00:00I was lonely, I was sad, I was miserable, and I couldn't figure out why because I was on top of the world, it felt like.
00:13It's also something that I deal with, and I know that there's tons of other people that deal with mental illness,
00:19so I feel like I want to use my voice to
00:22do more than just sing.
00:24Did you hear that Barney? I almost did it! I almost did it!
00:35From when I was bullied until now, I've suffered an eating disorder from the things that were said to me.
00:45It was a way of expressing my own shame of myself on my own body.
00:55I
01:12guess I always searched for what he found in drugs and alcohol because it fulfilled him and he chose that over a family.
01:24I
01:38I'm a survivor of mental health and addiction issues, and I'm not ashamed. In fact, I'm more than honored to be here.
01:51I'm helping one person at a time, and
01:54I'm just going to pay for their treatment.
01:59Basically like a therapy session
02:02before the concerts, and we have speakers from all over, and
02:07we're also helping out with
02:09different charities from around the country.
02:18I think there were tons of signs that were missed by the people around me, but I didn't also vocalize it.
02:24That's why it's so important, and that's why I'm involved in this campaign.
02:33I'm an American for marriage equality. I believe that love comes in all different shapes, sizes, and colors.
02:44And this award means so much to me, more than music, any music award, because this is the real stuff.
02:54The reason why I became so open about my story is because I know that there are people here tonight that need to ask for help, and I want you to know that it's okay. Mental health is something that we all need to talk about, and we need to take the stigma away from it.
Be the first to comment