This Sunday, Sept. 8, Lizzo, Halsey, Shawn Mendes, Tegan and Sara and others will take part in "I'm Listening," a two-hour radio special focused on breaking stigmas around openly discussing mental health. Blink-182, Disturbed, Korn, Judah & the Lion and Lauren Jauregui are among the diverse group of musicians, athletes and medical professionals/mental health advocates joining the conversation hosted by Entercom/Radio.com. The annual broadcast will once again mark the start of National Suicide Prevention Week.
All the artists participating have been open about their own struggles with mental health. Earlier this summer, self-love advocate Lizzo posted on social media about the depression she was facing, following up the next day with a powerful message to her fans.
She wrote, "I learned in the last 24hrs that being emotionally honest can save your life. Reaching out may be hard but as soon as I did it, I was immediately covered in love. I used to think of sadness as a constant with fleeting moments of joy in between…but it's a wave… My sadness can be as temporary as my joy."
She added a personal note about her own triggers, prompting readers to question what brings up sadness for them. "I love that I can use my sadness constructively in real time for gratitude. What triggers your sadness? What do you do when those buttons are pushed? What do you love about yourself in those moments of darkness?"
Sara Quin of Tegan and Sara spoke to mental health challenges of the LGBTQ+ community as they continue to fight for equality. "I think issues around identity and mental health are intrinsically linked," she said in a statement for "I'm Listening."
"It makes sense to me now, that if I don't talk about my feelings, I'm not going to feel well, I'm not going to be well," Quin added. "Through the work that we do with the Tegan and Sara Foundation, and some of the staggering statistics surrounding queer people and mental health, we hope that by talking about some of our experiences as young people, that it will encourage others to do the same."
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Entercom's Chief Programming Officer Pat Paxton echoed the importance of the conversation—and talking about mental health in general—in the statement. "We are doing our part to end the stigma by encouraging people to talk. Like millions of others, my family has been impacted by mental health issues and the effect it has on friends and families is devastating. 'I'm Listening' is when our vast network of radio stations and digital platforms unite on the same day, at the same time, to ultimately save lives. If we help just one person, our time will have been well spent."
In addition to being able to tune into the program, which will be aired on all Entercom radio stations at 7 a.m. local time this Sunday, everyone is encouraged to join the conversation by tweeting to @imlistening_org, using the hashtag #ImListening or submitting your story on their website. Radio.com writes, "Select stories will included in the show." Listeners can also call in live to participate or listen to the special episode online after it airs.
If you are or know of a musician in need of mental health support, please visit MusiCares to learn more about your options. If you or a loved one are in crisis, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or the Crisis Text Line (text TALK to 741741) are there to listen; you are not alone.
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