How Mental Health Treatment Saved My Life

Key Points:

• Lily Cornell Silver, daughter of late Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell, overcame her shyness and pressure from her father's legacy to form the band Josie on the Rocks in 2021, finding purpose and healing through music amid personal grief and mental health struggles.
• The band’s drummer, Graham Derzon-Supplee, died in a tragic accident in July 2022, profoundly impacting Silver and her bandmates and prompting Silver to enter inpatient therapy, which she credits with saving her life and helping her cope with grief.
• Silver and her former bandmates recently released Josie on the Rocks’ music, including the songs “Not You” and “Super Sonic,” as a tribute to Derzon-Supplee’s life and a way to continue their shared musical legacy despite their physical separation.
• The experience of inpatient therapy, including music therapy sessions, helped Silver reconnect with her body and creativity during a severe depressive episode, reducing stigma around mental health treatment and emphasizing the importance of empathy and support.
• Silver emphasizes the complexity of grief and legacy, sharing that releasing their music is part of their healing process and a way to honor Derzon-Supplee’s enthusiasm, while challenging simplistic narratives about what the deceased “would have wanted.”