Mental health is a big part of our lives and should not go unnoticed in any way possible. Awareness is compulsory for it and sometimes that comes in different shapes and sizes. One of these ways is writing or listening to songs about mental health. In the words below, we are going to list some of the most popular songs that talk about mental health. Here are 10 songs that relate to mental health and create awareness about it.
“Hurt” by Nine Inch Nails
“Hurt” by Nine Inch Nails is the first one on our list of mental health awareness songs. And aptly so because it has different layers of meanings when it comes to mental health but is commonly associated with the ideas that epitomize grief, hopelessness, and self-hatred, all of which are frequent experiences of depression. Although the end of the song is left ambiguous, the song and especially the chorus, especially right around the part “What I have Become…” talks about the protagonist’s never-ending battle with depression, which can also act as a stand-in for other mental issues such as insomnia, substance abuse, and even suicidal ideation. Although one can say that the whole Album, Downward Spiral, to which “Hurt” belongs, is all about the issues we have just talked about and does a good job as songs about mental health struggles. Side note: There is another yet as popular rendition of this song by Johnny Cash!
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“Adam’s Song” by Blink-182
Similar to “Hurt” above, “Adam’s Song” is a song that encapsulates the feelings of such low times that one starts to contemplate suicide. It is sort of a suicide letter from the protagonist. It was originally released as the third and final single taken from the group’s Enema of the State album. It is basically about a kid, who is contemplating suicide as Mark Hoppus’s protagonist reminisces about how many times he has screwed over the good things in his life, which is now leading him to his breaking point. When these lyrics hit:
“You’ll never step foot in my room again
You’ll close it off, board it up
Remember the time that I spilled the cup
Of apple juice in the hall
Please tell Mom this is not her fault”
Adam has essentially fully resigned to his suicidal thoughts and is even fussing over trivial things he has done in his life. Unlike, “Hurt” above, this song literally ends on a hopeful note as the lyrics suggest that Adam relents and decides not to go ahead with the suicide and makes a decision to live.
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“Somewhere I Belong” by Linkin Park
As human beings, we have an inherent need to have connections with others and to feel a sense of belonging. As a listener, you would think this song, which is a single from Linkin Park’s Meteora, is about being an outsider who for one reason or another can be part of anything. People like these may feel that nobody can understand them. People who suffer from ADHD and social anxiety frequently feel what the lyrics are trying to describe. But again, the protagonist of this song suggests that he or she will try to belong somewhere and will do anything in their power to do that, making it one of the most popular songs about mental health that is actually hopeful. Just read these lyrics that come from the end of the song and then you will understand:
“I want to heal
I want to feel
What I thought was never real
I want to let go of the pain I’ve held so long
(Erase all the pain ’til it’s gone)
I want to heal
I want to feel
Like I’m close to something real
I want to find something I’ve wanted all along
Somewhere I belong
I want to heal
I want to feel like
I’m somewhere I belong
Somewhere I belong”
Listening to these lyrics in the end, you can essentially say this is actually one of those songs about mental illness recovery!
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“Basket Case” by Green Day
Another one of those popular songs about mental health. Billie Joe Armstrong, the frontman of the band Green Day, which is now one of the most popular bands of rock out there, was living in the basement of a dilapidated student house in the Californian college town of Berkeley. Naturally, this was a time when Green Day was not on the map of popularity and the band members, especially the Bassist Mike Dirnt, and the singer himself were suffering from anxiety and panic disorders. The single himself said, “Basket Case is about anxiety attacks and feeling like you’re about to go crazy.” He also said, “At times, I probably was. I’ve suffered from panic disorders my entire life. I thought I was just losing my mind. The only way I could know what the hell was going on was to write a song about it. It was only years later that I figured out I had a panic disorder.”
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The singer would later be diagnosed with a panic disorder and he has been open about this alongside his struggles with substance abuse. The fact the song was shot in monochrome at an abandoned mental facility adds to its surrealism and makes it one of the best songs about being mentally insane and also one of the most popular songs about mental health.
“Breathin” by Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande, a worldwide star and a music icon, has been open about her struggles with PTSD stemming from the horrors of the Manchester Arena bombing. Her song “Breathin” works as one of the songs about mental health struggles because she wanted to be open about her traumatic experience through the song as she intended to use the song to share her mental health struggles with fans. The lyrics below aptly describe how she gasps for air when PTSD attacks are on the rise.
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“My, my air
My, my air
My, my air, my air
My, my air
My, my air
My, my air, yeah
Just keep breathin’ and breathin’ and breathin’ and breathin’
And oh, I gotta keep, I keep on breathin’
Just keep breathin’ and breathin’ and breathin’ and breathin’
And oh, I gotta keep, I keep on breathin’, mmm, yeah”
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Conclusion
Mental health should not even be a second priority. It should be the first priority. Luckily, every mental health issue such as schizophrenia or even a behavioral one like psychosis has treatment options like MAT and psychotherapy or a flexible option like telehealth psychiatry. You can refer to Solid Foundation Psychiatry for these. Other than you know how popular songs about mental health help in creating awareness about different types of mental illnesses.