During a recent visit to our Audacy Sound Space in Detroit, Shinedown's Brent Smith and Zach Myers took time to talk about the evolution of mental health conversations throughout their time in the band, and the importance of talking about your mental health.
LISTEN NOW: I'm Listening with Shinedown
"I think now that we live in a space where men feel more comfortable talking and everyone feels more comfortable talking about mental health," Zach says, compared to the past. "That's kind of the goal because when you realize that you have someone to talk to about it and you don't have to internalize these things, you realize that talking to anyone helps."
"Since we started making music, we've had songs about mental health since day one," he adds. "I think that now we see that people are open to that conversation and it's not a taboo thing and you don't have to feel like less of a human to talk to someone else about what's going on in your life and realize that it helps."
"We also just look at mental health as just as important as your physical health," Brent shares. "Once people start talking about it more, you know, it's out there so that we can help heal each other. So sometimes when you're looking at what someone's going through, whether it be you or someone else, you know, the worst thing you can do is be quiet. You got to talk about it."
"I think that seeing our fans know that it's OK to discuss these things means a lot to us and the fact that we could even, if we had a small part in opening that door for them, to feel better about themselves or realizing that they have someone they can talk to, that's. I mean if you can save a life by telling someone it's OK to talk to someone you've done the biggest job in the world that you could ever do."
It’s okay to not be OK. We know the power of talk can save lives. Audacy's I’m Listening aims to share valuable resources for those who need to connect, heal, and share their own stories. To those who are dealing with mental health issues, understand you are not alone. If you or anyone you know is struggling with depression or anxiety, know that someone is always there. Additionally, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 988. Find a full list of additional resources here.