10 Heartfelt Songs about Mental Health

Music about mental health is especially important because there is still so much stigma, prejudice and uncertainty surrounding it, which causes too many voices to be silenced. As with many other issues, music allows for conversation to happen, no matter how controversial.There are a huge amount of fellow music lovers suffering from mental health problems, who are open and straight forward about how much comfort they find in certain bands and songs, when nothing else seems to help. Having dealt with, and still dealing with mental health problems, I understand how much music can lend support. It should be noted that the songs below are my favourite, but by all means not an exhaustive list on mental health.

1. Bring Me The Horizon - "Avalanche" (ADHD)

In the track by track commentary, singer Oli Sykes stated openly that he had been suffering from ADHD but was only recently diagnosed. This song is all about how it feels to live in a constant rush, and about him coming to terms with his illness. In a heart breaking speech (AP?) Oli had also admitted to the obvious, but never openly spoken about drug issues that used to haunt the band.

​ 2. Yashin - "Stand Up" (Depression)

When I saw the Scottish metalcore band live in Brighton (UK) a while ago, I experienced one of the most emotional moments during a gig. Singer Harry Radford made his way through the crowd, and before the acoustic version of "Stand Up", he explained why he wrote the track: he said he wrote it after one of his best friends tragically attempted suicide. It was emotional but also magical sharing such a personal story, surrounded by fans singing their heart out and the acoustic version of the song doubled the impact. There was a huge connection between everyone and a mix of empathy, genuine concern and strength in the air. The song describes perfectly how it feels when you can't see a way out of your suffering, and are ready to give up, whilst sending a clear positive, supportive message to those who might desperately need it. Yashin also happen to be one of my favourite bands, and this song has accompanied me through dark times of my own.

3. Awolnation - "Sail" (ADD)

This is an extremely popular song, but what some might not know is that Sail was a result of singer Aaron Bruno expressing himself during a particularly dark and difficult time. The lyrics 'blame it on my ADD' have particular relevance as this is also something Aaron struggles with.

4. Blink-182 - "Adam's Song" (Depression)

According to Liza Bermingham, who was tour manager with the band, Blink-182 bass player Mark Hoppus wrote this when he was in a state of depression about being on tour and away from his family. The end of the song is a message that things will get better. (thanks, AMELIA - Melbourne, Australia)

Guitarist Tom DeLonge: "The story behind that is Mark read a letter someone sent him as an email, that a kid wrote before he committed suicide to his parents. We kind of got together and wrote this sad, slow song. It came out sadder than we ever thought it would, which is good too. Any song that moves you is good. Some people listen to it and go 'Wow, that's a real bum-out of a song.' But it's one of those things, a story of a kid not being happy in his life, crossed with us being really lonely on tour. At the end of it there's a better way out, there are better things to do than kill yourself." (thanks, Kaity - Harrisburg, PA)

The lyrics, "I traced the cord back to the wall, no wonder it was never plugged in at all" were inspired when guitarist Tom Delonge was playing in his garage and he and his amp were in a puddle. Luckily, the amp was not plugged in or he could have been electrocuted. (thanks Joe P. - Chicago, Illinois)

The line "I took my time, I hurried up, the choice was mine, I didn't think enough" refers to the 1991 Nirvana's song "Come As You Are." There, the line is, "Take your time, hurry up, the choice is yours, don't be late."

5. Asking Alexandria - "A Lesson Never Learned" (Depression/Addiction)

Asking Alexandria singer and songwriter Danny Worsnop was in a dark place during the recording of Reckless & Relentless. Depressed and miserable about everything, he turned to drugs and alcohol as a cover up to try to disguise it and hide how unhappy he was. This song finds him reflecting what he was doing to himself. He explained to Artist Direct: "I'm almost admitting everything I was feeling and going through and accepting nothing was going to change. That's how things were, and I'd have to deal with it."

6. Nine Inch Nails - "Hurt" (Self-harm/Depression/Addiction)

Trent Raznor from NIN wrote this song as an outlet for all the feelings he was experiencing during times of distress (no Johnny cash didn't sing the original, he covered it).

7. Green Day - "Basket Case" (Anxiety)

One of Green Day's earlier songs, this track is a good depictionm of what is feels like to live with anxiety disorders.

8. Sixx: AM - "Van Nuys"(Addiction)

Nikki Sixx, who used to play bass in the infamous band Mötley Crüe, wrote this track on his worst times battling with heroin addiction. Straight from the heart, the lyrics combined with the sound, create a haunting masterpiece.

9. Creed - "My Own Prison"

Creed make songs to do with figuring out your life in positive ways during challenging times and about the mind, spirit and soul. Singer Scott Stapp is bi-polar, which sheds some light on Creed's music.

10. Mariana's Trench - "Skin&Bones"(Eating Disorders)

This song tells the tale of struggling with eating disorders. This song is an extremely good representation of the thoughts and feelings one may experience when suffering from anorexia and bulimia. Singer, and one one of my favourite musicians, Josh Ramsey, struggled with eating disorders and other mental health problems. The band and specifically this album ("Fix Me") have helped me through various dark times, where I was able to completely identify with all of their songs.