Ian Curtis and mental health 

I highly identify with Ian Curtis. My epilepsy medication and many nerve and anti seizures medication have strong correlations with suicidal tendencies. It doesn't help that because of my existing disability I top have major depressive order. I stumbled across his existence in high school because of my dads influence and my music taste being David Bowie, the stooges, the clash, the damned. I was fixated by the similarities between us. His death and how he is remembered a whole 37 years later is for me motivated me to keep going. I'm 22 now and yes my seizures have worsened and I have spastic cerebral palsy but Ian Curtis is a huge huge huge influence on me

Memory of Ian Curtis, 23 years old for ever...

New dawn fades was literally his emotions immortalised in music

In 1986 I was 16. A mysterious bootleg cassette tape was given to me by a musician friend. He told me it was given to him by another person who had told him that the lead singer killed himself. On one side it said "Warning! Do not listen" on the other side it said "Joy Division" On this tape was Unknown Pleasures and Closer. In 1986 very few people had heard of Joy Division in Tampa outside the sole independent record store. There was no internet. There were no books about Joy Division, no information sources available, nothing except the rumor that he had "died for his art". I once dreamed someone would make a movie about him, which at the time seemed silly because the band was so obscure. It would be many years before I ever heard a Joy Division song outside a alternative club. After reading in the mid 1990s "Touching From A Distance" I learned the facts. Later with the internet it all became very clear down to what type of instruments the band used. This is good and bad. It is good that we have access to instant information and can learn so much. It is bad because noone from the internet generation can ever feel the internal creativity that spawns from the mystery behind great albums such as these. I created my own mythos. I found my own story. Instant access seems to take away imagination in some strange way.

I guess Ian Curtis was torn between wanting to be famous and his doctors telling him he needed to lead a quiet life due to his epilepsy. Add in the mix an affair and his life became unliveable. RIP, Ian. You were a huge talent.

Before watching Control a few years back I knew very little about Joy Division other than the songs "transmission", "she's lost control" and "love will tear us apart". It's amazing how one band can do so much to influence music yet not get the recollection they deserve, just like Captain Beefheart and his magic band.

Suicide is not so rare in the pop/rock industry. Ian Curtis was a pure genius but actually normal guy too by temper. But he was only 23 and could not handle the strange pressure on him and strange success. What I mean strange? JD was adored by many but they still preformed to small crowds. They still sold pretty poorly. Same time everybody were talking how good they are. Dozens of bands started to strictly imitate them without any shame. They were known and adored and nfluential but NOT popular. They had no glamour in their life. No Top Of The Pops. No tons of money. Still driving around with old van. Still getting limited money from management. And Ian was married with kid but then an affair appeared too. Too much for a ovr-intelligent guy.

I've realized Joy Division started this whole post-punk "sound" by being simultaneously influenced by The Sex Pistols, Television, Throbbing Gristle, David Bowie's Berlin albums, and krautrock like Kraftwerk. They started conventionally punk, but with those influences as well as the bizarre conventions of producer Martin Hannet, they begat this sound that was like punk, but slower, with more echoing acoustics and ambient sounds. Perhaps without Joy Division, we would not have the sounds of U2, The Cure, R.E.M., The Smiths, and so many other bands who have perpetuated more fame but owe so much to the band. Joy Division was a shooting star, and I hope Ian's soul rests well with the peace and health he could not find in the world.

Deborah wrote, after playfully attempting to surprise Ian, “I was stunned when he scurried on all fours to a corner of the landing and cowered there, whimpering. Seconds later he was up on his feet again. He descended the rest of the stairs as if nothing had happened.” Anyone find that bizarre? It’s like some dissociative gut-response to being startled. I wonder what Ian was going through

The thing that always gets me the most about Ian's suicide is how the rest of the band was kind of blindsided by it, until they actually listened to his lyrics. I can't imagine how isolating it must feel to be standing on stage screaming for help every night, and the guys standing right next to me don't even hear what I'm saying. On the other hand, imagine living with the knowledge that you missed all those flags... Ian Curtis's story makes me so thankful to live in a time where we can, at the very least, talk about stuff like this.

