Celebrating Milestones
- Rapper Lil Nas X, is celebrating his milestone 25th birthday—and we’re looking back on how he’s been an advocate for mental health, HIV (a virus that attacks the body’s immune system) and the LGBTQ+ community over the past few years.
- Last Year the singer-songwriter’s HBO Documentary called, “Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero,” was released. And back in 2021, the multiple Grammy Award-winner became The Trevor Project’s inaugural Suicide Prevention Advocate of the Year.
- The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration advises if you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Just call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.
- Symptoms of a mental health disease or issue can vary from person to person, so it’s always crucial to promptly speak with a healthcare provider if you’re experiencing any changes to your physical or mental health. There are many treatment options available and many different healthy ways to help you cope.
- Reaching milestones during or after a cancer battle, or amid any kind of adversity, is huge. These events like reaching another birthday, getting married, or starting a new job, may mean even more than they did previously, so it’s important to take them all in and celebrate all you’ve overcome.
Lil Nas X has a lot to celebrate after rising to fame following his country rap single “Old Town Road,” featuring country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, becoming No. 1 on the main Billboard Hot 100 charts, and staying in that spot for a record-breaking 19 consecutive weeks in 2019. Last Year his HBO Documentary called, “Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero,” was released. And back in 2021, the multiple Grammy Award-winner became The Trevor Project’s inaugural Suicide Prevention Advocate of the Year.
Read MoreAmid Lil Nas X’s excitement to turn another year older, he took to Twitter leading up to his April 9th birthday, writing, “Can’t believe I’m turning 25 soon meaning I have to get married and settle down before my biological clocks ticks out,” a post that was widely greeted with praise and requests to marry the beloved rapper.
can’t believe I’m turning 25 soon meaning i have to get married and settle down before my biological clocks ticks out
— ☆ (@LilNasX) April 3, 2024
When Lil Nas X went public with his sexuality, he shared something he wrote to a loved one with fans in 2019, a post which read, “I know we promised to never be ‘that’ type of gay person, I know we promised to die with the secret, but this will open doors for many other queer people to simply exist.”
He continued, “You see this is very scary for me, people will be angry at me, they will say I’m pushing on agenda. But the truth is, I am. The agenda to make people stay out of other people’s lives and stop dictating who they should be. Sending you love from the future.”
Two years later, in 2021, Lil Nas X was awarded as the inaugural Suicide Prevention Advocate of the Year Award thanks to the The Trevor Project, “the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people.”
RELATED: Check out SurvivorNet’s Mental Health Resources
A press release announcing the award stated, “The Trevor Project’s inaugural Suicide Prevention Advocate of the Year Award marks the start of National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and the crucial work that needs to be done to end suicide among LGBTQ youth.
“According to The Trevor Project’s National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health, 42% of LGBTQ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, including more than half of transgender and nonbinary youth. Due to higher rates of discrimination, rejection, and social isolation, LGBTQ young people are at increased risk for negative mental health outcomes such as anxiety, depression, seriously considering suicide, and more.”
Upon accepting the honorable award, Lil Nas X made the following statement, “Thank you so much to The Trevor Project for this award and for all they do for the LGBTQ community. Discrimination around sexuality and gender identity is still very real, and our community deserves to feel supported and totally free to be themselves.
“I often get messages from fans telling me about their struggles with depression and suicidal thoughts, and it made me realize that this was something bigger than myself.”
He concluded, “If using my voice and expressing myself in my music can help even one kid out there who feels alone, then it was all worth it.”
The Trevor Project CEO & Executive Director, Amit Paley, also stated the organization was thrilled to give Lil Nas X the honor.
Paley said, “His vulnerability in his journey to self acceptance and expression has created space for candid conversations around mental health and sexual identity, signaling to LGBTQ youth that they are not alone.
“The Trevor Project’s research shows that over 80% of LGBTQ youth say that LGBTQ celebrities positively influence how they feel about being LGBTQ, further affirming the cultural impact of Lil Nas X being proud of who he is and an ideal recipient of this inaugural award.”
Expert Resources On Mental Health
That same year, Lil Nas X also helped raise awareness about HIV across the southern U.S. with a performance at the MTV Video Music Awards featuring Southern AIDS Coalition (SAC)’s Mardrequs Harris.
HIV is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If HIV is not treated, it can lead to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).
There is no cure for HIV, however, it can be managed or treated with the appropriate medicine. A common treatment option for people with HIV is antiretroviral therapy; this treatment can extend the life of a patient with the HIV virus, as the medicine stops the virus from duplicating itself. This duplication, or copying, destroys the patient’s immune system.
— ☆ (@LilNasX) September 13, 2021
According to a GLAAD press release, “Mardrequs said, “This experience was surreal! Having the opportunity to share the stage with Lil Nas X was something I never would have imagined
“And to have him use his platform to raise awareness about HIV stigma is invaluable to our work.”
DaShawn Usher, Associate Director, Communities of Color at GLAAD, praised Lil Nas X at the time for continuing to “make music and LGBTQ history” … explaining, “this time by using the iconic VMAs stage to highlight HIV in the U.S. South, where HIV rates and HIV stigma plague our community despite advances in prevention and the fact that people with HIV today lead long, healthy lives and, when on proper medication, cannot transmit the virus,” said DaShawn Usher, Associate Director, Communities of Color at GLAAD. ”
Prior to Lil Nas X’s VMA performance, the rapper revealed the creation of the Montero baby registry, in that each song in his new album “Montero” has listed a charity or group that fans can give donations to.
