In 1963, the whole nation became familiar with the bright young faces of Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, along with their cousin Mike Love, and their friend Al Jardine; the group was known as The Beach Boys. Despite their beaming faces, The Beach Boys were not the sweethearts that America pegged them as. Especially singer, songwriter, and record producer: Brian Wilson. Brian Wilson is a musical genius, he is credited for the creation of the group’s most renowned album, Pet Sounds. Before the album was produced, Brian faced immense opposition by not only the group’s record label, but from members of the band themselves; Mike Love coined the title for Pet Sounds by saying “Who’s gonna hear this shit? The ears of a dog?” Mike’s response highlights the relationship that Brian had with his family and band members throughout the peak of The Beach Boys’ career, Mike’s response highlights the fact that they simply did not understand him.
Nearly a year after The Beach Boys’ rise to fame, Brian began an ongoing struggle with his own mental health. Sadly, he stopped touring with The Beach Boys in 1964 when he experienced a panic attack on board a flight from Los Angeles to Houston. His break from touring resulted in even more mental health complications when he began using the drug, cannabis, which led to his intense usage of other psychedelic drugs. After Brian experienced his first LSD trip, he began to suffer from auditory hallucination which he continues to struggle with today. By the mid-1970s, Brian’s extensive substance abuse and deteriorating mental state led his family to hire a psychologist, Eugene Landy. Unfortunately, Eugene did not help Brian. He exploited Brian’s dependency on him and convinced Brian to list him as a collaborator on several songs on his debut self-titled solo album, as well as including himself as a beneficiary in Brian’s will. Eventually Brian’s family caught on to the facade that Eugene was putting up and removed him from Brian’s life. Similarly to Brian, the electronic dance music phenomena known as Avicii and countless other musicians or artists have fallen a victim to their own creations.
Avicii gained international success when his hit “Levels” topped the charts in thirteen different countries; throughout the rest of his career he continued to climb the charts and work with artists such as Coldplay, Madonna, Daft Punk, and many more. Brian Wilson and Avicii, whose real name is Tim Bergling, may seem like two completely different men on the surface, but the parallels between their personal history is uncanny. In 2016, Avicii announced his decision to stop touring through an open letter that he posted on his website; in that letter he explained that, “I’m grateful for all the opportunities and comforts my success has availed me… but I have too little left for the life of a real person behind the artist.” Prior to Tim’s decision, the musician battled alcoholism which led to the development of acute pancreatitis. On April 20th, 2018 Tim Bergling was found dead in Oman at the mere age of twenty-eight from an apparent suicide. Before his death and after his decision to end touring, Tim’s manager pressured him to continue performing which resulted in him suffering multiple panic attacks. Along with the lack of support from not only his team, but other musicians such as deadmau5, who added fuel to Tim’s distress by publicly perceiving him as weak through various social media platforms. It can be easily assumed that Tim felt alone, it can be easily assumed that Tim was not understood.
Tim and Brian’s decision to end touring did not make them weak, it made them brave. They are brave because instead of allowing themselves to suffer, they did what they thought was best for them. Especially in the music industry, there is a constant pressure to be what people want them to be and to do what people want them to do; whether that pressure comes from their team such as managers and record labels, whether that pressure comes from the inevitable following of hundreds of thousands of fans, or their own family and close friends. These men put themselves first in order to take care of their mental and physical well being, something that many people across the world struggle to do everyday and something that others who do not understand may label as weak. Whether someone is deciding if they’re emotionally and physically able to attend work, school, an event, a party, or even just dinner with their friends or family, there is always the constant fear of letting someone down which can lead to feeling like you’re letting yourself down. Although this is an extremely valid fear, it is also important to remember that you’re your own number one priority and that if you choose not to take care of yourself, who will?
Brian and Tim may have been brave, but they continued to face various forms of rejection and hardships. Brian was rejected by his family who decided to pass him along to be someone else’s problem. Tim was continuously pressured throughout his career because all he wanted was a break from the toxic lifestyle that created his illness. Rejection and hardship are just a few of the many things that people with or without mental health issues face on a daily basis; whether someone is considered a celebrity, or a young adult trying to figure out what they are going to do with their life, or a middle aged man or woman working as hard as they can to provide for their family, or even an elderly person who is wondering if they did all they could during their lifetime, we can find comfort in knowing that we are never truly alone. Although it’s not easy, it’s imperative to take the first step and seek help from not only family and friends, but from professionals as well. There is no shame in scheduling an appointment with a psychologist, or asking a friend or relative if they can meet to talk over coffee. As friends and members of our family, it is our job to ensure that the people in our life are healthy so please take a minute to remind those people that you’re there and that you love them.
Sources
https://themighty.com/2018/04/did-avicii-die-by-suicide-mental-health/
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/avicii-retires-from-touring-via-open-letter-to-fans-20160329
Woodrick Writes 
Your writing opens my heart and mind to the struggles of others and how to respond to them. Words are so powerful and you teach us to use them wisely. Thank you Maddie
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