RAPPER KID CUDI POSTED SOMETHING VERY COURAGEOUS ON HIS
FACEBOOK PAGE RECENTLY.
HE HAS BEEN DEALING WITH INCREDIBLE ANXIETY, AND
ALSO DEPRESSION; SOMETHING THAT HIS FANS DID NOT KNOW ABOUT.
AS A RESULT, NOT ONLY DID HE CANDIDLY TALK ABOUT WHAT HE
IS GOING THROUGH EMOTIONALLY, AND WHAT HE HAS GONE
THROUGH EMOTIONALLY FOR QUITE SOME TIME, HE ALSO TALKED
ABOUT HOW HE IS SEEKING HELP AND HOW HE IS PLANNING ON
TAKING A LITTLE BIT OF A BREAK FROM SOCIAL MEDIA.
HE HAS AN ALBUM COMING OUT SOON, AND IT WILL STILL COME OUT ñ
VIDEO BUFFERING ñ
HIS POST IS LONG, AND I WAS TRYING TO PICK PORTIONS OF IT
THAT I WOULD READ TO YOU GUYS, BUT I FELT WEIRD CUTTING OUT
WHAT HE SAID, BECAUSE I THINK THE ENTIRE POST IS IMPORTANT.
AND I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE DEAL WITH DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY
SO I WANT TO DO REAL ñ I WANTED TO READ WHAT HE SAID.
HE WRITES, "IT'S BEEN DIFFICULT TO FIND THE WORDS TO WHAT I'M
ABOUT TO SHARE WITH YOU BECAUSE I FEEL ASHAMED.
ASHAMED TO BE A LEADER AND A HERO TO SO MANY WHILE
ADMITTING I'VE BEEN LIVING A LIE.
IT TOOK ME A WHILE TO GET TO THIS PLACE OF COMMITMENT,
BUT IT IS A THING I HAVE TO DO FOR MYSELF, MY FAMILY, MY
BEST FRIEND, DAUGHTER, AND ALL OF YOU, MY FANS.
YESTERDAY I CHECKED MYSELF INTO REHAB FOR DEPRESSION AND
SUICIDAL URGES.
I AM NOT AT PEACE, I HAVEN'T BEEN SINCE YOU'VE KNOWN ME
ñ SINCE YOU'VE KNOWN ME.
I SIMPLY AM A DAMAGED HUMAN SWIMMING IN A POOL OF
EMOTIONS EVERY DAY OF MY LIFE.
THERE'S A RAGING VIOLENT STORM INSIDE MY HEART AT ALL TIMES.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT PEACE FEELS LIKE, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO RELAX.
MY ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION HAVE RULED MY LIFE FOR AS LONG
AS I CAN REMEMBER, AND I NEVER LEAVE THE HOUSE BECAUSE OF IT.
I CAN'T MAKE NEW FRIENDS BECAUSE OF IT.
I DON'T TRUST ANYONE BECAUSE OF IT, AND I'M TIRED OF BEING
HELD BACK IN MY LIFE.
I DESERVE TO HAVE PEACE, I DESERVE TO BE HAPPY AND SMILING.
WHY NOT ME?
I GUESS I GIVE SO MUCH OF MYSELF TO OTHERS, I FORGET THAT I
NEED TO SHOW MYSELF SOME LOVE TO.
I THINK I NEVER REALLY KNOW HOW.
I'M SCARED, AND SAD, I FEEL LIKE I LET A LOT OF PEOPLE DOWN
AND AGAIN, I'M SORRY.
IT'S TIME TO FIX ME.
I'M NERVOUS BUT I'M GOING TO GET THROUGH THIS.
I WILL BE AROUND TO PROMOTE MUCH, BUT ñ
THE GOOD FOLKS AT REPUBLIC AND MY MANAGER DENNIS WILL
INFORM YOU ABOUT UPCOMING RELEASES.
THE ALBUM IS STILL ON THE WAY, PROMISE.
I WANTED TO SQUARE AWAY ALL THE BUSINESS BEFORE I GOT HERE
SO I COULD FOCUS ON MY RECOVERY."
OKAY, I FEEL SO BAD FOR PEOPLE GOING THROUGH DEPRESSION,
BECAUSE IT'S IN YOUR HEAD.
SALIVA NONSENSE ABOUT LIKE, OH, WHY DON'T YOU JUST CHEER UP?
