Famous British singer Ed Sheeran revealed in a recent interview that he started therapy to deal with his suicidal thoughts, which were noticed by his wife Cherry Seaborn.
Ed Sheeran, 32, is one of the most famous artists of his generation. With hit songs like “Shape of You” and “Thinking Out Loud”, he has sold millions of albums worldwide. But success did not come easy to him.
In 2015, while on tour, he began to feel immense pressure. He felt disconnected from his surroundings and spent sleepless nights drinking to fall asleep. “I didn’t know how to handle the stress”he confessed. “I didn’t think I had the right to feel unhappy.”
suicidal ideation
Things got worse in 2017, when the artist started having suicidal thoughts. He confessed in the interview that he felt “completely useless” and often thought about death.
He explained that his job was a distraction that kept him afloat, but when he had time off, his dark thoughts would come back with a vengeance.
“I felt uncomfortable in my own skin”he confessed. “I didn’t want to tell anyone, but my wife noticed something was wrong.”
Help from his wife
Cherry Seaborn, Ed Sheeran’s wife, became his confidante and support during this difficult time. She noticed that her husband was distant and preoccupied.
“I knew there was something wrong, but I didn’t want to blame him”she explained. “I wanted him to know that I am there for him”. She encouraged her husband to talk about his feelings and seek professional help.
The role of therapy
Ed Sheeran took his wife’s advice and started seeing a therapist. He explained that the therapy helped him understand his emotions and find mechanisms to cope with his suicidal thoughts.
“I thought I had to be strong and not show my weaknesses”he admitted. “But therapy taught me that it was quite the opposite. I learned to be vulnerable and to accept myself as I am”.
Very excited to share this. Ed Sheeran The Sum Of It All, is a 4-part original documentary series coming to @DisneyPlus on 3rd May. Save the date 🍿
➕✖️➗🟰➖ pic.twitter.com/lLWVt1QLES
— Ed Sheeran HQ (@edsheeran) March 20, 2023
Note that Ed Sheeran is not the first artist to speak about his mental health publicly. Many artists, such as Lady Gaga, Demi Lovato and Justin Bieber, have also shared their own experiences with mental health in hopes of raising awareness of the issue and encouraging others to seek help.
Ultimately, the decision to seek help for mental health issues is a personal one and there is no right or wrong way to do it.
