Wilson Phillips’ Carnie Wilson on Depression, Healing Power of Music

• Carnie Wilson of the ’90s pop group sensation Wilson Phillips opens up about her mental health journey.
• The “Hold On” singer and daughter of Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson is raising awareness about tardive dyskinesia (TD), an involuntary movement disorder linked to some mental health medications.
• In the “Connecting with Carnie” campaign, Wilson interviews people living with TD, their care partners, and other healthcare professionals.

Singer Carnie Wilson is revered as a member of the iconic pop music trio Wilson Phillips. The group and their acclaimed 1990 single “Hold On” made a comeback in the 2011 movie “Bridesmaids.”

Now, the hit song is back at the forefront of Wilson’s mind as she plays her part in helping erase the stigma surrounding mental health.

Don’t you know, things can change
Things’ll go your way
If you hold… on for one more day

“The point is, people don’t have to wait anymore to talk about their mental health. Music is a good inspiration for us all,” Wilson told Healthline.

From the time she was a child, Wilson shared that she navigated mental health challenges.

“I grew up with some depression as a young girl. I remember being bullied and teased,” she said. “I was always coming home very sad because I was made fun of because of my weight, and that helped contribute to my depression.”

Her father, Brian Wilson, a member of “The Beach Boys,” and her mother were also singer-songwriters. Growing up around a “rock and roll lifestyle” made her feel anxious, she said.

“I still suffer from some anxiety and depression, and many years ago, I turned to drugs and alcohol, and I think it exacerbated my depression… but it was really about escaping and hiding and not wanting to feel,” said Wilson.

Now 20 years sober, Wilson prioritizes her mental health daily.

TD affects at least 800,000 adults in the United States, yet as many as 60% remain undiagnosed.

For the initiative, Wilson interviews people living with TD, their care partners, and other healthcare professionals so they can share their journeys, experiences, and expertise to help others.

Greg Mattingly, MD, CEO of Midwest Research Group and co-chair of Psych Congress, explained that signs of TD typically consist of abnormal, involuntary, and repetitive body movements, which can be rapid and jerky or slow and writhing and vary in severity.

“Even mild TD movements can have a negative impact on patients physically, socially, and emotionally,” he told Healthline. “The movements can often cause unwanted attention, social isolation, embarrassment, and difficulties with physical activities like chewing, swallowing, and walking.”

According to a survey conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of Neurocrine Biosciences, 56% of people with TD canceled social plans and avoided others or public outings due to their symptoms, and 86% said their movements made them feel judged or stared at.

While Wilson does not have TD, she said she can relate to the stigma associated with it.

“I have suffered from… Bell’s palsy,” she said. “I know what it feels like to deal with something that is abnormal with the face, and so that also really made me feel for people who have TD.”

Healthline spoke with Wilson to learn more about her mental health journey, how she copes, and why she is advocating for TD.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.

Wilson: When we don’t understand something, we’re fearful. I’m a people person, and I just want to connect with people. I feel like my being open to say, “I have felt fearful or anxious or weak’ or ‘I didn’t want to feel things’ or ‘I need help’ helps others. I share that when I did reach out [to others], my healing began.

I believe that people who suffer from mental illness are sensitive and they’re beautiful people because they feel deeply. I know this from growing up with family members who suffered from mental health issues. [I want others] to see that there is recovery, there’s hope, there’s treatment, there’s a solution.

It’s very easy to brush it off and say, “My uncle has depression, and he has these movements, and I can’t deal with it because I don’t understand it.” That’s where I want to draw the line.

I want to stop people from being scared to reach out to someone they know and love, and for people to be their own advocate. We have to advocate for each other. That’s the only way we’re going to be better in this world. We need that connection.

Wilson: It’s making my heart so full.

A year ago or so, I didn’t know what TD was. When I learned about it, my heart went out to people who suffer from TD because I’m a control freak by nature. My husband always says, “Stop tying to control everything.” I want the safety. I want the balance. I want to have control over things.

I’m especially sympathetic and empathetic to people who can’t control these movements, and these movements can be so debilitating. If it’s extreme, they have trouble sleeping, driving cars, living normal lives — and then there’s just the very subtle movements like blinking of the eyes or movement of the tongue.

I’ve heard stories about school teachers who stopped being a teacher because they are so embarrassed of their symptoms and it is my mission, my goal, to raise awareness and say it’s okay to talk about what we struggle with and to ask for help.