Ian was looking for help, giving out clues about his life, mental, emotional and perhaps even spiritual health in his lyrics but nobody listened.

*RIP to depressed musicians who tried their best to survive...* Ian Curtis (Joy Division) 1956 - 1980 Darby Crash (The Germs) 1958 - 1980 Del Shannon (solo) 1934 - 1990 Kurt Cobain (Nirvana) 1967 - 1994 Chris Acland (Lush) 1966 - 1996 Michael Hutchence (INXS) 1960 - 1997 Wendy O Williams (The Plasmatics) 1949 -1998 Brad Delp (Boston) 1951 - 2007 Vic Chestnutt (solo) 1964 - 2009 Mindy McCready (solo) 1975 - 2013 Chris Cornell (Soundgarden) 1964 - 2017 Chester Bennington (Linkin Park) 1976 - 2017 Keith Flint (The Prodigy) 1969 - 2019 Naomi Judd (The Judds) 1946 - 2022

Hi thankyou for your kind words.mental health is a huge driver in the music business ian curtis suffered with depression as well as his epilepsy.the film shows it wasn’t easy for him and his wife.your correct about mental health being glorified in music then we all hang our heads as another person buckles ❤

RIP and long live Ian Curtis (July 15, 1956 - May 18, 1980), aged 23 You will always be remembered as a legend.

Ian Curtis was also HEAVILY influenced by The Doors. Ian dropped his punk rock voice a couple or a few octaves (post-Warsaw) a la Jim Morrison as a result. The result was Joy Division; which became legendary vis a vis the band's non-descript punk roots.

Epilepsy is a neurological condition not a "mental health" issue. The two can be intertwined (having epilepsy affects the person's psychological health - dealing with a disruptive, distressing condition) so there is a branch of medicine called neuropsychiatry which deals with both the neurological problem and its psychological effects.

Ian Curtis Lives!

With the subject matter of the video and the whiteness of the room, I felt like I was back in a psych ward.

I Thought He Was 32 Or At Least 32 Shocking That He Was Only 23When He Died In 1980. Way Too Young To Leave This Planet. What A Great Talent We Lost. RIP Ian Curtis. God Bless You.

The person who directed control (Anton Corbijn) shot almost every U2 album cover starting from the unforgettable fire

Control was good but depressing , legit felt down for like 2 straight days after watching it.

Thanks for appreciating the legacy and keeping the genius that is Ian Curtis alive. As a mental health nurse for over 30 years, working for a period in the Macclesfield area in the shadows of Parkside where Ian was once "treated", experiencing my own trauma and battles with mental health and having personal family connections to the Factory Family I extend my gratitude. Increasing awareness of mental health struggles and the pathway to recovery is my life work.

Depression usually leads to lots of isolation....Isolation usually leads to contemplation,concentration....which tends to cause an output of Raw emotion,creation,and imagination....very common with musicians,artists etc

Epilepsy sucks but anti-epilepsy drugs suck even more

Thank you for this.

Ian Curtis is my lyrical inspiration, the man was a genius. He was a troubled man and he really needed help, but his story is so fascinating and I've always found it strange how I can be so attached to someone that died 18 years before I was born. I plan on visiting his memorial at some point to pay respects to someone that has helped me through a lot. This was a good video, I subscribed.

JD weren't **influenced** by punk,THEY WERE THERE

Just came across this video, really incredible! Conversations like this about the deifying of the depressed artist and romanticizing depressed persons as "struggling geniuses" are really important to have. I know I'm about 2 years late, but thanks for this!

24hr party people is another great film. it is a film about the Manchester music scene as a whole but heavily features joy division and Ian Curtis

Great video. I love Joy Division and subsequently New Order. Joy Division is my favorite band and has a very special place in my "Heart and Soul" but, I must also congratulate you on how you so tactfully handled the issue of depression and mental health issues. God Bless Ian Curtis and I thank him and the band for giving me so much!

