school student who felt like she wasn't punk enough for the punk crowd or cool enough for the popular crowd and felt like she was stuck in "the middle" in between all the cliques at school.
i want to be well
“Illness likes to prey upon the lonely, prey upon the lonely
Wave goodbye, oh, I would rather be, but I would rather be fine”
Medicine
“You could still be what you want to
What you said you were when I met you
You’ve got a warm heart, you’ve got a beautiful brain
But it’s disintegrating from all the medicine.”
Please use this link when you Shop on Amazon, you can even save it as your Amazon bookmark! I get referral money anytime you make a purchase within 24 hours of clicking it to hopefully break even on hosting this site and maybe even go somewhere warm.