THAT DIDN'T MAKE ANY SENSE, IT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS.
SO THIS GUY IS FAMOUS, HE IS SUCCESSFUL, PRESUMABLY WEALTHY,
ñ, BUT THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS.
JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE MONEY, OR FAME, OR ANY OF THE THINGS
WE WOULD LIKE, DOESN'T NECESSARILY MAKE YOU HAPPY.
THAT'S ABSOLUTELY TRUE.
I FEEL TERRIBLE FOR HIM, I HOPE HE GETS GOOD HELP HERE AND FEELS
BETTER, AND I REALLY DON'T KNOW HOW THAT PROCESS WORKS, BUT I
HAVE TO CONFESS THAT IT ñ
VIDEO BUFFERING ñ
MADE ME FEEL A LITTLE BIT RELIEVED.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT MAKES ME A BAD PERSON FOR
ADMITTING THAT, BUT THAT I DON'T HAVE THAT.
I'VE BEEN KIND OF CANDID ABOUT WHAT I'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS
YEAR, AND TO BE QUITE HONEST, THINGS HAVE GOTTEN A LOT BETTER.
AND IT'S INTERESTING, BECAUSE WHEN YOU ARE GOING THROUGH
ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION ñ LIKE, WHAT HE SAID ABOUT, I DON'T
WANT TO GO OUT, I WANT TO STAY HOME, THAT'S SO TRUE.
YOU HATE BEING OUT OF THE HOUSE, YOU WANT TO BE HOME RIGHT AFTER
WORK AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
YOU ALSO BECOME WEIRDLY PARANOID, AND YOU DON'T
TRUST PEOPLE.
I DON'T KNOW WHY THAT'S ONE OF THE SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION AND
ANXIETY, BUT IT IS, AND IT STARTS TO CRIPPLE YOU.
YOU KIND OF LOSE SIGHT OF THE GOOD THINGS IN LIFE THAT
YOU SHOULD BE HAPPY ABOUT AND GRATEFUL FOR.
THERE'S DIFFERENT TYPES OF DEPRESSION, THERE'S PEOPLE WHO
LITERALLY HAVE A TOPICAL IMBALANCE IN THEIR BRAIN ñ
A CHEMICAL IMBALANCE IN THEIR BRAIN.
AND THEN THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING THROUGH SOMETHING
EMOTIONAL AT THAT TIME THAT IS LEADING THEM TO FEEL THE
WAY THEY DO.
REGARDLESS OF WHICH TYPE OF DEPRESSION HE IS SUFFERING
FROM, I GIVE HIM SO MUCH CREDIT.
NOT ONLY IS HE A PUBLIC FIGURE, NOT ONLY IS HE SPEAKING OUT
WHAT HE'S GOING THROUGH, WHEN THERE IS A HUGE STIGMA WITH
DEALING WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.
ARE THERE STILL?
DO PEOPLE READ THIS AND THINK, HA HA, WHAT A LOSER?
I DON'T THINK IT'S THAT OVERT, BUT I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
I STARTED SEEING A THERAPIST THIS YEAR.
AT FIRST I STARTED SEEING HER EVERY WEEK.
I SAW HER TODAY ACTUALLY AND SHE WAS LIKE, YOU'RE GOOD, HOW
ABOUT YOU SEE ME NEXT MONTH?
OH WOW, SHE'S VERY HONEST.
SHE'S HONEST, SHE TOLD ME SHE JUST NEEDS TO SEE ME FOR
MAINTENANCE, AND THEN I'M GOOD.
BUT GOING TO THERAPY HELPED ME, BECAUSE I NEEDED TO TALK
ABOUT SOME STUFF THAT I HAD PENT UP.
BUT I REMEMBER, ONE OF OUR FRIENDS ñ AND HE DIDN'T MEAN IT,
HE DIDN'T MEAN IT IN A NEGATIVE WAY ñ BUT HE KIND OF JOKINGLY
TALKED ABOUT HOW PEOPLE TO GO TO THERAPY ARE CRAZY, YOU KNOW?
AND IT MADE ME FEEL REALLY EMBARRASSED.
I WAS LIKE, OH MY GOD PEOPLE MUST THINK I'M CRAZY.
I FELT ASHAMED FOR SOME REASON, AND THEN FINALLY I WAS
LIKE, I DON'T FEEL SHAME.