Joy Division got me through the 80s, 90s, 00s, 10s, 20s.

As someone who has eupd/bpd I relate to him alot and I'm sure if he was around today he would have been diagnosed similarly. It's sad there wasnt the mental health support around then..

Thanks Emiloid for the work on this. Great to see the young generation appreciating the work from previous artists from generations back and actually learning as much as they can about who they really were. Joy Division were an important element in the British invasion into the American market during the early 1980's . New Zealand had heard of them well before many other countries and their music was played on radios all around the country .

Thank you. I was introduced to Joy Division by my Physics teacher, and they got me through a very dark time at the end of school. You're so right. I can't believe I've not found this video before.

In 80's I was 23 years old , now it's the season of winter for me . But I Discovered Ian Curtiss and his band 'Joy Division' and it is for me a great discover . I learned he read Ballard, Nietsche as I . Music fantastic and great contribution you made to better understand this artist

Happy 63rd birthday Ian. Wow, really well-spoken & thoughtful video about the complexities of mental health and the error we make as a society in either glamorizing or stigmatizing mental illness. Control is an incredible film. It really shone so much light on who Ian Curtis was as a person, behind the tragic enigma.

This is truly a great video. Thank you for covering this topic. You did a really great job.

and now we are realizing that our society was actually the issue with most people.

Thank you very much for this. Now 54 years old and just emerging from my latest (bipolar) depressive episode, on 18 May 1980 I was extremely pissed off with Ian Curtis for so selfishly topping himself because now my pal Les the bondage-trousered/bemohicaned sous-chef at the restaurant where I washed dishes was going to have to return our tickets for the JD gig in Edinburgh and neither of us would ever see or hear the wonder that was Joy Division LIVE. I was 17 years old and had absolutely zero understanding or experience of any form of depression - a state of blissful ignorance would continue for me until 1992. If I could travel back 37 years in time I would take this advice to poor Ian: "Listen, Ian, mate, I struggled with frequent suicidal thoughts, intentions, plans and even a couple of almost-attempts over a period of about 15 years. Then in May 2010 I "cured myself" by self-harming - just a little bit - several times within a few days. I have 10 small faint scars but from that time on, yeah, when the depression is particularly bad I still have passing suicidal thoughts, but they really are just that - nasty, but passing. So there you go, Ian: try a little self-harm and keep doing those incredible musical and lyrical things you do. And for fuck's sake save the world from fucking "Blue Monday"!"

I’ve been a Joy Division fan since the early 1980s.

Emiliod Thanks for your candid talk on this, it was worth the efforts you expressed. I wish you well.

I'm 23 now and just recently started listening to Joy Division, and immediately I fell in love with the music! Ian Curtis was such a good song writer and Lyricist and poet. overall despite his mental health issues including my mental health issues as well ( schizoaffective disorder, major depressive disorder, PTSD, and social anxiety) I understood him, especially in the movie "Control"... I've always had problems with life and my shares of mental stigma from people who don't understand it... Even Kurt Cobain admitted that he refused to listen to them, cause he was afraid of liking them, and he heard stories about them. But what really tears me apart the most about his story is the fact that he was a super sensitive man... With a beautiful mind... As a musician as well, his lyrics were very on the point on what he was going through in his personal life... R.I.P Ian Curtis

Saw this today (40 years after…). There is so much to say about Joy Division and Ian Curtis (and New Order)… but I most certainly appreciated your fine tribute. Thanks!

Loving this. So informative! Could listen to you for hours.

