The news of the sudden death of Tim Bergling also known as Avicii surprised and shocked the worldwide fan base. 28 year old, Swedish record producer and DJ was found dead in Muscat, Oman where he was on holiday. Fans and loved ones were in utter shock from the news as well as the reason why he passed away which was suicide, because he appeared normal and happy. Even one of his fans had shared a picture with him six days before his death. And in those pictures, he looked very happy. How did this tragic incident occur? Just because someone appeared happy does that mean he is not in trouble? To answer these we have to dive into Avicci’s life.
From a young age, Avicci had shown his great skills in music production. However, he developed anxiety at a very young age as well.
As his career started to skyrocket seems like his mental was going downhill. In order to cope with the mental struggle he was addicted to alcohol and drugs. Like most of the addicts, he wanted to find peace in life. Avicii spent some time in the Rehab center called Ibiza Calm in 2015.
In his journals, he has mentioned the time he lived in rehab centers and hospitals, and how mental health can be affected by a hectic lifestyle and the pressure of touring.
“I had a hard time accepting never drinking again though strongly suggested from all doctors to wait at least a year before even having a beer. Of course, I didn’t listen to the majority of the doctors, I listened to the couple who said it was OK if I was careful.“
” I was ignorant and naive and touring the world, still on the never-ending tour — because once you’ve circled it once, guess what?” You start right back over again. Those days in the hospital were the most anxiety and stress-free days I can remember in the past six years, those were my true vacations, as depressing as it might sound.”
Avicii (Journal entries at the time of his rehabilitation)
He loved to put his thoughts in a journal, as it felt like it gave some peace to his mind.
“The relief of going from extreme pain to none, knowing that no one is expecting anything other than for you to wait it out (which is the only way of treating pancreatitis) and then recover was huge. It was an extreme relief considering the insane schedule I had kept up until that point.”
“It needed to be explained to me very logically and caveman-esque for me to truly understand its nature and how it was harming me. Ouch, pain. Why my pain now? Uncomfortable feeling. Future Tim deals with pain. Future Tim deals with pain better than present Tim because already there’s too many present pains more urgent to deal with.”
Avicii (Journal entries at the time of his rehabilitation)
Måns Mosesson’s biography of Avicii, Tim – The Official Biography of Avicii, has featured Avicci’s last journal entries, showing us how hectic lifestyle had taken a toll on Avicii’s mental health. The most highlighted eye-catching entry from the journal is “The shedding of the soul is the last attachment before it restarts!” this was how Avicci saw letting go as the final step before beginning a fresh journey.
In the final days, Avicii desperately turned to meditation and the teachings of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. He looked normal to everyone. Just six days before the news of death, he as taken pictures with his fans. And those images showed how happy Avicci looked with his fans.
Kelly Lee Brock, Had posted “Managed to get a photo with @avicii last night. What a way to end my birthday weekend,”
Upon the news of his death, Kelly was in utter shock and mentioned on her social media “RIP @avicii, can’t believe I got to meet you in Muscat just 6 days ago, far too young to go.” attaching another selfie with him.
The resort where he was spending his holiday shared a picture of him 3 days before his death, thanking him for choosing the resort to spend his vacation.
“Thank you @avicii for coming to Muscat Hills Resort, we hope you had a great time!”
Even though the outsiders thought he was normal close ones had observed the red flags, which were lack of appetite, and withdrawal from communication. One of his friends called his father and alarmed him about Avicii’s critical state.
Avicci was found dead on 20 April 2018 in Muscat, by suicide using a glass shard to cut himself at age 28.
Even though his career was short lived, the songs he produced and wrote are remembered by everyone to this day. Hits like “Levels” and “Wake Me Up,” became global sensations. Even though Avicci is not with us the work he has done for electronic music is forever remembered.
Finally, Avicii’s story should be an alerting message for everyone to take care of their mental health. Addressing issues like mental health and work-life balance should be more popular because they are crucial for maintaining overall well-being and happiness