Disturbed's 'A Reason to Fight' Music Video Highlights the Reality of Living With Suicidal Thoughts
Editor's Note
If you experience suicidal thoughts or have lost someone to suicide, the following post could be potentially triggering. You can contact the Crisis Text Line by texting “START” to 741741.
Rock band Disturbed has a message for those fighting mental health “demons“ — you’re not alone.
On Thursday, Disturbed released their latest music video for “A Reason To Fight.” The video raises awareness for depression, suicide and addiction issues by combining footage of a live performance of the hit song and stories from fans living with a mental health condition.
During the eight-minute video, which was directed by Rafa Alcantara, the band and several fans speak about their experiences of mental illness and addiction. It includes suicide attempt survivors, suicide loss survivors, people who have had suicidal thoughts and depression, and those who have grown up with addicted parents and those in recovery from addiction.
“It’s a daily battle with the monsters in my head,” one suicide attempt survivors says in the video. “Right now you might not feel like you have a reason to fight. I didn’t feel like I had a reason, and in the end, I realized I have plenty of reasons to fight. But you can’t do it alone.”
To prove to fans they’re not alone, the video features a moment during a live show when Disturbed frontman David Draiman asked audience members during a live to raise their hands if they or a loved one have been affected by depression or addiction.
“Take a look around this arena,” Draiman said. “You are not alone. Being taken by addiction and depression is no one’s fault. It’s not something for you to be embarrassed about or ashamed of. We’re in this together.”
According to Blabbermouth.net, when the band performs the song live on tour, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800-273-8255) and the National Addiction Hotline (800-662-4357) numbers are projected onscreen.
Disturbed also included an international mental health resources page on their website and direct viewers of the music video to support the “You Are Not Alone” campaign.
Watch Disturbed’s full video for “A Reason to Fight” here:
Header image via Disturbed’s Facebook page
Renée Fabian was the features editor at The Mighty. She has also written for The Washington Post, VICE, Healthline, Talkspace, The Fix, The Establishment, The Culture Trip, and GRAMMY.com, among others. Renée was named a 2019 AHCJ Comparative Effectiveness Research fellow, a 2020 USC Center for Health Journalism California fellow, and holds a master's degree in journalism from the University of Southern California and a master's degree in psychology from Antioch University Los Angeles. You can follow her on Twitter @ryfabian.
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