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Suicide

People Are Tweeting About How Chester Bennington's Music Saved Them

Sarah Schuster
 • 
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We know music is there for us when words fail. This can especially be true for people going through dark times. Whether it be a period of depression or when you’re working through a trauma, finding an artist who “gets it,” both in their lyrics and sound — well, it can save us.

For many, Linkin Park was that band, and frontman Chester Bennington was the voice who guided them through.

Not a stranger to darkness himself, Bennington was open about the abuse he experienced as a child and the addiction he struggled with much of his life. He shared that pain with us in his music, and that mattered to people. When news broke Thursday he had died by suicide, many were left feeling heartbroken and hopeless.

To start a conversation on Twitter about how much Linkin Park’s music meant to fans, Joseph Penola, founder of The You Rock Foundation, launched the hashtag #ChesterSavedMe.

“I started the #ChesterSavedMe hashtag so everyone could be reminded of the positive impact Chester had. During this terribly tragic time, it’s easy to slip into a sad state and focus on the potentially negative impact his suicide may have,” Penola told The Mighty, adding:

It was important to me that The You Rock Foundation find a way to counteract the shameful accusations of it being cowardly act and how it may inspire copycat suicides. The best way to do that was to invite everyone on social media to remind the world that Chester probably saved more lives than anyone will ever know. The deep, dark, personal lyrics… gave countless music lovers access to their emotions and a way to express them.

Using the hashtag, people have been tweeting influential Linkin Park lyrics and anecdotes about how much Bennington’s music meant to them.

Penola said in his years with The You Rock Foundation, which uses music to start conversations about depression and suicide, he’s seen how music can be a gateway for people sharing their stories.

“They let lyrics speak for them when they felt like they didn’t have a voice of their own,” he said. “That kind of catharsis is a big part (if not, the biggest part) of why people love certain bands and songs so much. Linkin Park gave people permission to feel and express the emotions they usually hide. It’s also what helped me the most when I was at my worst.”

Did Linkin Park’s music help you during a rough time? Tell us in the comments below, and join the conversation on Twitter using #ChesterSavedMe.

If you or someone you know needs help, visit our suicide prevention resources page.

If you need support right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “HOME” to 741-741. Head here for a list of crisis centers around the world.

Lead photo via Linkin Park’s Facebook 

Image via Wikimedia Commons/Kristina Servant

Sarah Schuster
 • 

Former Mighty editor // Current MSW student // In love with helping people tell their stories

sarah_schuster
Originally published: July 22, 2017
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