Association For Electronic Music Publishes New Mental Health Guide

The Association For Electronic Music has launched a new mental health guide designed to educate and support those in the music industry.

In the age of social media dominance, it can be easy to think that the lives of artists in the scene are filled with only positivity and happiness, but platforms like Instagram only give their fans a highlight reel instead of the full story. Underneath that veneer of happiness, though, artists often hide mental health issues caused by the high-stress environment of the music scene.

For the longest time, those in the music industry have suffered in silence with limited support and resources to help them cope with issues that they may face. Whether the issues were stigmatized or simply ignored, the response was sorely lacking the understanding and compassion needed to address the problem.

Over the past few years, though, strides have been taken by artists, managers, and others who have come forward about their struggles with mental health and helped raise awareness of this issue. When we’ve sat down with artists ranging from Gareth Emery and David Gravell to Yultron and Adventure Club they have been more open about sharing their stories of how they battled the problems they’ve faced as well.

Now, there is a new resource for those who work in the industry and are seeking help, as the Association For Electronic Music (AFEM) recently published a new mental health guide.

Released in honor of World Mental Health Day on October 10, this new guide provides information on identifying signs and symptoms for anxiety, stress management, depression, alcohol, and drug use. Available in PDF form, it can be downloaded from their website and accessed by any device.

The guidebook recommends importance of seeking professional health to identify and understand their issues. They recommend maintaining a good work/life balance as well as getting a good night’s rest, It also provides important tips on how people can support themselves along with “self-care”. Tips on self-care range from cutting out drug or alcohol use to keeping track of one’s moods so that one can stay “mentally fit”.

For those who know someone who might be suffering from anxiety or depression, check out the “helping someone else” section. We recommend reading each detailed bullet point if you are looking to help someone you know. One of the sentences in the section that stood out was:

“Offering advice may not always be helpful or welcome. Sometimes there are no immediate or easy solutions. You don’t need to have the answers, just be present, kind and non-judgmental.”

The guide also offers up resources phone numbers and websites for those in the UK and US seeking information and help. While they only offer two links for a worldwide directory for suicide prevention or mental health information, currently, they plan to expand the directory to other countries in the future to be more comprehensive.

Related: Looking for tips on how to keep your mental health in check when you’re attending a festival? Check out our post on how to stay mentally fit!

If you or someone you know is looking more additional help, check out Live Nation’s wellness project called Tour Support.

LightHopeLife, which is a non-profit foundation centered on suicide prevention and awareness, recently partnered with BetterHelp, the world’s largest provider of online counseling services. By partnering with BetterHelp, those working in the music industry can access a therapist by phone, text, anywhere in the world for a monthly fee. Tour Support offers free services based on certain tour criteria and interested parties must apply via the BetterHelp Tour Support link.

It is more important than ever before to keep the conversation going about mental health and to educate one’s self about mental health issues.

Talk to others about the helpful resources that you have read from this article, AFEM or Tour Support’s website and help spread the message. With more people educated and recognizing mental health issues, the entire scene can continue to support and find help for those in our community who are struggling.

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