THAT'S A PRETTY OLD-SCHOOL WAY OF THINKING.
BACK IN THE DAY IF YOU WENT TO A THERAPIST WE WERE LIKE, OH
CRAZY GUY!
NOW I FEEL LIKE EVERYBODY HAS A THERAPIST.
I HAVE MY OWN STEREOTYPES ABOUT IT, HERE'S WHO I THOUGHT WENT TO
THERAPISTS: WHITE PEOPLE.
THAT'S ACTUALLY KIND OF TRUE, I'M GOING TO GET INTO
STATISTICS, BECAUSE HIM BEING A BLACK MAN MAKES THIS EVEN
MORE POWERFUL, BECAUSE THERE'S EVEN MORE STIGMA AMONG THE
BLACK COMMUNITY WHEN IT COMES TO SEEING A THERAPIST.
REAL QUICKLY, MY WIFE IS A THERAPIST SO I'M KIDDING
AROUND ABOUT, LIKE, ONCE YOU'RE GOOD YOU COULD GO.
HER PROUDEST MOMENTS ARE WHEN SOMEBODY FEELS GOOD ENOUGH THAT
THEY COULD GO, AND MAYBE CHECK BACK IN LATER, SO SHE FEELS
LIKE, YES!
YOU KNOW, WE GOT SOMEWHERE.
BUT BECAUSE OF HER IDEALIZED, OF COURSE!
IT'S NOT JUST WHITE
PEOPLE TO GO TO THERAPY, THERE'S LATINOS, ASIANS, BLACKS, ETC.,
BUT YOU ARE RIGHT, THERE IS STILL A BIT MORE OF A STIGMA IN
SOME DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES.
LET ME GIVE YOU THE STATS ON THAT.
ACCORDING TO THE US STATE DEPARTMENT AND DEATH OF HEALTH
SERVICES OF MINORITY HEALTH, BLACK PEOPLE ARE 10% LESS LIKELY
TO REPORT HAVING SERIOUS PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS THAT
WHITE PEOPLE, BUT THERE IS A STIGMA WHEN IT COMES TO
BLACK MEN TALKING ABOUT THEIR MENTAL HEALTH.
BLACK MEN IN AMERICA HAVE TO DEAL WITH A LACK OF MENTAL
HEALTH RESOURCES, AND HAVE A HIGHER EXPOSURE TO FACTORS
THAT CAN LEAD TO A MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION.
SO NOT ONLY IS THERE THAT STIGMA, EVEN IF AN INDIVIDUAL ñ
EVEN IF ñ EVEN IF AN INDIVIDUAL IS LIKE, SCREW THE STIGMA I NEED
HELP, THEY UNFORTUNATELY DON'T HAVE THE SAME RESOURCES AND
SUPPORT SYSTEM THAT MOST PEOPLE HAVE TO GET THE HELP THEY NEED.
AND IF BLACK PEOPLE THINK THAT MOST PEOPLE ARE OUT TO GET
THEM, THEY MIGHT NOT BE THAT PARANOID.
THAT MIGHT ACTUALLY BE SOMEWHAT TRUE, BASED ON THE STATISTICS.
I'M SO OLD, I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF MUSIC KID CUDI DOES, I
THOUGHT HE WAS KID CUTIE.
THAT'S A WHOLE OTHER LAYER OF, IF YOU ARE RAPPING AND YOU
WANT TO APPEAR TOUGH.
THAT REMINDS ME THE OTHER DAY OF TRUMP TALKING TO VETERANS WITH
PTSD, YOU GUYS ARE STRONG, OTHERS ARE AS STRONG.
TRUNK IS THE ONE WHO NEEDS
THERAPY.
IF YOU HAVE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, GET SOME HELP.
IF YOU HAVE A BROKEN ANKLE, YOU WOULDN'T SAY, I WANT TO
SPIT ON IT.
NO, YOU WOULD GO GET YOUR BONES PUT BACK IN PLACE.
AND YOUR BRAIN IS SO MUCH MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANY OTHER
ORGAN, SO THAT THE ONE YOU NEED TO HELP THE MOST, SO GO SEE
A PROFESSIONAL.
MY HEART GOES OUT TO KID CUDI, I THINK HE IS COURAGEOUS FOR
SHARING HIS STORY AND I HOPE HE GETS BETTER.