Armin van Buuren has opened up about the "dark side" of life as one of the world's top DJs.
Appearing on Dutch talk show Jinek, the 42-year-old said he went through a difficult time in 2010.
“If I refreshed my Twitter timeline at an unguarded moment and saw that someone completely let go and didn't like my music, I would be upset all night,” he said, according to the NL Times.
“I was the number one [DJ] in the world, but at the same time I was the unhappiest person on earth.”
Van Buuren said there is “a dark side” to the job “and we are starting to see it more and more.”
He said the suicide of Swedish DJ Avicii in 2018 “hit like a bomb” and he has been advocating for his fellow DJs to talk more openly about mental health.
“Fortunately, the discussion about mental health is slowly starting, but the problem is that a lot of DJs are on their own island and can't get off it,” Van Buuren said.
Many struggle to cope with the constant travel, competitiveness and workload.
“Everyone acts tough towards each other and says that everything is fine,” he said, “but in between you hear that they are seeing a coach or psychologist.”