Benga Speaks Out About His Own Mental Health Matters
Today while the media shone its spotlight on Prime Ministers Questions in the British Parliament today, PMQ surprisingly also became a trending topic on Twitter.
Somehow a grassroots movement spreading across social media has pushed a previously politically apathetic generation to get involved and get behind the new Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in Britain to talk about real issues that matter to them. Bringing mental health matters to the forefront has a big drive of the new opposition leader who’s appointed the new role of Shadow Minister for Mental Health to his cabinet. It’s a brave new day not only in politics but music too.
Today leading British Dubstep pioneer Benga, not only chose to release a new instrumental LYTHIUM2 on SoundCloud but he also chose to highlight a deeply personal matter about his own mental health issues. The stigma related to mental health issues was a part of the reason why he didn’t realise that he was suffering from a condition himself “I didn’t, I got sectioned and when the drugs hit me I started to think about some of the things I had done” on another tweet he continues “The thing is I was able to take medication for a few months prescribed by doctor who was able to tell exactly what my condition was.”
I might as well explain it on here. My bipolar was brought on by drugs and the schizophrenia was the result of excessive touring. 👊🙌
— BENGA (@iambenga) September 16, 2015
Which is why I dont want sympathy but to raise awareness. Because if I had help early the damage could have been controlled!
— BENGA (@iambenga) September 16, 2015
If you know someone that suffers from mental health issues you'll understand how alone you feel until it's regonised. Many people suffer.
— BENGA (@iambenga) September 16, 2015
The stigma around it is what makes you so alone…. Nobody regonises it. 🌍💫
— BENGA (@iambenga) September 16, 2015
Prior to the tweets, Benga had dropped the new instrumental ‘Lythium2’ which may be bringing him out of his early retirement with his rumoured new album 2020.
It’s an important time in music culture to speak up about mental health issues that have long been ignored, undiagnosed or unacknowledged but which have plagued a number of artists.
