Watch: Avicii’s father opens up about his “brave” son
Avicii’s father wants to get the stigma away from talking about mental illness and suicide.
CBS This Morning broadcasted a special called “Stop the Stigma: A Conversation About Mental Health,” in which Klas Bergling, father of Avicii, opens up about dismantling the stigma around mental illness and suicide.
After Tim’s suicide in 2018, the Bergling’s started the Tim Bergling Foundation to advocate for the recognition of suicide as a global health emergency and open the dialog to discuss mental illness.
In December 2018, a documentary filmed before his death, Avicii True Stories, aired on Netlfix in which he openly talks about his anxiety, depression and addiction. He literally talks about how the touring lifestyle is going to kill him.
In his first U.S. broadcast interview, Klas Bergling recalls his son’s life and wants him to be remembered “as a good person, as a good producer. He had a good heart.”
A life before and a life after
The Bergling’s first saw sign’s of Tim’s anxiety when he was a teenager:
“When you have a child that’s not feeling well, you try everything to get the situation right again. And you try to understand what’s going on. So, we went to a psychiatrist. I think he was 14 or 15, yeah. And he sort of calmed Tim down,” Klas said.
A close-knit family, the Bergling’s always remained close despite Tim’s demanding tour schedule (250 shows a year), frequently talking over the phone.
In 2016 Avicii stepped away from the gruelling touring lifestyle, opting to focus on getting healthy and making music.
“He was much healthier and he started exercising,” Klas said. “And things really turned into a very, very good direction.”
Less than two years later, Tim died by suicide.
“The suicide came as a shock to all of us. And we thought that he was really on a better way before.”
In terms of how the Bergling’s feel now:
“Well, it’s ups and downs,” Klas replied. “It’s a life before. And now it’s a life after. That’s the best way you can express it.”
When asked about the goal of the foundation, Klas said:
“Trying to get the stigma away from talking about mental illness and suicide,” Klas replied. “We hope we can be a voice through Tim. Because Tim has so many millions of fans.”
At the end of the day, “You have to talk about it,” Klas Bergling said. “And you shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help.”
Watch the full interview with Avicii’s father here.
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[youtube_sc url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vriE8EabBwo”]