He was a man at war with his true self. His celestial sign was that of CANCER. He bit off far more than he could chew in his life. He was on an accelerated path to recognition and fame. These were the things he thought wanted in life, he would sadly be wrong. Ian needed more... Ian failed to find the inner strength needed to overcome his life's many struggles sadly. He had the deck stacked against him. He had tremors and shakes. He was a mess at times. He handled it extremely well on the outside, but the inner soul was angry and sad. This man was emotionally weak and selfishly motivated at times too. He had very little honor for himself and his family, He would later find that inner guilt more crippling than his epilepsy. He was lead by emotions and fell in love easy. He made decisions based on his "heart" and many emotional states. He needed a guide to help him understand these emotional things better. He needed some real friends, ones that did not just obsess over his image and dark brooding nature. This man lacked a center and needed a really strong person in his life to help maintain inner focus. He instead looked inward and his structure was already falling apart right as it was being built. It is very sad. This man was a true artist of the heart. He lived as the artist trapped in the man. He denied himself that inner closure and security he desperately needed. His emotional weaknesses are what destroyed him. He should have focused on the person he wanted to become. Ian needed to take charge of that strong observant voice that tried to save him. That powerful gift the universe gave him. That brooding protector that become his artistic signature. It was the dark tone of his singing that shadowed the real Ian Curtis. His inner soul's voice become the substitute for inner strength he needed and lacked. You can hear the weak,sad, and confused parts of him in many songs too. When you hear that dark and brooding baritone belting... It is that of his soul... It is then that one realizes... He could have saved himself with some time and patience... He needed deep inner strength. He needed to find who he was, not force a fake kind of person he felt others wanted him to be. He was a deep soul trapped in a semi-selfish and profoundly emotional mind, one that would be molded by his heroes and all the influences surrounding him. You who were by his side did all you could. You should not let his death weigh upon you. He made his choices and he chose his exit out of this world. He had his reasons and he must have felt them to be the best at the time. His emotions sadly won against the soul dying inside. Hidden guilt and deep self loathing really start to weigh on one's soul. This guy seemed nice and chipper at times, he drank some, he laughed some, he seems kind of merry at times... Then you hear his voice sing and it becomes all too clear... This man is at war with himself and the world around him. The artist is dying to get out and become something more than the man. Ian's soul was screaming at the man to let him free! The soul wanted control over those emotions. Ian refused. If only Ian had seen in himself what we all saw and see in him now... What a lost opportunity this man became. R.I.P. I hope Ian is reborn again with a different sign. Maybe next time, he can become a Scorpio? He can then have a shot at obtaining the emotional strength and focus he lacked as a Cancer. This is the best scenario for such souls that depart earlier than expected. I subscribe to these ideas as they are the most optimistic and constructive. I know how this man felt. Perhaps, I was once a Cancer too? Who knows. Peace be with his soul and best wishes to his loved ones. Ian is not dead, his soul travels onward and will keep learning and growing in many different forms. I just hope it finds peace one day. All souls need peace.

''I knew him first, and I knew him well..''

Thank you for this posting. I was very much a JD nut in my teens - even listening to LWTUA 12" single 50x in a row (according to a brother). Though much older now, I can still fairly relate to the lyrics seeing what has become of the world versus the one Curtis saw. All who have done an analysis of Ian Curtis all agree he was a tortured soul, and this was reflected very much in his lyrics. Please keep up the very entertaining and inspiring vlogs. :)

as an 55 year old fan i can only say: great analyze!! the music still inspire us!!!

Omg give me a break. I've been listening to Joy Division since 1979. Ian Curtis suffered epilepsy and therefore took his own life. It was an effort to avoid having to take the antiquated meds that were on the market at the time. Had he not had epilepsy, he would likely be alive today. Ian's problems stemmed from a debilitating neurological disease.

You seem like such a great person! Please continue to make videos I love em!

Emiloid, excellent video. Well informed and just a nice tribute. I love Joy Division more than life itself. Good on ya.

Very good..thanks and cheers from a hardcore joy division collector and passionate fan from Brazil.

I appreciate very much the respect you use to talk about Ian. Good work

I really liked the way you edited in all the clips. Good video.

This video is--- just amazing, especially telling about the music, just as much as the mind behind it.

Good post. The flaw, as you put it, is indeed about seeing, at best trying to see depression, when in fact one ought to just care to listen. Help resolve sadness not by eye of mouth but by seeing with your ears!

