“Anxious. Guilty. Empty.”: Lauv Shares Heartfelt Note About His Journey Through Mental Health

Hear his optimistic message about his struggles
Lauv performs onstage during FOX's Teen Choice Awards at The Forum on August 12, 2018 in Inglewood, California
Photo credit Kevin Winter, Getty

Lauv has had the biggest year of his career. After topping charts with vibey smash hit “I Like Me Better,” the laid-back singer has continued to push the emergence of his calming voice and relatable lyrics. In a long note shared to Twitter, Lauv revealed that the most successful time of his life has also been one of the most difficult.

“Along the way I constantly found myself feeling like I was pushing a rock uphill. Anxious. Guilty. Empty. And I started to fall out of love with music,” the singer-songwriter admitted of struggles that hindered him from truly enjoying life. “And no matter how good I got at faking it, I never felt like I could truly connect with anyone…”

After realizing how much his mental health was affecting him, Lauv started to consider options such as therapy. He found a therapist he liked and later was referred to a psychiatrist, a big step that was at first hard for him to accept. “The idea that I had to resort to meds to solve something that I thought I could think my way out of was sad and weak to me. But I was so wrong.”

He writes that he found a combination of therapy and prescription medications that worked for him and soon started to see huge improvements. “Feelings of general emptiness were replaced with this extreme gratitude and appreciation for my life. My friends, my family, my team, and most of all… the blessing of all of THIS.”

“And I recognized and still recognize now that my mental health is an ongoing process & at any moment now or in the future, those feelings could get stolen away again and I could find myself back in the dark place. And that’s ok. Because I know what it feels like to be out of it, and I know it’s more than possible to get out.”

He concluded his note with a message of hope for fans navigating their way through similar struggles. “Lastly, I just want to say the biggest thing I learned from the past year was to not be afraid to face yourself head on. To not be afraid of your mind. To work with yourself and not against. To open the conversation more. To not be afraid or ashamed of help.”

Mental health, addiction, and relapses are very real. If you or anyone you know is struggling, know that someone is always there. Additionally, give a call to 1-800-662-HELP (4357), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's national helpline, at any time, any day of the year, and free of charge.

All RADIO.COM stations are committed to ending the stigma of talking about mental health. For more information and resources, visit ImListening.org.