David Draiman of Disturbed Says He’s “Not Going Anywhere”

David Draiman of Disturbed recently opened up about mental illness struggles. He received a wave of support in response.

In social media post, he shared that he has received “an outpouring of support” after sharing at a Milwaukee concert that he has dealt with suicidal ideation.

He told the audience:

“I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of losing everybody I love to depression and addiction. Every single band member on this stage has dealt with those feelings, with those demons. And I miss the friends that we’ve lost. I miss Chester [Bennington]; I miss Scott [Weiland]; I miss Chris [Cornell].”

“And if I can be completely honest with you, a couple months ago, I almost joined them. Addiction and depression can happen to anyone, ladies and gentlemen.”

In a Twitter message posted on May 18, Draiman wrote that he had received a lot of encouraging words:

“I just wanted to thank everyone for the tremendous outpouring of support. You are all heard, seen, and very much appreciated. Much love and thanks to you all. Don’t worry; I’m not going anywhere. You all keep giving me #AReasonToFight.”

His reference was to the Disturbed song “A Reason to Fight” from their 2018 album, Evolution.

In an interview with Heavy Consequence in 2019, he explained:

“Addiction and depression are demons that go hand in hand with one another… I’m tired of being passive about it. I’m tired of people waiting until after the fact. I don’t want to go to any more funerals… I think it’s important for all of us to really take an active role.”

Draiman is currently on tour with Disturbed in support of their most recent album Divisive, and he continues to speak out about the importance of mental healthcare.