In the newest installment of V’s podcast series, “V Wanna Know”, world-renowned singer, Madison Beer, did a deep dive into the history of psychiatry and mental health.

Beer, who released her debut album “Life Support” in February, has recently opened up about her mental health struggles. She has slowly gained the courage to begin to speaking out about her own experiences, in particular about the mental toll of being in the spotlight – and on social media – from such a young age.

“I have so many sides to myself and it felt like I was only showing the one side that was the most beneficial to the MADISON BEER brand, per se,” said Beer. “And I was like, I’m not a fucking brand, I’m a person. And I have a lot to say, and a lot of history, and I have so many emotions.”

But her single, “Selfish”, was a huge turning point. Prior to its release, Beer felt like she had never shared something so emotionally charged and vulnerable, out of fear of online criticism and backlash.

“I, you know, get canceled every six months on social media, which then has led me to have horrible PTSD, which has then led me to not wanna even ever open my mouth, especially about things that are so personal and emotional for me,” she explained.

Despite her own negative experiences with social media, Beer has been able to cultivate a fanbase with which she has built a strong relationship with.

“There are so many people out there that I feel like I have a real, genuine connection with,” she said. But she keeps her circle small and tight-knit in real life, sharing that she has about ten people in her life that she can truly trust. 

Beer’s mental health struggles are something she is both eager to learn about, as well as use her platform to inform others about. Her questions for doctor and professor of psychiatry, Edward Shorter, centered around the development of the psychiatric field, as well as some of the stigma surrounding conversations about mental health.

She opened up about her personal experiences with psychiatry, including the different prescriptions she has been given to treat depression.

“For me personally, I was on Prozac, I was on Lexapro, I’ve gone through the cycle of medications. I was even prescribed Seroquel at one point which is an anti-psychotic medication,” she said. “I do all I can on a regular day to day basis where I do try to I do things like try to self soothe, but I could have an episode and be spiraling that night and end up in a really bad, dangerous place, and I’m still trying to treat that to this day and keep myself balanced.”

Beer’s openness to speaking out about her struggles, asking questions and normalizing treatment – particularly with her huge platform and influence – is a major way to reduce stigma and start conversations started about mental health.

Listen to the podcast on Spotify here: