Was Suga depressed?
By
PsychReel
In this blog, we will answer the question, “Was Suga depressed?”, and also cover topics like who is Suga, what is depression, OCD, and social anxiety, signs, and symptoms of depression, causes of depression, Suga’s struggle with his mental health, and also answer frequently asked questions.
Was Suga depressed?
Yes, Suga has openly talked about his struggles with depression, OCD, and social anxiety as well during his teenage.
Before we understand his journey with his mental health issues, we need to have a better understanding of all these mental health issues and know what is depression, social anxiety, and OCD.
Who is Suga?
SUGA is the stage name of Min Yoon-gi who is from Korea. He was born on 9th March 1993. He is a South Korean rapper, producer, and songwriter. He debuted as a member of the pop idol group BTS in 2013.
What is Depression?
Depression is a commonly used term to refer to Major depressive disorder (MDD). MDD is a mental disorder that causes persistent feelings of sadness, loss of interest, sleep issues, etc. It also has various other physical and emotional effects in a person. It affects how you think, feel, and act.
Even though it sounds like a scary thing but it is treatable and can be worked through by medications and psychotherapy.
If you’re facing this, it may be a good idea to seek the help of a therapist or other mental health professional. You can find a therapist at BetterHelp who can help you learn how to cope and address it.
What are the signs and symptoms of Depression?
There are various signs and symptoms of depression that you can look out for in yourself and people around you:
- Sadness, emptiness, etc.
- Feelings of hopelessness
- Loss of interest in things you used to once enjoy
- Insomnia or sleeping too much
- Eating-related issues like low appetite, etc.
- Weight loss or weight gain
- Anger outbursts, irritable mood
- Feeling mostly tired
- Anxiousness, restlessness, etc.
- Slowed speed of movements
- Slowed speech
- Physical health issues like weird pains in the body that are not explainable
- Suicidal thoughts, self-harming tendencies, etc.
Depression can look different in different people but one needs to be on the lookout for these common ones that are mentioned above.
What are the causes of depression?
There is no one cause of depression rather various factors play their role and increase one’s risk of developing depression. Let us discuss these factors below:
- Genetics
Depression is known to affect people who have a history of depression in their families. The research about the role of genetics in depression is still new and still working on finding out how exactly it works out.
It has been established that people who have a first degree relative with depression are more likely predisposed to the condition
- Stressful lifestyle
People who have a very stressful life are also more likely to develop the mental condition of depression. Chronic stress can increase the risk of developing depression as it often depleted your ability to cope when the stress has been prolonged for a considerable amount of time.
- Hormonal balance
Changes in hormonal production can also result in the development of depression as the hormonal changes and imbalance can predispose a person to develop depression.
- Alcohol/substance use
People who are regular consumers of drugs, alcohol, etc. are more likely to have depression and suffer through the condition as it often makes the situation worse.
- Brain chemicals
The brain chemicals also play a role in the development of depression as lower levels of neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine are often the ones who play a significant role in depression and how it affects the person’s daily life.
- Specific medications
Certain medications like thyroid-related medicines often cause feelings of sadness, low motivation, etc., and these are the symptoms of depression.
- Childhood trauma
People who have been through traumatic experiences in their childhood are more likely to have depression and such cases are often more intense and severe in nature.
Suga and his mental health struggles
Min Yoongi aka Suga of BTS is without a doubt one of the most well-known musicians of his generation. Suga, like many other talented vocalists, suffers from depression. Many of his songs are inspired by his battle with cancer. Suga has written a script about how the pain of depression is real. The young man is an advocate for mental health issues as well as LGBTQ rights.
The BTS members talked about their fears in an interview with Yonhap News on January 28. Members opened out about how, since their debut in 2013, they had come to terms with the harsh realities of life.
The bandmates discussed the disparity they felt between now in the spotlight and back in their training years, referencing Suga’s mixtape’s ‘The Last,’ and how they had been exposed to depression and obsession.
Suga suffered from depression, OCD, and social phobia as a teenager. His surroundings did not promote a musical career, and he was involved in an accident that shattered his shoulder while doing a part-time delivery job to support himself.
Suga has stated that he would be concerned about his appearance, believing that he will be unable to succeed as a vocalist. “The media is raising problems with the idea of beauty as how skinny someone is,” Suga admitted to Grazia in 2016.
“People’s conditions vary day by day. Sometimes you’re in a good condition; sometimes you aren’t. “You get an impression of your physical health based on that,” Suga continued. “The same may be said for mental health. You’re in a good mood on some days and not on others.
Many people pretend to be fine, claiming that they aren’t ‘weak,’ as though this qualifies you as a weak person. That does not appear to be the case. If your physical condition isn’t great, no one will call you a weak person. It should be the same in terms of mental health. “We need to be more understanding as a society.”