Ian Curtiss is alive and eternal

Following in my hero’s footsteps.. we will be together soon Logan I miss you and love you so much

Thank you for this video

His life sound like another artist I know my friend who was a good rapper who jumped to his death may he Rest In Peace him and Ian Curtis

Short, to the point, and brilliant; well done. Subscribed; I look forward to watching more from your channel.

I was 16 when the lead singer of my favorite band committed suicide , I was going to see them in Toronto on the north american tour but it wasn't to be. Thank you so much for doing this to commemorate his life, your awesome. Ccan i buy you a drink ? lol

Well, thanks. You nailed it again.

as someone who has suffered form depression and anxiety disorder i hate to say it but it is a muse, a source of creativity, madness and art are two of the same. It is an unfortunate truth but i stopped taking my medication becasue it stunted my creative force, meditation and art help me more

thank you for this - very glad to hear some Americans can appreciate this band too. legendary

Oh my goodness, you stated this beautifully. I've been thinking a lot lately about that fine line that becomes glorifying mental illness and suicide.

I consider myself to be a fan of both Joy Division and New Order. As much as I admire Ian Curtis for his poetic voice, touching lyrics, and ability to find a tune that fit the overall mood of the song he was writing, Bernard Sumner is a true role model for me, not just because of his talent as a guitarist and producer, but also because he persevered despite repeated (and almost comic) failures. He had horrible stage fright and was pretty bad at singing but was forced to become the frontman of the band after Curtis' unfortunate suicide. Yet with continued effort, his voice got better and better (it took him almost a decade to become a good vocalist in his own right) and he became quite comfortable on stage. It seems like he has incredible patience (he built his own synth) and somehow manages to shield himself from the crowd's expectations (no wonder New Order was known for shying away from the public and having the image of everyday people doing great music).

Love Joy Division and Ian!

Great video! I'm a massive fan of Joy Division

Don't know how I got here but I really liked it. Greetings from Lima, Perú.

As a gigantic New Order/ Joy Division fan I’ve got to say this was sooooo fantastically done. Ian Curtis was an absolute genius-it was his blessing and his curse at the same time. Along with the epileptic seizures and anguish that he suffered- unfortunately in the end he simply could not cope. I always compare Ian Curtis to Kurt Cobain- they were both absolutely brilliant- but it’s as if that brilliance was not meant to last. I invite everyone to listen to the song “The Him” yes it was 1981- Ian is long gone as is the Joy Divison name and this is New Orders first album. It is absolutely HAUNTING and erie. You can hear the rest of the band try to come to grips with his loss trying to find direction and shake the ghost of Joy Divison. At the end of the chorus Bernard Sumner sings “I’m sooo tired I’m sooo tired” it’s as if Bernard is channeling and Ian is singing through him- one last desperate cry-haunting. Ian’s pain was his canvas by which he painted his masterpieces. 😌🙏🏼

Ian^s deep voice gave him an older wisdom of sorts. I loved his poetry and did my own work similar to his from my own earlier depression. I wished he could've experienced what 25 could've been like, 27, or 30, 45...he missed so much. He joins the other greats such as Sylvia Plath, Jim Morrison, now.

Brilliant video! Loving your channel! Big Joy Division fan! 🖤

this was a wonderful video very well put

Congratulations, your analysis I liked very much. Although I am Italian, I understood your words very well.

Ian curtis suffered more than mental health. Started out with seizures,ticks etc. He therefor tried to self medicate which led to depression. He suffered inside for more than id like to say but nothing any psychology book can detail. Blessings.

Thank you for the information. Sweet video for sure.

Thanks for your great vid about this amazing band.

Thank you so much long story short after watching this video and learning a little more about Ian Curtis.......Well I guess there is an artist out there that can relate to the deep dark suffering of epilepsy and depression.......so yeah thanks again for helping make that happen!!!!;)\m/!!!!

