Wherever When

In a recent interview, Liam Payne opened up about his mental health, saying there have been times in his life when the impacts of fame and loneliness have “nearly killed” him.

Liam appeared on Straight Talking with Ant Middleton on November 12 for a wide-ranging interview about his life. But when asked about some of his darker moments, Liam got real about how fame has affected his mental health in dire ways.

“Fame is like having a weird midlife crisis. I am lucky to be here still,” the former One Direction star said, according to the Daily Mail. “There’s times where that level of loneliness and people getting into you every day every so often… that’s almost nearly killed me a couple of times.”

Liam continued, seeming to hint at having suicidal ideation.

“I’ve been in a bad place… it’s been on the menu a couple of times in my life. Luckily I had great people around me,” he said. “When things start to pile up on you it can get you, and you can only control you.”

It’s so important to hear Liam opening up about his mental health struggles because he’s certainly not alone. Suicide is the second leading cause of death in the United States among people ages 10 to 34, but few people talk openly about having suicidal ideation. While it’s important that we’re careful to talk about suicide sensitively, it’s something we should be talking about, especially since it impacts so many people. In fact, talking about suicide may be key to preventing it. The more people like Liam are open about their experience with suicidal ideation, the less taboo it becomes for others to open up about their own struggles, making it easier to get help.

This isn’t the first time Liam has been open about his mental health, showing the world that no matter how good things may seem for someone, they can still go through struggles. In fact, Liam said it was the nature of performing and seeming happy that had such a negative impact on him.

“Going out and putting that happy smile on my face and singing the songs, honestly, sometimes it was like putting on one of those costumes,” he said in the past. “Underneath the costume, people don’t really see what’s going on.”

The reality is that it’s not shameful to have mental health troubles, and there are people who can help you. For Liam, he said pushing through his dark moments has proved important.

“It’s always turned out alright,” he said, “even in the darkest situations.”

Of course, it’s not as simple as just moving forward when you’re experiencing mental health issues or suicidal ideation. That’s why it’s crucial to reach out for help, either by talking to someone you trust and love who can help you find treatment, or reaching out directly to a mental health professional.

Liam Payne, “All I Want For Christmas”

Growing up is hard, and it’s a struggle that’s shared by pretty much everyone, including those who seem to have it all. Yes, pop stars are not immune from life’s ups and downs, as Liam Payne showed when he discussed his mental health struggles during a recent TV appearance.

The usually fiercely private musician appeared on Straight Talking with Ant Middleton and the pair put the world to rights while in the wilds of South Africa. Payne opened up by the fire and shared that, in many ways, he feels lucky to have gotten through the more difficult times. The Daily Mail reports that he was initially reluctant to open up about how his stratospheric rise to fame as part of One Direction affected him personally. However as their time on the show went on, Payne elaborated on his feelings. At first he told Middleton: “Fame is like having a weird midlife crisis. I am lucky to be here still. I can’t go too deep into it, I haven’t made my peace with it.”

But later he said: “There’s times where that level of loneliness and people getting into you every day every so often… that’s almost nearly killed me a couple of times.”

Payne has had an undeniably unique transition into adulthood. He became part of global sensation One Direction as a teenager, so has known very little of adult life without fame. But Payne explained that despite the darkest times in his life he’s always managed to look ahead to better times. That even in the depths of despondency he’s managed to pull through it.

“I’ve been in a bad place… it’s been on the menu a couple of times in my life. Luckily I had great people around me. When things start to pile up on you it can get you, and you can only control you. You have to get on with it. You think there’ll be another hurdle in a couple of months, you just need to get on with it. It’s always turned out alright, even in the darkest situations.”

This isn’t the first time Payne has shared some real talk about his struggles in the public eye. He spoke to The Sun back in 2017 about how behind all the glitz and glam, he was actually feeling very low. “Going out and putting that happy smile on my face and singing the songs, honestly, sometimes it was like putting on one of those costumes, going out there and, underneath the costume, people don’t really see what’s going on.”

Being transparent about mental health difficulties is very brave and kudos to Payne for doing so. Hopefully, as such a well known individual, his opening up will lead to others seeking help if they need it.