Everyone has different ways to cope with loss, but for musician Melissa Etheridge, she turned to her passion for music as a way to heal after losing her son Beckett to opioid addiction. In conversations with cancer survivors, they’ve said that art therapy such as music and painting have helped them tremendously during their toughest times.
In May, Etheridge, 59, announced that her son, Beckett Cypher, passed away at the age of 21 from causes related to his opioid addiction. She didn’t speak publicly about her son’s death until July, where she questioned if she could have done more to prevent it from happening. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Etheridge shared that music was one of the outlets she turned to during her healing process.
Read More"I started with, 'what is that appropriate? How I get in front of people when, they know what I'm going through?'… [But] it gives us something to do every day get through this time, and it's really just saved us."
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Melissa Etheridge’s Cancer Battle
Prior to her son’s death, Etheridge faced a previous challenge. In 2004, she was diagnosed with breast cancer after discovering a lump on her breast while on tour, and the biopsy confirmed breast cancer. She underwent a lumpectomy to remove the 4-centimeter tumor and started undergoing chemotherapy for treatment. While some people choose to take it easy while battling cancer, Etheridge decided to embrace her journey to the fullest. Despite still going through chemotherapy, which caused her to lose her hair in the process, Etheridge took the stage at the 2005 Grammy Awards to perform a tribute to late musician Janice Joplin.
"My surgeon said 'you'll lose your hair, so get a wig.' But I've never been the type to not be who I am, to not be truthful. I've always been upfront," Etheridge told Shape. "So I said, why should I hide my truth? I had cancer. I had chemotherapy. I lost my hair. There's no shame in that."
Art Therapy During Cancer Treatment
While speaking to SurvivorNet, cancer survivors have said art therapy such as music, painting, dancing, and more helped lift their spirits during treatment. It’s not uncommon for people battling cancer to experience emotions such as anger, confusion, and sadness. So, the opportunity to express these emotions through artistic outlets can be extremely helpful.
Two-time cancer survivor, Bianca Muniz, turned to music as an outlet during her experience with cancer. Her cancer journey began at just 11 years old when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Then, at 22 years old, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Bianca says that undergoing numerous different treatments did have an impact on her voice, but she never let that get in the way of her love of performing, and cancer actually served as a muse for creating new music.
Related: How I Made It Through Cancer: Painting & Dreaming
“This experience has had two different effects on my creativity and my music, so I’ve gotten a lot of inspiration from it,” Bianca says. “But also the side effects of treatment, of chemo, and surgery have definitely had a little bit of a negative effect on my voice, but then again, I love performing. I always feel happy after I’ve performed.”
Two-time cancer survivor Bianca Muniz used her struggle to inspire her music
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