Guns N’ Roses’ Duff McKagan Explains His ‘Skills’ To Cope With Mental Health Issues

Duff McKagan has recently opened up about his mental health struggles such as depression and panic attacks. The Guns N’ Roses bassist recently gave an interview to Guitar World in which he shared his coping mechanisms and updates on his struggles. McKagan stated:

“The frequency and intensity hasn’t really changed. Coping skills: crossword puzzles, playing guitar, I’ve done all kinds of stuff, drinking water and eating almonds – something to keep my airwaves going. It sounds crazy, but it’s a thing.  They aren’t even skills. I just do whatever I can.”

But coping skills are not enough just by themselves, McKagan explained further:

“I have professional help. I talk to a doctor once a week and just go through stuff, and it’s nice to be able to do that. I’ve got great insurance, and so, you know, the mental health industry. I’ve utilized it and it’s been great for me.”

The bassist explained how Slash used to help him with panic attacks in a previous interview:

“Slash has kind of been a safe person for me throughout this. I met him when I first moved to LA. I told him I had these panic attacks. He listened. He’s like, ‘Okay, well, if it happens, we’ll deal with it.’ I had plenty around him, and he knew just to talk to me about something – anything but the panic attack. He’ll start talking about, ‘Hey, that first Led Zeppelin record, did you notice they went into a-‘ whatever.”

It appears that Slash would distract McKagan with music trivia and interesting details about various topics when he needed it.

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, Duff McKagan has released a three-song EP: This Is The Song. It’s the bassist’s first solo project in 4 years, his last solo was Tenderness in 2019. The title track, This Is The Song,was released alongside a written message explaining how McKagan wrote it in the middle of a panic attack.

You can view the music video on YouTube by clicking here.