Mental health challenges don’t solely affect certain people. Not just the lonely. Not just the sad. Not just the stressed. Anyone can struggle with their mental health.
During Mental Health Awareness Month, we aim to share the stories of people in our community who have experienced mental health challenges and overcame them in the hopes you believe you can do the same.
We invited rising country music star Tyler Truth to share his story. He was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, and has woven his life experiences into a musical journey. It all began at the age of 7, setting the stage for a remarkable artistic evolution.
He openly shared his story of overcoming mental health challenges and how those experiences shaped his music career.
*Content Warning: This article discusses elements of self-harm.
Tyler’s Truth
Mental health struggles can hit us at any time. For Tyler, he has dealt with mental health issues for many seasons of his life. He had depression for many years and still battles it, but learned to cope with those feelings more effectively, so it doesn’t affect him as much as it used to.
He first felt feelings of depression when his parents separated. Tyler and his dad were close, so when he moved out and only saw him a few days a week, it was hard on him mentally. He acted out in school and was getting into trouble. He shares, “I actually attempted suicide quite a few times in different ways. It’s a blessing I didn’t end up passing away.”
That’s when he started exploring music. Tyler says, “Music has always been a release for me. Once I figured out how to channel those feelings into music, I used it to write songs about my emotions.”
Wrong Turn, by Tyler Truth
“Life’s been tough, but I keep tryin’
Just never seems good enough
Searching for answers each one that I find
New problems keep poppin’ up
Never gave up
I keep pushin’ on
At the tops where I’m supposed to be
So I work hard
Keep my head held high
Even when my neck feels weak
No matter what I’ve got to stay strong.”
Going forward in life, as familiar feelings of depression came up, Tyler would write a song about it. He explains, “The song would help me release that negative energy and take my focus off of what I was going through. Then, once the song was done, whenever I felt that emotion building up, I could just listen to the song and distract myself. My music helped with my depression.”
“Any pain that you can’t get rid of, make it a creative offering.” – Susan Cain
Everyone has different outlets that allow them to forget about their challenges for a minute. When you feel sad, angry, depressed, anxious, or stressed, do something you enjoy. Like Tyler uses music, it’ll help you forget for a little bit about what you’re going through. You’ll get lost in what you enjoy and can come back to the challenge with a clearer mind.
Introduction to Counseling and Opening Up
After his final attempt at taking his life, Tyler was admitted to a psych ward for two weeks. He was given medication that he didn’t believe helped much, but the counseling made a huge difference for him.
He says, “Having somebody I could talk to and express my feelings without judgment really helped. As men, it’s always tough to speak about how you feel because we’re taught that we have to be strong and we’re not supposed to cry. There’s all these different rules. Crying in front of one of your friends or being emotional makes you feel soft. You can’t always convey your feelings in your relationship because your partner is expecting you to be strong. You just walk around all the time trying to mask your feelings and deal with them personally. It’s really tough. Having someone I could talk to and say this is what I’m feeling, and they listen, hear you, and give you advice without judgment was huge for me.”
Since that experience, Tyler has opened up to the other men in his life and has allowed them to do the same. Through counseling, Tyler learned to open up to people and not care if they think he’s soft or emotional. He lets his friends know when he’s going through something and needs their support.
He adds, “Men need to learn to talk to each other. You’ve got to find another man you’re comfortable with and just start talking to them and opening up about how you feel. I guarantee that person feels or has felt the same way. They’re just also afraid to talk.”
Inspiring Others Through Music
Building a music career has been a rollercoaster for Tyler. He is working extremely hard to make his dream a reality. He pays for everything out of pocket from his full-time job: studio time, traveling for gigs, equipment, etc. He shares, “I’m sacrificing a lot so I can make things happen. For a while, I was going without heat in the winter because I had to get an album done. We also had a lot of tours lined up that my team had to travel to. I just turned the heat off and got some heaters to keep the house warm.”
Push On, by Tyler Truth
“Work all day and up all night
Lately money’s been gettin’ tight
Call my father, had to get a loan
Cause the bank was tryin’ to take our home
I’m talkin’ about strugglin’
Makin’ somethin’ from nothin’
Every day out there hustlin’
Keep pushin’ my buttons
I’m gon’ keep on goin’ on
We gon’ make it through
As a working man, there’s something that I have to do
Push on.”
It’s all worth it to Tyler, though. “I hope that my music touches people’s souls. If you’ve ever been in a broken home, a bad relationship, or struggled on a job and you hear one of my songs about that topic, I want it to touch people in a way to just say, I’ve been there. Watching me rise to another level, I hope will give them courage and energy to believe they can achieve their dreams, too,” Tyler shares.
Someone else is going through the same struggles as you. People are willing to help you with whatever challenges you’re facing. Talk to the people you’re closest with about what you’re going through. If needed, seek counseling services.
Tyler adds, “The thing about struggling with mental health is you don’t have the answers. If you had the answers, you wouldn’t be struggling mentally.” Someone outside your situation can give you a different view and answers to your mental health challenges if you’re brave enough to open up and speak to somebody about it.