"Messy" singer Lola Young tragically collapsed on stage during her set at the All Things Go festival in New York on Saturday September 27. She has been publicly transparent about her health struggles with schizoaffective disorder, which affects her personally and workwise, making it extremely difficult to consistently perform.
© Getty ImagesWhat is schizoaffective disorder?
There are two types of schizoaffective disorders, which include the schizoaffective disorder bipolar type, which consists of extreme highs when it comes to mania and sometimes severe depression. The other kind is schizoaffective disorder depressive type which is having only severe depressive episodes, according to WebMD.
© Getty ImagesWhen did Lola Young first open up about her disorder?
In 2022 the singer publicly shared for the first time that she was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder when she was 17. She revealed to The Telegraph: "I have a history of it in the family – my uncle on my dad's side had schizophrenia, and my mom's brother had depression, and they both died."
© Getty ImagesHow does she feel about having the disorder?
Lola has experienced highs and lows when it comes to the disorder. She candidly shared on her social media: "I can't find the words to describe how much this diagnosis has affected my entire life, and my outlook on the world around me. I have struggled immensely learning to accept this part of myself, and I am still learning." Unfortunately, there's still a taboo around mental health struggles, however, Lola continues to destigmatize it through her honesty. She explained to The Telegraph: "It's difficult for me because sometimes it can make me feel very ostracized. There can be a lot of shame and guilt after I get unwell in front of people. But I want to be open about it. It makes me who I am. I am proud of it."
Although the diagnosis comes with a set of challenges, Lola won't allow her mental illness to be her whole identity. She explained on her social media: "I have to remind myself that I am a regular [expletive] person. I am human and I am, like everyone, capable of incredible things. My mental health condition does not define me. It is my superpower."
© Getty ImagesHow does she deal with the disorder?
Lola has taken the steps to try and regulate it by taking her medication if she feels an episode is coming up. However, sometimes it's out of her control and she herself gets surprised by it. She explained: "Imagine a bottle overflowing. At a certain point, it becomes impossible to put the lid back on, because it's simply been shaken up far too much," per The Telegraph. She candidly explained that sometimes her manic episodes can last up to a month which makes performing and sleeping impossible.
© Getty ImagesHow has the disorder affected her creatively?
The performer is inspired by Kanye West who called his bipolar nature a superpower in his album Ye. She expressed: "That's how I try to see it most of the time, too. That album really resonated with me, because even if it's not actually a superpower, my condition really enhances my creativity," per The Telegraph. She explained that sometimes she "unlocks" a new level of imagination through her mania episodes, which helps her create songs.
