Slipknot's Jim Root On How He Avoids Panic On The Road

(Metal Hammer) Slipknot's Jim Root has spoken out about staying mentally positive while out on tour. While he admits some might believe he's fortunate because of his place in a successful band, Root says the same problems affect people in all walks of life.

Speaking to the You Rock Foundation, a music charity which seeks to raise awareness about mental health issues, Root admits that he began to experience panic attacks while on tour because he spent so much time "in his own mind", adding: "I was creating things in my mind that weren't really happening."

But now the guitarist spends more of his time songwriting and learning how to use music software to distract himself - and urges other people to take control of their own mental health by doing something positive.

He says: "Getting out your head is the most important thing you can do. If something pops in your head and you're like, 'Man, I wish I could do that,' get out there and do it.

"If you're not happy with where your life is going, you need to take steps to take yourself out and make yourself happy. It's up to you to be in control of your life. No one else will do it for you." Read more here.

Metal Hammer is an official news provider for antiMusic.com.
Copyright Metal Hammer - Excerpted here with permission.

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