This video is amazing. Great message.

such energy from your speech.....and yet, I bet you have significant raw energy hidden ready to explode!!!!!!!!!!!!!thanx for your beauty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here are the young men, the weight on their shoulders Here are the young men, well where have they been? We knocked on the doors of Hell's darker chamber Pushed to the limit, we dragged ourselves in Watched from the wings as the scenes were replaying We saw ourselves now as we never had seen Portrayal of the trauma and degeneration The sorrows we suffered and never were free Where have they been? Weary inside, now our heart's lost forever Can't replace the fear, or the thrill of the chase Each ritual showed up the door for our wanderings Open then shut, then slammed in our face Where have they been?

Lovely peaceful looking room.

Great video!

RIP IAN CURTIS

I find that if I listen to dark music it makes me very down. I'm drawn to it, but it's better for me if I just hear it every once in awhile. I wonder if Ian making this music and having to perform it a lot kind of kept or contributed to him being in a low state.

His "facist imagery" came from his fascination with human suffering

Ian curtis and chris cornell both died on my bithday. Why?!!!!!??!!? I didn't find joy division until a few years ago. I've been listening to soundgarden since middle school. Both bands were very inspiring to me. Joy division is in my top 5 favorite bands now. Rip ian and chris.

Wonderful tribute and sober message

Ian curtis is my idol💝

Long live JD indeed. The real influences on Curtis were William Burroughs and JG Ballard. The literary world's most prescient documenters of the 20th century psyche, one colossal mental-health issue.

One of Kurt Cobain's last remarks was how come this world doesn't have more empathy. Yep, and like you say in this clip we humans have biased opinions and blow everything out of proportion by glorifying things, over-praising certain people of wealth and fame yet many people STILL don't get how powerful mental disorders are! Because it's hidden deep within and it's not about crying in bed all day, we suck it up and function. Many entertainers have some type of disorder no question, but like everything in life there's good and bad to every scenario and with mental disorders comes a highly intuitive intelligent mind that's very emotional and full of outside the box creative ambitions, yet the world is set up for the majority who have a stable mindset and basic goals, aspirations, and such so most things come easier in life. "Think positive, exercise, meditate, look at the bright side, grass always greener..." so many vanilla statements that so much of society lives by and thinks will actually fix an embedded problem. Nope. Imagine if all the famous entertainers never made it in the industry, I bet at least half of them would opt out of life because most of them have some type of chemical imbalance which become the labels of so many disorders and they couldn't ever hack the 8-5 real world. The irony is if a person with mental issues find a miracle medication, the right support, or can do what they love for a living it at least acts as the morphine for the pain. Imagine Robin Williams ever trying to work a desk job or any normal full time job, NO WAY, he made a career doing exactly what he was meant to do and only opted out after more issues developed in later years of his life. Even his wife justified his suicide 100% because unlike most of society who thinks it's all a selfish copout, dark depressive mindsets with any other ailment or negative life altering stress added in leads to suicide. Most humans have a chemically balanced brain and only get down when outside factors prevail; cancer, death, divorce, job loss...now add in all this shit or other stresses that every human experiences at one point or another on top of a permanently imbalanced dark mindset, suicide is added to the menu.

I made friends with his daughter Natalie on MySpace about 12 years ago and we used to chat a little bit here and there about her photography and other little things. Never got too deep or anything but that was pretty cool :)

really liked this. BUT we would not have all of his music, if he was properly diagnosed, and this has not been fixed, and it wont. To many artist hide it, use it for inspiration. Its just whats it is. He was born with a soul and a half.

my fellow city fans ian curtis

I don't know. The very act of seeing the mysteries of the world--of seeing behind the veil--is an act which brings the observer to the edge of madness. It's like the light so bright that it blinds, the warmth so great that it burns. So these brave explorers like Ian Curtis and Jim Morrison travel to the far edges of the universe and then make their way back to tell us what they saw. The journey itself is a kind of divine suffering.

Lovely.Thanks.

What a beautiful woman! Wow.

Great video.

Thank you