By Isabelle Khoo for HuffPost Canada
Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds paused mid-song during a concert at New York City’s Madison Square Garden to share an important message about mental health.
“We have a stigmatization in our society today that is hurting our youth, even killing our youth,” the 30-year-old singer said on Tuesday to more than 20,000 fans. “We cannot hide the fact that we all need help. It is not a broken thing to be depressed.”
Reynolds paused the concert at an appropriate time, as he was singing the band’s 2012 hit “Demons” — a song that talks about having a dark side and repeats the phrases, “Don’t get too close / It’s dark inside / It’s where my demons hide.”
During his speech, the frontman emphasized that there’s no shame in having a mental health problem, such as anxiety or depression, and asking for help.
“I have a therapist. It does not make me broken. It does not make me weak,” he told his fans. “There are many people out there tonight who are holding it into themselves, not talking to their friends, their parents. If available to you, a therapist — don’t hold it in, talk to somebody. You are not broken.”