QUINN DWYER

Documentaries are a viable option to further your understanding of different concepts. One that speaks to mental health in particular is ‘Avicii: True Stories.’

DJ and composer Tim Bergling, known as Avicii was revolutionary in modern music, being one of the first to incorporate many genres into his music. Avicii’s fame skyrocketed after his first hit single, “Levels.” His career only took off from there and he became a global sensation. Only seven years later, he took his own life, devastating fans globally.

A documentary titled “Avicii: True Stories,’ released in 2016 showed his rise to fame and how it brought out his inner demons, and how he always put music above his health.

Avicii was an introvert, forced into the spotlight by a manipulative manager who pushed him over his limits to do shows. He played a staggering 830 shows globally in seven years. Stress and pressures turned to alcoholism to deal with the pressure of performing, which led to pancreatitis and a ruptured appendix while on tour in Australia in 2014. Avicii overworked himself for years, stressed out by expectations to write better music.

Avicii started to find happiness in his work again through 2015, being able to focus on what he enjoyed, being in the studio instead of on stage. He showed this especially in his road trip across the U.S. to Ultra 2016 in Miami where he wrote many songs. Though he made progress in his mental health, the pressure became too much. Two years after the documentary was released he was found dead: a suicide.

The documentary shows his human side, his weaknesses, instead of a celebrity. Focusing instead on the behind the scenes of his life. His message illustrated how expectations grow and stress begins to build, they can easily break anybody. Avicii’s tragic fall left behind a clear message to his fans: mental health is important and it’s vital to recognize when the workload is too much.

From workload to extracurriculars high school students are under pressures and students’ mental health has never been more important. Part of Avicii’s legacy is to ask for help before it’s too late.