Robbie Williams has been flooded with support from fans after sharing a post about battling with ‘self-containment’.
After finding fame with Take That in the 1990s, Robbie went on to launch a massively successful solo career, which has seen all but one of his 14 studio albums reaching No. 1 in the UK.
He’s also received a record 18 Brit Awards and has sold 75 million records worldwide.
However, over the years he’s also spoken openly about mental illness, obesity, self-esteem issues, alcoholism, and substance abuse throughout his life.
This week the 51-year-old went on to detail how he was working on ‘surviving my own personality’.
Posting a lengthy three-page statement on Instagram, he began by sharing he’s ‘had a thought that won’t let me sleep’.
‘I am surviving my own personality. Some days it’s not self-improvement. It’s self-containment. Just making sure the chaos doesn’t spill on the carpet. I guess what I’m trying to do is be the master of myself,’ he wrote.
He continued: ‘I have something inside me that wants to sabotage, cause chaos – and, even darker still, see me leave this planet.’
‘We’re out here just trying to survive on our own wiring. Some of us talk to therapists. Some of us talk to the void. Some of us talk to Instagram (Same thing really).’
Robbie went on to admit that he ‘treats myself really badly’ but although he had ‘some work to do’, the answer was ‘love’.
He wrapped up the post by writing: ‘I will prioritise how I treat myself.’
The musician, who has 3.3 million Instagram followers, was flooded with support by fans, many of whom said they could ‘relate’ and sent lengthy replies.
In a recent interview with the Mirror, Robbie spoke about his depression returning recently.
‘The year started with some ill mental health, which I haven’t had for a very, very long time. I was sad, I was anxious, I was depressed,’ he said.
‘It’s been about ten years…I thought I was at the other end of the arc…I thought this was the end of my story, and that I would just go walking into this marvellous wonderland. So, for it to return was just confusing.’
However, he said making diet changes and turning to his family for support helped the ‘cloud lift’.
Robbie was first diagnosed with depression in his 20s, while also battling addiction that he once said resulted in a ‘nervous, mental breakdown in front of thousands of people’.
In the trailer for his self-titled 2023 Netflix documentary series, he detailed the pressure of being thrust into the spotlight as a teenager.
‘When I joined Take That I was 16 it was insane. I was the centre of the pop culture world,’ he said.
‘I felt like I was giving more and more of myself away to the point where you don’t recognise yourself anymore. Being in the spotlight you can’t trust anybody. I was having a nervous, mental breakdown in front of thousands of people.
‘The thing that would destroy me has also made me successful. Touch the fire, push when it says pull and see if I can live. I don’t know how easy it is for people to get to know me.’
Over the years he’s been open about his ongoing battles and once said: ‘I’ve got a disease that wants to kill me and it’s in my head, so I have to guard against that.’
In 2007 he also went to rehab after taking speed, acid, heroin, cocaine and a ‘heart-stopping’ amounts of prescription drugs.
‘It’s very difficult for people to understand the psychology of this great gift that has been given to you but yet it’s breaking you,’ he also explained in his Netflix series.
‘Up to now, mental health was talked about in a different way. It was very confusing for people who went, “All he’s gotta do is get up and sing another song. Give him a nudge or else we’ll lose all the money”. What should have happened is, “Get in a car, we’ll just go get better”. But it didn’t, and it’s OK ’cause I lived to tell the tale. It makes life’s tapestry richer, I suppose.’
In 2017 Robbie also spoke about his return to the limelight a year earlier which had sparked a relapse in his mental health.
In a candid interview with Sunday Times, he said: ‘This job is really bad for my health. It’s going to kill me, unless I view it in a different way.’
He went on to admit he still found performing ‘overwhelming’.
Need support?
For emotional support, you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.
Their HOPELINE247 is open every day of the year, 24 hours a day. You can call 0800 068 4141, text 88247 or email: pat@papyrus-uk.org.
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