Tyler Joseph of Twenty One Pilots tweeted on Wednesday for the first time since June 1st to shine a spotlight on mental health – but his timing was criticized by some.
“Your own mental health should always be a priority,” he wrote. “i’m amazed at how easy it is to forget that simple fact. it’s something that can sneak up on you, then eventually you check in on it and realize it’s in really bad shape.
“i’m trying to cut through to who really needs to hear this. this is tough, but it’s not hopeless. fighting for your mental health is not public, it’s not glorious, it’s not even interesting, but it’s the greatest challenge you will face.”
The 31-year-old musician shared his personal experience.
"I use music, humour, being alone, breaks from social media, family, uncomfortable and honest conversations with friends, and sometimes crying,” Joseph admitted. “a few tools, but they don’t all work for everyone. find what helps you take back ground lost.
“i really don’t know if i can even handle everything that’s happening right now. the scariest place to be is when you find yourself in a spot where you can’t find an answer to the question, ‘what’s the point?’ there has to be a point.”
Joseph cited numbers from the World Health Organization, which estimates close to 800,000 people a year die by suicide every year – or one person every 40 seconds. He also shared a link to resources for Americans.
“Your mental health is more important today than it ever has been. you’re not alone,” Joseph tweeted.
"You don’t know what someone else is going through. what other invisible weights they may be struggling to carry. keep that in mind as you go about your interactions. and take care of yourself, please.”
Joseph was quickly criticized for the timing of his tweets about mental health (National Suicide Prevention week in the U.S. begins Sept. 6) and for starting the thread with a photo showing him wearing platform shoes that was captioned: "you guys keep asking me to use my platforms. feels good to dust these bad boys off."
you guys keep asking me to use my platforms.
— tyler jøseph (@tylerrjoseph) September 2, 2020
feels good to dust these bad boys off. pic.twitter.com/CFyMOIkKgC
Some of his 2.2 million followers wanted Joseph to use his platform to support the Black Lives Matter movement.
“I respect all the warriors out there fighting for different causes,” he explained. “there is honour in it, purpose, and it can make our world better. i just want to remind you what i’m fighting for.”
But, hours later, Joseph was forced to apologize.
"My tweet wasn’t suppose to be about human rights. so in case you are wondering where i stand: Black Lives Matter. i just wanted to take a moment to raise awareness about something else that has meant a lot to me for a long time,” he said. “but now I see there is no room for that right now.
“im truly sorry if it hurt anyone.”
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, click here for help.