Mental health issues, and conversations about them, are often still a taboo in the hardcore scene.
This is shown by the fact that talking about mental health issues is treated vastly different to talking about physical health issues.
Example 1:
If a DJ says he broke his leg a few weeks ago, it's in plaster now, and he can't attend a party he was booked for, this is seen as perfectly normal.
But when a DJ makes a post saying that he can't perform a gig because he has heavy problems with anxiety or depression, this is much more "problematic".
Yes, talking about extreme physical health issues is not easy either. But it's much worse regarding mental health issues.
Example 2:
Imagine someone would make a post, stating he was diagnosed with stomach cancer, nearly died, had surgery, there were complications, but now he's started to recover.
This is of course very "heavy" stuff, but most people would not object to an artist making such a post, and send their well-wishes, etc.
Now imagine someone would post he was diagnosed with psychosis, tried to end his life, was institutionalized, is now on heavy medication and slowly recovering.
This would upset a lot of people, and create a very different reaction.
And in this case, even many people who normally say they are tolerant and sympathetic to those with mental health issues might send a message along the lines of: "Woah, calm down a bit. You are over-sharing. Don't expose yourself to that degree. Maybe you could write all this in more 'neutral' terms. Like saying you had a time when you felt not so well mentally. No need tell more about it, you know?"
So why are physical and mental health issues treated so differently?
Some would say because the second example above is something that ain't easy to stomach - since these are extreme problems, and reading about them might be hard to handle for some readers.
But the cancer post example is a very heavy issue too, and most people would not consider this topic to be such a taboo.
The truth is: when you are physically all, people think that - you are physically ill. And that's it. It's a horrible situation, and they wish you the best to get well soon.
But with mental illness, you are not just someone who is afflicted by a mental illness - you are "crazy in your head", You are no longer seen as rational, capable of sanity and logic, and so on. There is still a huge stigma to it.
But in reality, a mental illness is just an illness like any other illness. Having anxiety, depression, bipolar, schizophrenia, and so on, no how matter how bad and severe, is not something that should be more of a taboo than having a physical disease.
Having mental health issues can be a huge problem, but it does not define your total personality, just like being in a wheelchair or having a heart disease does not define the whole of you.
If you are "mentally ill", you are just as worthy, and just as capable of enjoying and producing art, music, media, like everyone else.
So let's end the stigma around it.
There has been lots of progress in the past years, this is true, and it's a very good thing.
People talk more openly about it, and there is much less hostility towards people with mental health problems - even in the world of hardcore techno!
These are very good news. But it's not enough yet.
Talking about mental health topics should not be a taboo!
So we should not allow it to stay one.
To read other issues of the Mental Hardcore Health newsletter, check here: https://thehardcoreoverdogs.blogspot.com/search/label/Mental%20Health
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