“Unconditional love always wins.”
Jacob Thureson, Hella Sketchy (photo, Austin Chronicle)
Recently, I had an opportunity to interview Judy and Erik Thureson, parents of the late rap artist Hella Sketchy, who struggled with mental health problems and passed away in 2019 at the age of 18.
Judy has also written a book on mental health and also hosts a podcast. “I think we see it more in entertainment and sports because it’s more publicized and due to social media,” she said. “I think the more we talk about it and the more awareness we bring to the topic, we can get the conversation going.”
Erik, a former college athlete himself, knows the experience personally. “As a college athlete in the late ’80s early ’90s, mental health was largely ignored and marginalized. My mom also struggled with clinical depression and hid it from me until I was in my late 20s. That being said, I grew up thinking you had to deal with it on your own – and it wasn’t something to be talked about.”
The Thuresons believe that drugs help athletes and artists cope with the pressure of fame and also (in some cases) childhood trauma they experienced. Judy elaborated: “I believe the crisis exists due to many layers (shame, guilt, unhealthy coping), systemic issues (overmedicating, healthcare, etc), misconceptions, performance pressure, and glamorization.”
“The mental health crisis is at an all-time high, not just in sports and entertainment, but for everyone,” she continued. “Don’t shy away from it,” she said. “Create a safe place to be able to have conversations.”
To respond, parents need to be educated and get involved. “If something feels off, listen to your gut,” the Thuresons told me. “Kids need to feel safe to make mistakes, safe to fail, and safe to not be perfect. Unconditional love always wins.”
Yes … unconditional love always wins.
