It's time to look back on Audacy’s seventh annual I’m Listening broadcast and some of our favorite mental health moments and conversations.
LISTEN NOW: 2023 I’m Listening broadcast
Co-hosted once again by Carson Daly alongside Audacy’s Katie Neal, and psychologist Dr. Alfiee M. Breland-Noble (Dr. Alfiee), this year's incredible broadcast included chats with our guests Selena Gomez, Adam Lambert, Anitta, Chance the Rapper, Dan + Shay, Ed Sheeran, Gretchen Rubin, Jelly Roll, Jessica Alba, Kelly Clarkson, Lewis Capaldi, Paramore, Richard Sherman, SZA, and more.
Additionally, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, AFSP’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Christine Moutier, and VP of Health Equity and Engagement, Victor Armstrong joined the conversation to provide mental health and suicide prevention expertise, and resources to listeners.
Check out our favorite quotes from this year's I'm Listening class.
Selena Gomez
"There was a really confusing period of time in my life where I wasn't really sure why my emotions were so intense, and why my highs would be really high and my lows would be really low. Once I started to figure it out slowly but surely, I think people wanted to paint a narrative that it was a bad thing that I was seeking help... Ultimately, I got a diagnosis and I felt relieved; I felt like I had answers..." Selena adds, “I’m genuinely not ashamed of it. I know a lot of people have a hard time talking about it, but a lot of people don’t even know they’re experiencing some things. That’s all I’ve wanted to do, is share that part of me because I know I’m not the only one feeling that way.”
Adam Lambert
"Talking about it is sort of the first step. If you're just dealing with it internally, that's when it can fester into something more serious, or get out of control, or get the better of you... Finding common ground with other people, realizing that a) you're not alone in this, and b) talking about it makes you feel better..." Adam adds, “I got medicated because the anxiety was just too intense. It came out of nowhere, too. It was like all of a sudden, I was getting panic attacks, where I felt like I was gonna pass out… it made me realize that I’ve probably been dealing with anxiety my whole life but didn’t really realize it. That that’s what it was called. I just thought I was stressed…when I really started reading about it and talking to a therapist, I was like, ’Ohh. Yeah. I have anxiety.’”
Anitta
“Music helps me a lot for my mental health because I just think music has the power to change our mood. So, every time I feel like I’m falling, I try to be up... Listening to music that’ll make me feel happy, that’ll make me feel soft, good energy -- that’s definitely a tool for me to feel better.”
Kelly Clarkson
“We just need to look out for each other more, and just ask… Ask how someone’s day is going, or how they’re really feeling. It’s important to always have the conversation and to make sure people feel like it's possible to express themselves in a safe environment.”
Paramore
“We took four years off for our mental health,” Paramore singer Hayley Williams shares. “We’d been traveling for over a decade and we were like, ‘It’s probably gonna be beneficial for us to take care of ourselves.’”
Jelly Roll
“One of the main tools I use to work towards my mental health is finding presence of mind, finding gratitude, anchoring myself in things like this, constantly listening, and trying to learn.”
Chance The Rapper
"I think information is important. My non-profit Social Works, we just launched this initiative a couple of years back called 'My State Of Mind,' where we built a cohort of different practitioners, clinics, and public health officials to create a database for all of the mental health services, not just on a city or county level, but in the entire state of Illinois." Chance adds, “I think the conversation has progressed a lot in the past few years, and now we’re at a point where people are not just unafraid from seeking help, but unafraid of talking to people about it. I think that’s a really important part is creating a community that’s so open and understanding about it that they help themselves.”
Ed Sheeran
“I feel like the more I’ve spoken about it, the more that my friends have opened up to me about it and the less alone you feel.”
Dan + Shay
“I think music is so incredible,” says Dan + Shay's Shay Mooney, “because we’ve heard so many stories about how our music has really helped people in their lives with just struggle with mental health. I think music is so powerful, I think it’s even more powerful than us as creatives realize, to people when we release the music.”
SZA
“Right now I’m learning to take space for myself without the worry of disappointing people… and get out of that co-dependent, people-pleasing mindset,” SZA revealed. "I really think that’s the hardest thing... setting boundaries and creating a safe space for yourself.”
Rainn Wilson
"When I was desperately unhappy and lonely and struggling with these issues, back in the '90s therapy wasn't as ubiquitous as it is today... For me personally, I found great solace in some basic spiritual teachings."
Richard Sherman
"It's the cliche answer but it's the right answer: 'Hard times don't last, hard people do.' 'At the end of every storm, there's a rainbow.' It seems cliche, but it's the real truth. There's not a storm in the world that lasts forever... even the worst storms, at the end the sun comes out and you appreciate it so much more... Every struggle you appreciate later for the strength that it gives you."
Related
You can listen to our full I'm Listening broadcast above in its entirety, and learn more about Audacy's I'm Listening mission at ImListening.org.
I’m Listening is Audacy’s commitment to deliver more mental health conversations, resources, and pathways to help. If you are experiencing mental health needs, know that you are not alone. If you are in crisis, help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call or text 988 to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Talk Saves Lives. Find a full list of additional resources here.