Killswitch Engage's Jesse Leach on Battling Mental Illness 

"I’ve seen rock bottom and I’ve smashed my fists against it" So powerful and so true!

Thanks for talking about this Graham and Jesse. It means a lot to many of us

The single "Strength of the Mind" also speaks of battling mental illness.

Holy shit I just gained so much respect for this amazing man. I have autism (Aspergers Syndrome) and he absolutely hit the nail through the head.

I have depression and anxiety. thank God people are starting to talk about it. I'm not ashamed of it,its part of who I am. I agree with everything he said.

being a virgin at age 21 not drinking or smoking feeling the worlds weight come crashing down. feeling like I'm being made fun of and judged either by peers, strangers or even the unseen. I know depression hell its my worst enemy. however kill switch helped me with it. lyrics and the heavy pounding or drums and guitars. the vocals echoing my pain and releasing it for me I feel better.

Dude would make a badass Sabretooth.

jesses right. getting help for mental illness is almost tabboo and talking about it is mad difficult for people who have it. and when they do get help, its often shitty prescriptions. take care of yourselves out there fams

Thanks jessie. I have been suffering from depression for years. Hearing you talk about it made me feel a lot better.

If anyone has depression, try these: CBD oil (the non-recreational component of marijuana) Lithium Orotate (boosts your mood just slightly) Switching to a ketogenic diet (increase energy and motivation) Exercising (natural Vitamin D, endorphins, etc) Therapy (talking about it with someone and getting an outsider perspective)

Gruhamed, if you are reading this, please do more of these videos; the kinds of videos where you and the person you are interviewing are compatible. This, I think, was one of your best interviews. The interview with Phil Anselmo looked really awkward, but the ones with cannibal corpse and slayer were great also. By any chance, can you interview Nergal of Behemoth?

I appreciate him being open about this.

Jesse should write a book

Thanks for speaking about this experience. It seems more difficult for people to discuss struggling with mental illness than it is to discuss struggling with substance abuse or some physical illness.

I met this guy with a few others on a special event in Sweden, we got to hear pretty much all of the new album before everyone else haha, but Jesse is seriously a really nice guy

The reason why Jesse left Killswitch Engage is because of his depression. He wasn't happy while he was touring and he left the band to try and control himself. When he came back he looked and sound much better. No disrespect to the old stuff but he does.

Exercise, weed and heavy music seem to help me. getting off of earth would cure it but as that isn't possible i have to made do with symptom management.

This is a great interview! Very deep and very true.

Really enjoyed this interview. Good on the both of you for adding to the conversation and offering positive input Jesse, Cheers!

two things: First off, as someone who suffers from depression I greatly appreciate this being posted, more so cause it involves someone I admire from a group I love. I have even more respect for Jesse. his honesty and openness are to be admired. secondly, man you're knocking these interviews or if the park! this one, lacey, cannibal corpse, and Tom Araya have been excellent! !!

Good to hear you talk about this, Jesse. I agree with pretty much everything you guys said.

Life is simply my roller coaster. I let it ride, and I let the music be the soundtrack. I am not afraid. I only know that everything will end up okay. Thanks to Jesse, Garret, and Ivan.

Stomach growl at 4:32 lol. Amazing video from an awesome dude who's helped me through some tough struggles

thank you for this video

Killswitch I saw you guys, YOU ARE GREAT. I am grateful for both of you addressing this.

It falls on me was a FREAKIN' FANTASTIC!!!!!!

Thanks for the incite, Jesse! You are more than right about anxiety and depression. There are many things out there that help people like us, but are not yet legal. We must keep pressing the issue! Killswitch Engage is my continuing source of inspiration.

I look up to Jesse so much.

4:32 someones hungry

Great interview.

I feel the feels. I love Jesse. His mind would be so wonderful to pick, and to jam with him would be a gift.

I'm am constantly forced to take medication everyday to "help me" in school. I don't feel like myself and that for me has caused my little spurt of depression

i love the way he talk

I love this man so much.

weed is legal where I live......i wish the rest of america would finally get on board with this.

Positive is the key. TURN UP THE MUSIC AND TURN DOWN THE DRAMA. Have a good day everybody. By the way, will buy the new KILLSWITCH ENGAGE album. Liked the new songs on you tube.

I think the term mental illness promotes negative stigma ( on my personal experience) You have some psycho kill a child and burn bodies and the news said " the man was mentally ill". It seems every time we discuss mental health is when there is just some nutcase out there , which commits horrible acts ( which isn't due to depression or anxiety etc) or when a celebrity commits suicide,.. but even that can be pushed aside as some other issue or "drug abuse". I'm open to everybody about having bi polar ( not like "hey, i'm a vegan " style) but I feel growing up diagnosed at 16 with bi polar and a anxiety disorder, nothing made me worse than feeling like the weird kid into metal who has to take pills to stay "sane" and not having anyone my age to relate to made me feel more isolated and worse about my self confidence than before I got help in the form of medication and seeing a psychologist. If there was more of a open dialogue it would be like he said, people relate to you and can give you ideas to help you through common struggles,. like a massive therapy group where people are educated on the matter of Mental Health.

