Noah Cyrus says she’s struggled with anxiety and depression since she was 10 or 11 years old. She’s done advocacy work for mental health organizations like The Crystal Campaign and The Jed Foundation (JED). Now, she’s speaking up on behalf of Seize the Awkward, a campaign from the Ad Council, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), and JED geared toward empowering teens and young adults to break the stigma and break the silence about the mental health issues they’re going through. Other artists like Billie Eilish, Christina Perri, and Hayley Kiyoko have also shared their own stories for the campaign.
Noah’s song “Lonely” delves into a period last year when she was suffering. In the above video for “Seize the Awkward,” the 19-year-old reveals that it was one of the hardest years of her life when she felt stuck and lacked control. Talking about it, though, eventually helped. “I just needed to get it out. I needed the conversation because I couldn’t take it in my body anymore. I couldn’t take the feeling of anxiety circling in my chest.”
“Speak up louder, ’cause once you do, you’re gonna find help.”
Noah recalls the moment when things shifted for her: her manager reached out and said he understood what she was going through. That, she notes, was essential in pushing through. “The main focus for people with anxiety and depression is speaking out about it; that’s how I got out of it, ’cause if I would have just kept it to myself, then I would have never gotten the help that I needed.”
Noah encourages anyone suffering with their mental health to seek that quintessential conversation — it may not change everything right away, but breaking your silence is key to getting better. Young people especially should speak to an adult, she said. That could be your doctor, counselor, or someone close to you. “Speak up louder, ’cause once you do, you’re gonna find help,” she advised.
Noah invites the people who aren’t struggling with their mental health to open their ears and let those reaching out for help know that they will be there for them. She said, “Let them know that they’re supported, they can come to you, and that you are that person for them.” That way, they’ll feel a little less lonely.
In an emergency: If you or your friend needs urgent help, call 911 right away. Or even take your friend to the emergency room for assistance. If you feel it’s safe, stay with your friend or find someone to stay with them until help arrives.
In a crisis: You are not alone, and help is always available. Get immediate support 24/7. Reach out to the Crisis Text Line by texting SEIZE to 741741 or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. It’s free, and everything you tell them is confidential, unless it’s essential to contact emergency services to keep you or your friend safe.