Millennials are the youngest generation to enter the workforce. The generation which has had access to the latest technologies and has seen revolutionary changes from a young age are more aware and concerned about the unconventional problems which have been existing for countless years but were never given enough attention. There is no such thing as taboo for millennials. Be it sex or sex-change procedures, discoursing about them is the norm for the Gen Y.
But, millennials are also referred to as an ‘anxious generation’.
A few days ago while I was scrolling down my Facebook feed I came across a meme which said, “Half of my generation is depressed and that is a joke for you”. This started bothering me. But, the thing which disturbed me the most, was the reactions the post got. People’s indifferent attitude towards someone suffering from depression despite so much awareness was a shocker for me.
According to the World Health Organisation(WHO), suicide is the prime reason for death amongst 15 to 29-year-olds. Around 800,000 people lose their lives every year because of suicide. It becomes utterly important for us to talk about the mental well-being of people as anguish and suffering are on the rise.
Opening up about our struggles not only relieves us the agony we feel but also helps others in feeling that they belong.
Here are a few bold and fearless millennials who spoke about their mental health to shatter the stigma surrounding it.
Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber has been the most popular teen sensation ever. He’s been in the limelight since the age of 13. We all remember the time the song ‘Baby’ came out and how it made Justin every teenage girl’s crush. Justin in a long Instagram post recently confessed to facing mental health issues.
In a social media post, he said, “I started doing pretty heavy drugs at 19 and abused all my relationships. I became resentful, disrespectful to women, and angry. I became distant to everyone who loved me, and I was hiding behind a shell of a person that I had become.”
In 2017, the young pop star cancelled the remaining 14 shows of his ‘Purpose World Tour’ amid rumours of being diagnosed with clinical depression. In an interview, while recalling the same he said, “I got really depressed on tour. I haven’t talked about this, and I’m still processing so much stuff that I haven’t talked about. I was lonely. I needed some time.”
Selena Gomez
Popular pop music sensation, Selena Gomez has been ruling our hearts since our teenage. The Wizards of Waverly Place star has been in the spotlight since a very young age. She always seemed to be glee but little did we know about the mess she was dealing with.
In 2015, the singer had cancelled half of her ‘Revival Tour’ shows and instead opted for therapy for anxiety and depression. This came as a shock to her fans. Ever since then, Gomez has been vocal about her mental health struggle.
Upon her return from the rehab, the singer spoke about her experience at the American Music Awards and said, “If you are broken, you don’t have to stay broken.”
She quit Instagram last year when she was the most-followed celebrity on the app. On this, in an interview, she said “Look, I love what I do, and I’m aware of how lucky I am, but — how can I say this without sounding weird? I just really can’t wait for people to forget about me.”
Ananya Birla
Ananya Birla, an international pop sensation and entrepreneur who shot to fame with her hit singles ‘Girl on Fire’ and ‘Hold on’ too opened up about her struggle.
In an interview, she said, “When I was at university in England, I went through a difficult phase. Outwardly everything seemed fine, and I was doing really well academically, but I was suffering from anxiety and frequent panic attacks and found it so difficult to reach out for help without people undermining my abilities. I witnessed first-hand the self-defeating results of putting yourself under so much pressure to perform.”
Ananya along with her mother Neerja Birla founded Mpower in a bid to provide counselling services to people of all age groups as per their need.
Demi Lovato
Demi Lovato is considered to be one of the strongest and fearless celebrities of the American Music Industry. She openly talked about being diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder.
In her documentary Stay Strong, Demi says, “I didn’t really realize I was sick. I thought that writing seven songs in one night was normal. I thought that staying up until 5:30 in the morning is normal. Last night, I stayed up until five in the morning. I just couldn’t sleep. My mind was racing and it’s an ongoing thing and I still learn how to cope with it.”
Demi had suicidal thoughts for the first time at the age of 7 and also suffered from Bulimia and Anorexia during her teen years.
The common thing amongst these millennials is that despite their illness, they want to create awareness about it so that others like them feel that they belong.
