Alanis Morissette has spoken of how she still struggles daily with mental health issues and how they are exacerbated by her role in the music industry.
The Canadian-American musician, 51, shot to fame in the mid-Nineties with her unique style of confessional songwriting, most notably with the singles “You Oughta Know” and “Ironic”.
In a new interview, Morissette spoke about her past issues with substance abuse and addiction, including work addiction which she described as especially hard.
“If I said, ‘Oh, I did heroin till four in the morning and totally blacked out,’ people would be like, ‘Oh s***, bitch needs some help,’” she told The Guardian.
“But if I said, ‘I’ve been working my f***ing ass off for this deadline and I finished at 4.15am,’ people would be patting my back and be like, ‘Good work, girl.’ It’s equally corrosive. Because any addiction, if we keep going with it, we’re dead.”
Morissette said that without therapy, she would “not be alive”, confirming that she still struggles “all the time” with depressive thoughts.
“I have an anxious, depressive tendency,” she said. “Those who are sensitive are much more susceptible to their environmental information.
“If you put a highly sensitive person in an environment where they’re brow-beaten or reduced, they’ll basically want to kill themselves. It’s the worst.”
Morissette will be making her Glastonbury debut at the festival this week with a performance on the Pyramid Stage on Friday (27 June).
This year’s festival is being headlined by rock band The 1975, pop singer Olivia Rodrigo and rock artist Neil Young with his band The Chrome Hearts, while Rod Stewart will take on the teatime Legends Slot.
Other artists on the lineup include Charli XCX, Grammy-winning US rapper Doechii, rising British pop star Lola Young, Irish singer CMAT, US pop star Gracie Abrams, rock band Wolf Alice and Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap.
There are also a number of surprise sets, including the mysterious band Patchwork – who are strongly rumoured to be US pop trio Haim – billed for a spot on the main stage on Saturday afternoon.
The festival will kick off with two opening ceremonies on Wednesday 25 June. You can see the full lineup and set times here.
If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.
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