How Music Has Shaped My Mental Health

I’m no therapist, but I know what music does to people! There’s a song for everything; breakup songs, love songs, sad songs, feel-good songs, and angry songs. Whenever I’m in a bad mood, I would play a Def Leppard song and immediately feel better. Over time, I’ve learned that some tracks aren’t the best to listen to if you’re going through a rough time or are just in a bad mental state. It took me years to figure out my musical taste and know which songs put me in a good mood and put me in a bad mood. My journey begins back in middle school because it’s when I hit rock bottom in life!

My best friends and I went our separate ways; I had trouble trusting people, I couldn’t find my friend group, and my bad luck with boys was about to take off. I’m not a big fan of change, so at the time, I got freaked out by everything that was happening in my life. Even Justin Bieber went through numerous changes. Not only did he get rid of the hair flip, but his high voice was also gone, his music started to evolve more maturely, and I tried so hard to get into his new music, but I couldn’t.

I listened to lots of sad breakup songs to ease the pain of my sad love life (which continued through high school). Looking back on it, that was probably a mistake because the songs made me feel more lonely and depressed. The artists I listened to were Kelly Clarkson, Taylor Swift, Demi Lovato, and of course, One Direction.

High school was more complicated than middle school because I had marching band, older classmates, more people to compare myself to, and the fact that I developed feelings for a senior in my freshman year. To make things worse, I never got over him; I literally turned my friends into my therapists. I think part of the problem was that besides breakup songs, I listened to lots of love songs (Ariana Grande had some of the best ones), so I always hoped that maybe he would come around.

Around the same time, I decided to abandon my boyband obsession, so I gave up One Direction entirely. It was dumb because why would I give up something that I love? To make matters worse, Zayn left 1D in 2015, and the group broke up altogether in 2016. Instead of One Direction, I listened to modern rock bands like Sleeping with Sirens, Pierce the Veil, Black Veil Brides, and All Time Low.

When I finally got out of high school, my music stayed pretty much the same until I got into Queen. The band Queen was like a breath of fresh air, and I started to find my ideal musical tastes. I enjoyed the freedom of Queen’s music and how diverse it was, yet it was good old rock music! “Another One Bites the Dust” is my favorite song of theirs, and during my sophomore year of college, that song gave me the confidence to walk to the bus stop, and that says a lot because the bus is a scary place!

I discovered artists like Bon Jovi, AC/DC, Sammy Hagar, and Boston, and I felt at ease for once in a long time. I avoided breakup songs because I knew what the consequences were. I was all about Queen during my sophomore year; it wasn’t until I discovered Def Leppard that I stared to abandon Queen altogether. I realized that I need an outlet to let out my anger, and I needed that hard rock feel to keep me intact. I’m not into Queen’s experimental stuff anymore, but I’ll listen to their music once in a while.

I discovered Def Leppard when I went through my hardest year of college, junior year. Not just their music, but Rick Allen’s story and how they’ve overcome so much. They inspired me to want to become a better person and go for my goals in life. I discovered my passion for writing and social media, so I decided to give up my dream of being a singer altogether and aim for a career with the Walt Disney Company as a content creator.

Their songs tell the story of my life; “When Love & Hate Collide,” “Long, Long Way to Go,” “Photograph,” “Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad,” and plenty more. The latter helped me get over my five-year crush on the senior from high school. So, hallelujah! I slowly began to realize that I don’t need a boyfriend to be happy; right now, I’m focusing on bettering myself first.

I got into boybands again (Backstreet’s back, alright), and I couldn’t be happier! My taste in music is weird, but I learned that I don’t have to like just one artist; it’s good to have variety. Listen to Bon Jovi during the day and blast Def Leppard later at night. With everything that’s happening right now dealing with the coronavirus, protests, and riots, etc., I discovered that AC/DC and Metallica are good bands to listen to when I’m upset and need to scream my lungs out or something. “You Shook Me All Night Long” is a freaking awesome song, by the way!

There you have it! That’s my rollercoaster ride of finding music that satisfies my mental health. I’m trying to get back into pop music, or at least broaden my interests because I feel like I’m in a better place to do so, except I might hold off on the sad breakup songs for a while, but we’ll see!

What’s the one song that always puts you in a good mood? Let me know in the comments below!

Take care and see ya real soon!
Lana