Paramore’s lead singer Hayley Williams on battling depression, hopelessness

“For the first time in my life, there wasn’t a pinhole of light at the end of the tunnel. I thought, I just wish everything would stop. Like, What’s the point? I don’t think I understood how dangerous hopelessness is. Everything hurts.” – Hayley Nichole Williams

This is how Hayley Nichole Williams describes her depression. The 28-year-old American singer and songwriter is the latest to join the ranks of celebrities opening up about their struggles with mental illness. The lead singer of Paramore revealed that she has been battling depression for the past several years. The singer talked about the times when she would just not want to get out of bed, watching old episodes of “The Office,” all day long. At times, her depression would get so bad that she would have thoughts of death and hopelessness. She finally sought help from a therapist.

In an interview with Fader, Williams disclosed how her struggles with mental health made her take a break from the band in 2015 when she felt that she had nothing left to share through her music and that she needed to find out something else that she was good at. Life took a turn when Taylor York, her songwriting partner, reached out to Williams with new song ideas. Williams soon found her way back to doing what she loved and was good at and discovered that it was her music that had helped her stay alive through her ordeal.

Born in Mississippi, Williams was a shy child who began singing in the church’s children choir. When things became unstable at home with her parents split and her mother’s volatile second marriage, Williams found refuge in music. She became independent at the age of 13 when she started writing poetry and performing with a local funk cover band. Because of being bullied at school, Williams soon began a homeschool tutorial. It was during this time that she found her way into the music industry.

Depression is real

A leading cause of disability worldwide, depression can affect people from all walks of life. It can result in a person experiencing psychic pain, poor performance at work, loss of pleasure in activities once enjoyed, inability to connect with others, feelings of hopelessness and even suicidal ideation.

A clinical medical illness, depression is surrounded by stigma that often dissuades one from talking about it and seeking help. However, in the present celebrity-driven culture, one of the best ways to get rid of such stigma is when celebrities like Williams open up and talk about their problems giving a message that such topics are not taboo anymore and that anyone can be afflicted by mental disorders. Some of the other high-profile women celebrities who have shared their struggles with mental health include Adwoa Aboah, Britney Spears, Mel C and Chrissy Teigen.

Although money, fame and power cannot prevent this disease, celebrities can help call attention to it. Each time a high-profile individual shares his or her experience, they help reinforce the fact that depression is a real medical illness that needs professional help and that with proper treatment one can lead a productive and happy life.

There is hope

Depression can be effectively managed at a behavioral health treatment center with the help of professionals. A leading mental health treatment center for women at Chandler, Sovereign Health of Arizona provides comprehensive and tailor-made behavioral health and addiction treatment to women suffering from mental disorders in a safe, compassionate and supportive environment. Mental health treatment at Sovereign Health of Arizona encompasses a 360-degree approach and includes multiple levels of care.

For more information about our mental health treatment programs or to locate our state-of-the-art mental health retreats for women at Chandler, call our 24/7 helpline number. You can even chat online with our representatives for further assistance.