Suga and his childhood
Suga’s parents were not supportive of his musical ambitions. They were not financially stable and were being practical, yet they would toss his lyrics at him to discourage him, which would deeply upset him and even physically abuse him, but Suga continued to do it in a sneaky manner.
“As for myself, [my parents] were very much against [me being a rapper], and they hit [me] and argued and things like that…so I made music [under those circumstances].”
He used to work as a studio engineer in his hometown while also composing and performing in front of groups of two to fifty people ( he was part of the hip-hop group called D-town then where he is one of the youngest). He worked part-time at a music studio and was underpaid, selling his tracks but frequently being scammed (getting away without paying). He claimed that his parents had never seen him perform before.
Suga moved to Seoul when he was 17 years old to pursue his career in music. He has seen a lot of struggles being from a remote area and surviving in a place like Seoul where only a few people could understand the dialect he spoke of the language. He still never gape up and followed his ambition and passion for music while only having the support of his older brother who was the only person who believed in him and everyone pushed him to quit as that would be a smart financial decision for his family.
When Suga was asked about his parents finally giving him permission to get into music, he said that he was already working and making music before he ever got his parent’s permission.
Suga faced financial troubles during his time in Seoul as he has openly talked about how he had to pick between eating two-dollar noodles and taking the bus, he starved, and struggled to afford three meals in a day.
Suga’s struggles with his injury and other things
Suga’s shoulder injury
When he was in college, apart from working as a sound engineer before, he had worked at a convenience store, had taught composing and MIDI lessons, and another was a delivery job due to which he got into an accident (2012 pre-debut) and his shoulder got shattered.
He didn’t tell anyone, afraid the company would kick him out, that’s why his shoulder didn’t heal right. This shoulder will be something that he will have to endure for 9 years, later on.
He told the members that he just fell down the stairs. Eventually, the company found out about this injury and paid his college tuition and hospital fees. It was surprising considering that the company was facing almost “bankruptcy” at that time.
Suga told the truth about the accident to the members in 2018 on “Burn the stage series”. It is also here he recalled that the last thing he remembered before the accident was the “wheel” in front of him.
Shoulder injury and his mental health
His shoulder injury is one of the factors as to why his mental health issues had worsened during that time. He’s been open about himself struggling with depression, social anxiety (which has even caused him to not perform) and OCD
It is music which saved Suga and it is also music which Suga lives for.
He’s been suffering for almost a decade because of that injury that didn’t heal right. It even came to a point that it has become a hindrance to his everyday life. He once said in an interview that when he tried to lift a 50ml bottle when they were filming a commercial, his shoulder hurt.
Suga chose surgery in November 2020, because he wants to be able to continuously perform on stage. BTS dance choreographies are no walk in the park and if you ever watch them closely, you cannot make it that Suga was enduring so much pain and he used to get injections after his performances, got hit shoulder dislocated frequently as well, but he did not stop.
If he hadn’t talked about it, fans wouldn’t ever know that his old injury was constantly acting up. This is only a part of his hardships. He has suffered innumerable hardships to get where he is at right now.
No wonder his independence shines through and through. He vouches for kindness, rebellion and strength which is not destructive but constructive and is a source of inspiration for fans all around the globe.
Conclusion
In this blog, we discussed Suga’s life, his mental health struggles, depression, symptoms and treatment of depression and how he has managed to move through all of that and shine brighter than ever on stage with his band.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) : Was Suga depressed?
Why do many teenagers feel depressed?
There can various reasons for a teenager to feel depressed. Teenage is a tough time, teens oftn struggle with their identity, worth, adequacies, incompetences, finding their space in this world, navigating through relationships, crushes, love, heartbreaks, pressure of parents, studies, etc. Some major factors that can affect teenagers the most are their family life, social status with friends, academics, peer relationships, etc.
What type of depression does Suga have?
Suga has been through a lot and he talked about his struggles with depression, OCD, and social anxiety during his adolescence. He did not have a conducive environment for his passion for music, worked part-time to support himself, and suffered a major shoulder injury that has affected him physically and mentally for years.
Did Suga battle depression?
Yes, Suga has fought with depression and he talked about how he has struggled it for a long time but the love he receives from his fans provides him with a positive perspective and feelings.
Is Yoongi studying psychology?
He has mentioned that he was studying English, Philosophy, and Psychology and he has been seen carrying his psychology books with him during his career.
Is Suga in a relationship?
No, he has revealed that he does not have a girlfriend because he wants to focus on his music career.
Does BTS have depression?
BTS is a Korean music sensation across the world and the members of BTS have talked about feeling depressed, sense of loss during the pandemic as they were mostly stuck at homes and could not perform on stage which is something they all love doing in their career.
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