If you haven't had the opportunity, please check out this book:
Touring and Mental Health: The Music Industry Manual, edited by Tamsin Embleton
(I do not earn any monies or commissions for promoting this book, I just think it is damn brilliant). The content (in blue) from this blog post has been taken from this book.
Research tells us that mental health issues (and illnesses) are substantially higher in the music industry than in the general population. A research study conducted by Gross and Musgrave wrote that "music making is therapeutic but making a career out of music is destructive".
Each role in the live music industry comes with its own cluster of occupational stressors. In fact a research study by the UK Backstage Entertainment Industry (2019) found that:
45.5% of individuals reported developing mental health problems after starting work in the music business; and
53.1% of participants with a mental health problem stated that the working conditions of the live music industry contributed to their mental health problems.
Do you see the importance yet?
However, there are many perceived barriers to getting mental health care -
cost, time, portability, stigma.......but when you take a look at your current habits, how you spend your down time, the things you spend money on and what do you make time for in the busiest of days - incorporating mental health care is not that impossible.
Why is it important to have resources for your mental health? To preserve and prolong your life as well as your career trajectory. You are a person first, before your profession. And if you are surrounding yourself around people who have forgotten that, then it is all the more crucial that you have resources for your mental health and overall life balance.
There are mental health therapists and coaches who are experienced and trained to work with people in the music industry. To address the challenges that are unique to this profession while also addressing the challenges that are common to all of us. Don't put yourself second - the relationship with yourself is the most important one you will ever have. Proceed with care.