Mental Health Stigma

I suffer from Major Depressive Disorder, Existential Depression, with Suicidal Ideation. I’m from Detroit, MI. My primary full-time job has been working as an EMT for the past 10 years but I am also a DJ/producer. I’ve worked with, and been around some well known artists and I am moderately well known in the DJ community here in Detroit. I’m also apart of a DJ group here in Detroit that gave birth to, and holds membership of major radio DJs, as well as DJs for major artists. The first picture is of me with Big Sean, his DJ is DJ Mo Beatz who was a member of our DJ crew, known as The Conglomerate DJs. The second picture left to right (DJ Don Q, myself, Swifty McVay from D12) DJ Don Q is D12’s DJ (Eminem’s group) as well as a major member in our crew and a personal friend of mine. Baatin from Slum Village was also a close personal friend of mine, and if you are aware of what happened, he died of a drug overdose, as well as suffered from mental health issues. I say all this to say that I’m not a major celebrity, but I’ve been around the music industry for a while, and I’ve been stigmatized because of my mental illness. I’ve been cut from groups and crews because of the things that I post on my social media. I can say that the crew I roll with now, The Conglomerate DJs have never stigmatized me, and it’s been a decent group of people to be around. On our social media pages, we’re required to promote and market, and I’ve noticed that though I do have a small cult base following, I am stigmatized by the majority of fans and followers because of things I may post. I truly feel like an artist and can never represent anything that I don’t feel. Depression is something that has had such a great impact on my life that it influences what I may post, or even make a song about. I just feel hopeless at times. Just know depression, existential depression, and suicidal ideation can happen to anybody, maybe even someone you know or a celebrity you look up to.