Pete Townshend talks ongoing battle with "chemical depression"
19 November 2024, 12:10
The Who guitarist has admitted he wakes up with suicidal thoughts every morning.
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Pete Townshend has revealed he has suicidal thoughts when he wakes up.
The legendary Who guitarist and chief songwriter has been open about his mental health through the years and in a new interview he revealed that his battle is ongoing.
Speaking to The Sunday Times, the My Generation rocker explained: “When I first wake up I’m suicidal, actually suicidal."
He went on to explain that waking up between 2am - 5am, as well as journalling and having “a couple of cups of tea” and “two digestive biscuits" helps him to reset his mindset and "feel happy” each day.
"If I start my journals before I have my cup of tea, I’ll paint a very bleak picture of my life," admitted the 79-year-old rocker. "Despite the fact that I have everything that I want and everything that I need…And I have had a really extraordinary life.”
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Though the guitarist added that although therapy eventually did work for him, he's hesitant to promote any particular solutions because what works for one individual won't work for another.
“I think because of social media in particular, the way that we carelessly share not only our anxieties but also perhaps our solutions,” he went on. “We’re a bit careless about that because what works for me won’t necessarily work for you.”
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HEADS TOGETHER
Too often, people feel afraid to admit that they are struggling with their mental health. This fear of prejudice and judgement stops people from getting help and can destroy families and end lives.
Heads Together wants to help people feel much more comfortable with their everyday mental wellbeing and have the practical tools to support their friends and family.
One of their partners is the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), an award-winning charity dedicated to preventing male suicide, the single biggest killer of men under the age of 45 in the UK. In 2015, 75% of all UK suicides were male.
CALM offers support to men in the UK, of any age, who are down or in crisis via our helpline, webchat and website. www.thecalmzone.net
NATIONWIDE: 0800 58 58 58
LONDON: 0808 802 58 58
Calls are free from landlines, payphones and all mobiles.
For more on Heads Together, see www.headstogether.org.ukWorried about someone?
Click here: https://www.thecalmzone.net/help/worried-about-someone/
Samaritans
- Confidential support for people experiencing feelings of distress or despair.
- Phone: 116 123 (free 24-hour helpline)
- Website: www.samaritans.org