“MONTERO” 🦋💕
THE DEBUT ALBUM
OUT SEP. 17. 2021 pic.twitter.com/oga7KGClvI— ☆ (@LilNasX) August 31, 2021
Taking Care of Your Mental Health
Taking care of your mental health is of the utmost importance, but it’s not always easy. One place to start is to be aware of the following signs that there may be something affecting your mind:
- A change in eating or sleeping habits
- Losing interest in people or usual activities
- Experiencing little or no energy
- Numb and/or hopeless feelings
Turning to drinking or drugs more than usual - Non-typical angry, upset or on-edge feelings
- Yelling/fighting with loved ones
- Experiencing mood swings
- Intrusive thoughts
- Trouble getting through daily tasks
Symptoms of a mental health disease or issue can vary from person to person, so it’s always crucial to promptly speak with a healthcare provider if you’re experiencing any changes to your physical or mental health. There are many treatment options available and many different healthy ways to help you cope.
How to Be Realistically Optimistic: Coping With Mental Health Long-Term
One such option is therapy. In a previous conversation with SurvivorNet, ovarian cancer survivor Ni Guttenfelder talked about how finding the right counselor helped her process the feelings that came after her diagnosis.
“One of the things that my counselor has taught me from the very beginning that has helped me is the concept of acceptance,” she says. “Acceptance is a process. It’s like downloading a computer file in increments. Visualizing it in that way has really helped me.”
In addition to therapy, meditation and practicing mindfulness can also be used to cope with a mental health struggle. Dr. Deepak Chopra, acclaimed author and pioneer of mindfulness movement, spoke with SurvivorNet about how asking yourself who you really are is the first step down the path to practicing mindfulness.
“If we can combine our actions in the world with reflective self inquiry, love and compassion, and a state of secure, stable, ornamental, peaceful being without the addictions that humans have, then we can begin our journey of healing,” Dr. Chopra explained.
Medicating isn’t the right choice for everyone when it comes to addressing a mental health issue, but there should be no shame in turning to medication when you need it. That being said, it can be hard to find the right one. These days, however, there is a form of genetic testing that has shown the ability to match people with the best medication for mental health treatment.
We’ve seen genetic testing used for treatment plans for other diseases, such as certain types of cancer, but the ability to use it to help people who are suffering from things like anxiety and depression is relatively new.
How Can Genetic Testing Help Determine the Right Form of Mental Health Treatment?
“Doing the genetic testing has absolutely transformed the landscape of psycho-pharmacology,” psychiatrist Dr. Lori Plutchik told SurvivorNet. “It’s something that I highly recommend for anybody that is taking medication, whether they are being treated for cancer, or not … I recommend it for children who are taking medication. I recommend it for elderly people. Anybody who is taking medication, I think, can greatly benefit from genetic testing.”
Genetic testing can give a profile of how a person is likely to respond to different types of psychiatric medications, Dr. Plutchik explained. Testing is also available to create a profile of how patients will likely respond to different sorts of pain medications, which can be really beneficial for those going through some other sort of health issue.
Genetic testing “gives me information about which medications are likely to work without having problematic side effects. It also gives information about interactions between any of the psych medications that we choose,” and other medications a patient may be taking, Dr. Plutchik said.
The genetic test that Dr. Plutchik was discussing, Genomind, looks at multiple factors before determining which treatment is likely to have successful results and minimal side-effects. The test examines certain genes that are associated with responses to medications commonly prescribed for mental health issues and then looks into the patient’s ability to metabolize medication.
If you’re considering going on medication for mental health treatment, consider asking your doctor if genetic testing might be helpful for you.
Be Kind to Yourself — We All Need the Reminder
Questions to Ask Your Doctor
If you are not feeling your usual self and are facing a diagnosis or some other traumatic event, you should consider contacting your doctor to see if your mental health needs a boost.
- Should I consider going on medication to help with mental health struggles?
- Would genetic testing help determine the best treatment for me?
- What is the likelihood that the test will recommend the proper treatment?
- What can we do if I don’t succeed with the recommended treatment?
The Meaning of Milestones
Reaching milestones after during or after a cancer battle, or after life changes or adversity is huge. These events like getting engaged, turning another year older like Lil Nas X, or a wedding anniversary may mean even more than they did previously, so it’s important to take them all in and celebrate all that you’ve overcome.
I’m Able to Be Here For More Milestones One Cancer Survivor’s Incredible Story
Chrissy Degennaro, a cancer warrior determined to keep enjoying these precious milestones, is a great example of this. She has been battling a rare blood cancer called multiple myeloma for 14 years, and was first diagnosed when she was just 36 years old with a 2-year-old son.
When she was diagnosed, she almost expected to not be able to see him enter kindergarten. But thanks to 27 rounds of chemotherapy, two stem cell transplants, a CAR-T cell trial and two CAR-T cell transplants over following 14 years, she’s able to keep making memories with her family.
“You know, I do live one day at a time,” Chrissy previously told SurvivorNet. “Now, maybe I can go a week, a month, but things are looking pretty good. I’m able to be here for more milestones for my son, for more holidays, more birthdays. I do feel like I have had another chance at life.”
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Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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