Bruce Springsteen has revealed he’s suffered two emotional breakdowns, one of which he believes he should have been hospitalised for.
The rock musician, 69, opened up about his mental health struggles in a new interview with Esquire, stating: “I’ve had to deal with a lot of it over the years.”
Springsteen said he’s on a variety of medications that “keep [him] on an even keel,” adding: “Otherwise I can swing rather dramatically and... just... the wheels can come off a little bit.
“I have come close enough to [depression] where I know I am not completely well myself.”
When asked if he’s ever contemplated suicide, the "Born to Run" singer said: “I once felt bad enough to say, ‘I don’t know if I can live like this.’ I once got into some sort of box where I couldn’t figure my way out and where the feelings were so overwhelmingly uncomfortable.”
He discussed his family’s mental health history, addressing his late father Doug’s diagnosis with schizophrenia later in his life.
“All I do know is as we age, the weight of our unsorted baggage becomes heavier,” he said. “With each passing year, the price of our refusal to do that sorting rises higher and higher. Long ago, the defences I built to withstand the stress of my childhood, to save what I had of myself, outlived their usefulness, and I’ve become an abuser of their once lifesaving powers.
“I relied on them wrongly to isolate myself, seal my alienation, cut me off from life, control others, and contain my emotions to a damaging degree. Now the bill collector is knocking, and his payment will be in tears.”
Springsteen explained how his personal struggles mean that he “watches” his kids closely, saying: “It ran in my family going way before my dad.”
The musician’s one-man show Springsteen on Broadway is coming to a close on 15 December after opening in October 2017. To celebrate his two-year stint, a Netflix special is being released worldwide the following day. You can find a list of everything joining the streaming service in December here.
If you are struggling with your mental health and would like to speak to someone about how you're feeling, you can contact the Samaritans by calling them for free on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org or visit www.samaritans.org to find details of your nearest branch
