Mental Health has traditionally been a taboo topic amongst friends, family, and colleagues. Today, the world is bringing more attention to the much-needed conversation. “Seize the Awkward” has partnered with singer/songwriter Lauv to encourage young people to start conversations about mental health with their friends. Lauv has been outspoken about his own struggles. He tells us about his journey and explores how we can help others and be more open.
Mental health issues come in many forms such as anxiety, depression and personality disorders like OCD. Typically the impact of each has been highly misunderstood, and so many suffered in silence instead of trying to open up. Slowly however a change in the conversation is happening, but it needs to grow louder to enable a meaningful shift.
While for some it may be for fear of judgment, for others simply failed to truly acknowledge what’s going on internally. The reality is many of us battle through difficult emotions on our own and don’t give them the attention or care to heal.
Artists are in an extraordinary position in which they are said to deal with the mental health on a higher scale thanks to the pressures of being in the spotlight 24/7 and on the road non-stop. However, through their music, they’re also uniquely playing therapist or providing an escape for their fans.
The Ad Councils campaign produced by The Libbey Brothers to help spark positive and open conversation is contributing to the cause by giving voices to powerful stories we can learn from. In their latest clip with Lauv, he discusses the inspiration behind his single, “Sad Forever”, how the people in his life encouraged him to seek help and insights into how he broke down some of the walls and stigmas that we often assume come with discussing such an issue.
Speaking further to us Lauv says, ”After struggling for a long time and not really knowing what it was, and then finally being diagnosed with OCD and depression, I felt like so many people must be struggling but might not be able to identify it. So I feel it’s really important to be open about mental health. and I think it’s really important to approach it like any physical illness or ailment.”
Lauv Opens Up On ‘How To Talk About Mental Health’ And The Meaning Behind ‘Sad Forever’
