Amber Health’s Dr. Chayim Newman On How Artists Can Deal With The Haterade

Yungblud, who graces the cover of this month’s issue of Pollstar, made headlines earlier this month after the UK rock star shared a clip on Instagram of himself tearing up on stage at his own festival, Bludfest, in Czechia, along with a vulnerable caption in which he shared he had recently been “really struggling.” The comment section was filled with support from the likes of SZA, Slayer/Exodus’s Gary Holt and Anthrax’s Scott Ian. 

In the Instagram post Yungblud revealed how online hate has weighed on him, including accusations of being “an industry plant.” 

“In the past 10 years I’ve been on a million different journeys tried a million different sounds trying to figure out who I am or what I can mean to the world everyday whilst the world shouts back. The amount of hate and disbelief around me from strangers on the Internet or bitter musicians really weighs on my heart as all I’ve been trying to do for the past 10 years is spread love, build something I believe in and unify people in a safe space,” Yungblud wrote. 

The post concluded with Yungblud thanking his fans for their support and “for providing a space that makes me feel safe enough where I could express myself truly.” 

Yungblud is one of the latest rising stars who are using their platform to share their struggles and bring attention to mental health. 

“[Yungblud’s] willingness to really be vulnerable in an authentic way moves the needle for other artists as well as for his fanbase in making it OK to be vulnerable and struggle. We all struggle and if we all stopped pretending that we weren’t, we might be able to support each other a lot better,” Amber Health co-founder Dr. Chayim Newman told Pollstar. 

Amber Health – which has worked with artists including Olivia Rodrigo, Ed Sheeran, Billie Eilish, Green Day and Beyoncé – provides tailored mental health care for folks working in the music industry via a team in which all of the members also come from the industry.

Pollstar reached out to Dr. Newman to get his take on dealing with online hate and he shared some advice that can be applicable whether you’re on stage at a festival or in the crowd.

When I’m working with artists on how to navigate the negative feedback and online trolling or hate, I often work on three connected skills:

1) Normalizing our feelings. 
We’re social mammals. Which means our brains experience social threat as no different than physical threat. Yungblud (or any other artist)’s emotional reaction to the social media hate is normal. It’s what you or I would feel too. And we don’t need to avoid or bury or challenge the feelings, we can simply allow them to be a part of our moment-to-moment experience

2) Separating identity from career and creative output. 
Being an artist is what I do, not who I am. The core of a human being is not what we create, it’s the capacity to create. It’s not who we love, it’s the capacity to love. And it’s not how our daily experience shows up, it’s the capacity to experience. The more we connect with that core self rather than the external definitions of self, the less we take the criticism or hate as an attack on our essence, and the easier we can move through it. 

3) Leaning into our sense of “why.”
As Nietzsche said in Twilight of the Idols, “He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.” One of the greatest tools in an artist’s psychological toolbox is a clear sense of purpose. The more we’ve developed a sense of purpose or mission in our life, and the more we hold that in the forefront of our mind, the easier it is to move through the negative feedback, which ultimately is either a distraction from purpose or a sign that we’re actually doing something significant with our lives. What others think or say becomes less important when held up against our sense of purpose or mission. 

READ MORE:
Defying ‘The Wankers:’ Yungblud Builds Fanbase, Sells Out Tour, Barks At Moon

How Olivia Rodrigo, Ed Sheeran & Billie Eilish Are Bringing Mental Health To Touring

Mental Health Awareness Month: A Resource Guide For The Live Industry