FROM STIGMA TO SINGALONGS: MENTAL HEALTH IN ALTERNATIVE MUSIC By Granny Anarchy The World Health Organization (WHO) defines mental health as a “state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life … work productively … & is able to make a contribution to his or her community.” Mental illness affects how one thinks, feels, & behaves. There are over 200 mental health disorders. Some of the most common include anxiety, eating disorders (ED), mood disorders like bipolar & depression, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), personality disorders like borderline (BPD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, & substance abuse. Mental illness doesn’t include neurological conditions such as ADHD, autism, or Tourette Syndrome, although it can often co-occur with them.
TORTURED ARTISTS: TRUE?
Aphorisms such as “There is no great genius without some touch of madness” (Aristotle) are often interpreted as acknowledgment of the creative personality - which has, at least anecdotally, a complex relationship with mental illness¹. Visual artists, writers, theater workers, & musicians tend to be diagnosed with mental health disorders at higher rates than those in non-creative careers. They may also be more prone to suicide than the general population². ¹ https://www.psypost.org/newevidence-on-the-mad-genius-theoryare-famous-artists-more-prone-tomental-illness/ ² https://www.artshub.com.au/news/fe atures/20x20-why-creative-peopleare-more-prone-to-depression261229-2368732/
THE MAD GENIUS OF MUSIC
Musicians with & songs about mental illness are older than punk or rock & roll itself, but let's begin with the Boomers. The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson (schizoaffective disorder & depression,) Pink Floyd’s Syd Barrett (undiagnosed,) & Hendrix’s “Manic Depression” shaped the 60s soundscape.
In the 70s, David Bowie lived as a drug-crazed paranoid recluse & Lou Reed displayed an array of symptoms. Joey Ramone had OCD & schizophrenia; Dee Dee was bipolar. Reed & the Ramones wrote