Inspirational

the ending is gold

Mind over matter Jesse. Right on man. Stay the course.

this video will speak to some on a deep level

0:38 look at his eye...

Is Gruhamed wearing a Bloodbath's Unblessing the Purity EP shirt? That cover art is so cool.

3:41 Yes it is.

With regards to the mental / physical aspect, it is important to consider medication and apply it where possible as for those with more severe issues, the use of medicines can help you function enough to go and engage with therapists; psychological therapy is a two-way street - you get out of it what you put into it. As for the use of currenlty illicit substances, please please tread carefully since the materials you buy off "some guy" won't be produced to a high and stringent standard. Without analysing the material yourself understand you could be taking anything.

I’ve had depressed since I was 13

Yea, it's a part of who I am. I can't even imagine a life without it

Seek spirituality. I am sure your awakened through your lyrics. It’s all about finding your negative thought patterns and transforming them into the positive! I see it in your music. I went to the bottom with drug addiction and one day I spiritually awakened. It can be see clearer thought DMT and others. If your mentally stable. Seek the truth with the darkness of the world then you will see the light. Admit your problem forgive yourself you will seek the light! It’s all happening In front of you you just need to stop and notice it!

cool guy

I prefer Howard Jones, but Jesse is great too. Saw KsE live a few weeks ago

what was that noise on 4:32 ??

at 4:32 Jessies stomach rumbles lol

PMA is the best way to live it is true i really believe in it

Killswitch Engage gets gets better with each album. Incarnate is a great album!

Depression is a bitch I deal with it all the time

The You Rock Foundation does great work! Not only have they interviewed Jesse Leach, but also Corey Hart and Jim Root from Slipknot, Jonathan Davis from Korn and much more. Check out all The You Rock Foundation's interviews at www.yourockfoundation.org

good

nice

EVERYONE is depressed to an extent. That's why nobody cares. A lot of people don't even realize that they have it. The issue is that the entire world is the cause of the depression,and if you want to help then the only way to rid the world of depression is to fix the entire world.

What brand is that Polo shirt? It looks pretty freaking neat. Wow, never thought I'd say that lmao

@4:32 what is that noise? Sounds like an alien.

Didn’t know Vincent D’Onofrio was a metalcore singer.

bloodbath !!

Hank Williams started the hard living and harder alcohol and drugs and the womanizing gods rest his soul

What is the drug Graham mentions at 4:06 ?

who is this Rob Willings dude they are mentioning ????

Sigh... It's a shame that such a good intended video portrays such reductionist views of depression. Yes we have to have focus on depression and be able to talk about it. But depression, anxiety etc. is NOT just "a chemical imbalance", because if it was merely about that, then anti-depressives should work just fine, but actually these products in some cases creates more negative effects than positive (if at all positive). Depression for example is a biological, neurological, psychological and very much social phenomenon and is also a product of what the individual has experienced, how he/she reacts, feels and thinks about himself and his/her context. Using anti-depressive pills IS not akin to using painkillers to a sore back. These things cannot be compared and people, society, psychiatry in general needs to understand the roots of depression, not just try to "numb" the symptoms. Therapy and social factors are much greater means for a person to understand the roots of his experiences...

unblessing the purity shirt its nize

Drinking Works for me.

I respect Jesse and I'm happy for him getting better and all, but the last thing we need is more drugs put into circulation. Next thing you know people will want to loosen the restrictions on recreational amphetamine to cure all sorts of health issues.

Its errand from horizon zero dawn🤣

Bad Brains!

Bring back Howard!!

does Jesse have a III% tattoo?

This whole world is sick. I gues we should all shove pills down our throat rather than get to the root of the cause.

To say classic artists couldn't have made their music without drugs is absolute garbage and a huge insult. "Yeah Jimi, you're great! But you couldn't have done it without those drugs!" Absolute garbage.

Jesse has the exact opposite of a bold head and a goatee.

All you truly need is God and Jesus Christ

It's interesting that Jesse is so against, "pushing pulls down your throat" but keeps advocating for medical marijuana and "low dose psychedelia". Then in the next breath he's taking about drug abuse and alcohol addiction? This dude has no idea what he's talking about. No idea. I'm a huge Killswitch fan and just lost all respect for this guy.

your band should go away stop feeding things u copied off of fear factory onto poser metal heads brains be original