Second story related to Shawn Mendes in a short period of time, & each of the two are important for different reasons.
A few weeks ago, it was important bc Shawn showed the world that prioritizing MH – even OVER being on the road, adored by fans & making new millions of dollars, was the right decision. We have nothing without our health. Sadly we’ve lost too many who’ve prioritized work over life – artists, musicians, athletes, everyday folks…& the outcomes have been tragic.
This time it’s important bc it shows the MH continuum! It shows that Shawn COULD either have rehabbed back over the last two weeks, healthy enough to come back & perform….but it also shows that sometimes – we need MORE time to rehab. Shawn said in his own address, that HE put out on his OWN social channels, that he can’t wait to come back even better than ever. From his own words, to millions of fans:
“After speaking more with my team and working with an incredible group of health professionals, it has become more clear that I need to take the time I’ve never taken personally, to ground myself and come back stronger.”
HE IS CONTROLLING the narrative. What did Simone Biles do in a similar way? She rehabbed her MH back, after having to leave the team competition in the Olympics (the world’s biggest stage), to be able to come back & win a medal in an individual event.
So let’s get this straight from Shawn…from Simone: You aren’t just “this person WITH depression or NOT”? You aren’t someone who is able to “PERFORM for the long run or NOT”?
Think abt how divergent that is from how the media has driven these stories in the past: casting ppl/public figures aside bc they ARE part of the “1 in 5 mentally ill group.” What they did to way too many to create that “car crash” story bc it sells.
Shawn, Simone, & others – they are changing the understanding of what MH means. We all have it. It lives on a continuum. It’s not fixed. You aren’t “permanently damaged”…& you can prioritize it bc we have nothing without our health. This is great progress.
