15 celebs who positively raise awareness for mental health

Hayley Williams

Hayley Williams, the lead singer behind the band, Paramore, has been an outstanding image of hope for fans struggling with mental illness. The band’s fifth album, After Laughter, was a bit different than the other four, as the lyrics were heavily focused around mental health.

She penned an essay for Paper Mag recently explaining her battle with depression, claiming, “I didn’t eat, I didn’t sleep, I didn’t laugh… for a long time.”

Williams knew how to overcome it though:

"Expression is survival. You can do it however you please. Write, draw, create something with your hands. Tell somebody you love them. Take a drive, roll down your windows and yell something like, ‘MY LIFE IS SO SH*T RIGHT NOW!’ Or, ‘WHAT DO YOU KNOW? I’M ACTUALLY FINE TODAY!’"

She took her hurt and she channeled it into her writing, into her creating, and ultimately, into her music. After Laughter encompassed that, especially with songs like “Hard Times” leading the way.

It’s never easy facing an illness that is so often shunned by the rest of the world. But with lyrics from Paramore, it gets a little easier. The band didn’t just create an album; it created a movement, and it gave fans a home to be fake happy, too.

So just let them cry a little bit longer.