If you're struggling with mental health issues, Billie Eilish wants you to know it's OK to seek help.
The singer-songwriter addressed this topic in the latest installment of Seize the Awkward, an Ad Council campaign that encourages open dialogue about mental health among teens and young adults. The initiative kicked off several weeks ago, in conjunction with Mental Health Awareness Month.
"I think when people hear, 'Remember to take care of your mental health,' they think that everyone else is, and that's not at all accurate. For me, I'm trying to learn, still, to make sure that I stay OK," Eilish said. "It doesn't make you weak to ask for help. It doesn't. It doesn't make you weak to ask for a friend to go to a therapist [...] You should be able to ask anyone for help. And everyone has to help someone if they need it."
As someone who has struggled with both depression and anxiety, Eilish knows how important personal connections can be when trying to overcome a mental imbalance. The 17-year-old asked viewers to watch for signs for mental health issues, and encouraged them to offer their support with simple words or even a hug.
"Starting that conversation, you don't have to make it super serious right away. You say, 'How are you feeling? Like, are you OK?'" she said. "The main thing I'm trying to say is that you should keep your ears open, and you should listen. I'm just dealing with it how I'm dealing with it. I'm trying my best. Obviously, I'm not a trained [mental health] professional [...] I don't what I'm doing half the time, but I have seen it and I've been in it [...] For me, there have been certain people that have texted me right when I needed to be texted, saying they love me and that they were thinking of me. It really means a lot."
You can watch Eilish's full comments above. To learn more about the Seize the Awkward movement, head to the Ad Council's website; the campaign page also lists resources for those who have mental health concerns.
