Crazy Is The New Black

Filed under: Music Minute

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Adam Duritz is opening up about his mental illness.

The Counting Crows lead singer is admitting publicly that he's spent the last few years battling severe depression and an inability to connect with people.

"I've been dealing with mental illness," Duritz says. "But I didn't want to say anything for a long time. I went crazy. It was scary."

After years of not being able to sort out what was going wrong, Duritz finally found a doctor who pinpointed the issue. He was diagnosed with a disassociative disorder, which can distort reality for those who have it.

He needs to have a nice long chat with Britney. It'll be good for her to have peers that have gone through similar issues.

The new Counting Crows album, Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings, is a double album inspired by the painful journey Duritz went through.

"The album is about a downward spiral, losing my mind and about trying to get it back," he says. "Not about getting it back but trying to get it back."

Seems like he's doing much better and that's a good thing!

[Image via WENN.]

    Posted: Mar 27, 2008 at 4:20 pm / Email this  »

    142 comments to “Crazy Is The New Black”

    More comments: « 1 [2]

    1. lena wayback says – reply to this


      101

      his hair looks like krusty the klown

    2. jackie says – reply to this


      102

      perez, mental illness is just that… AN ILLNESS… a DISEASE that no one asks for or wants, when patrick swayzee was diagnosed with cancer, also a DISEASE, you felt bad for him and told everyone to pray for him. People with mental illness are stigmatized enough and you, a person that has the potential for so much exposure just shines that much brighter of a negative light on the disease. 1 IN 4 PEOPLE SURFER FROM SOME SORT OF MENTAL ILLNESS!!! so Perez, think about it, you probably know someone very close to you that suffers, would you talk about them this way???????

    3. sandyman says – reply to this


      103

      He looks like Sideshow Bob from the Simpsons with that hair.

    4. jayzee says – reply to this


      104

      Love this man. Have been a fan of CC from the beginning…..forever. Much love.

      Funny thing…….Went to a show a while back. Googoo dolls opened for the Counting Crows. Loved it the show, and the irony. XOXO

    5. Nicole Gilkie says – reply to this


      105

      I think it is wrong on so many levels to make fun of someone with a mental ILLNESS. Would it be so funny to make fun of someone with Aids, or Diabetes or Cancer? Get SOME class!

    6. Shaz says – reply to this


      106

      Best of luck Adam - you are courageous and a fantastic artist. This is a debilitatingly painful condition, and you are helping lots of people by discussing it.

      Other Posters - Perez makes funny to entertain - but his post is for the common good. Lighten up folks - if he was PC you wouldn't read him!

    7. Johnny Depp says – reply to this


      107

      He's got a case of the ASSHOLE FACE. No wonder people don't recognize him and give him dirty stares in public for being UGLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      UGLY!

      UGLY!!!

      ASSHOLE FACE!!!!

      ANTISOCIAL RETARD UGLY FREAK!!!

      CRAZY JEW LAWYER FATSO OLD MAN DAD LOSER FACE!

    8. LYNNIE BEAR says – reply to this


      108

      You look like a total ASSHOLE DOUCHE with those DREADS!!!

      HAHAHA, LIKE A SCRAPPY CARTOON CHARACTER. I'LL BET PEOPLE CRINGE AND WANT TO SCRAM WHEN YOU TRY TO TALK TO THEM!

      HAHAHAHAHA!!!

      GO KILL YOURSELF, MAYBE THEN WE'LL CARE!!

      dopey dipshit

    9. PB says – reply to this


      109

      There's a guy wincing in the background, at how UGLY THAT POOR BOY IS.

      yucky yuck fat n tall head with fake nappy dread.

    10. PB says – reply to this


      110

      There's a guy wincing in the background, at how UGLY THAT POOR BOY IS.

      yucky yuck fat n tall head with fake nappy dread.

    11. WWDC says – reply to this


      111

      I don’t see any mention of Howard Stern in this article!

    12. Jakobi says – reply to this


      112

      OK, maybe in America it's not as out in the open.
      But you DON'T make fun of people for mental illness.
      Alcoholism, drug addiction, yes, mental illness no!

      But if you ARE going to, don't use the word crazy.

    13. Superman says – reply to this


      113

      he looks like a living version of Side Show Bob

    14. duritzgirl says – reply to this


      114

      I've always thought Adam was seriously hot. He STILL looks seriously hot. CC have never gone away, they've just pulled out of the mainstream. He has mental problems b/c he walks the fine line between genius and crazy, as many artists do!

    15. Baba booey says – reply to this


      115

      Give Howard some credit next time you rip him off.

    16. ashley says – reply to this


      116

      i have disassociative disorder along w/ severe depression & borderline personality disorder accompanied by social anxiety. it sucks but it's treatable. good luck to adam. :)

    17. PEREzonhisperiod says – reply to this


      117

      It makes so much sense why I like his music. It comes from a place that is so internal, introverted, disjointed and that is how my mind understand music, poetry and thoughts as a fluid granny weatherall type slip of emotions

    18. katie says – reply to this


      118

      Perez,

      Pst! It's a dissociative disorder, not disassociative.

      :)

    19. Your Mom says – reply to this


      119

      Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings is not a double album
      but it is FANTASTIC

      God Bless the Counting Crows!!!

    20. bill says – reply to this


      120

      Wow, you just can't help yourself! You just can't stifle that inner bitch! Again, this is an adult talking about his bout with mental illness and you can't resist poking fun at him and drawing doodles on it.
      I really do hope that you never have to deal with anything as traumatic as mental illness or a public break up or anything remotely painful and have some ass clown making fun of you to millions of people.
      I get the softer side of Perez–you post at least once a day about some random charity, as if that good karma will offset the bad karma of making fun and profiting off people's misfortunes.
      You may be making lots of money off of this business, but if you do some research, most of all the "gossip" columnists throughout history have been pretty unhappy people who did not have very positive private lives. Might be some connection.

    21. Jen says – reply to this


      121

      What the fuck is up with that nasty ass hair?!! He reminds me of Sideshow Bob. I can NOT believe Jen Aniston and Courtney Cox ever dated this homeless lookin dude!! I do feel bad for him that he has the Britney syndrome.

    22. Perez SUcks says – reply to this


      122

      Why don't you give proper credit to where you got the story from. It was on Howard Stern Thursday.

      Slimeball

    23. roxy says – reply to this


      123

      Perez-y, you disappoint - aren't you going to say anything about his dred WIG?????? I saw him years ago in concert in Berkeley (where he's from) and he was in the audience without his wig on - what a poser!

    24. tidiaii says – reply to this


      124

      u need a serious hair do

    25. jojoma says – reply to this


      125

      At least he's honest!
      Being in the entertainment industry can make one go crazy, that is for SURE!

    26. joeyc says – reply to this


      126

      Isn't that Daughtry with a fro???? hmmm makes you wonder………

    27. Get well Adam says – reply to this


      127

      No matter what you say the boy can sing. just saw him the other night on one of the late night shows.

    28. holly says – reply to this


      128

      I smoked up with them in Lawrence, KS in the 90's and he seemed fine to me. Of course, we were high…

    29. firepie says – reply to this


      129

      yes, as heard on the Howard Stern Show

      AT LEAST GIVE HIM THE CREDIT YA DOUCHE!

    30. lisa says – reply to this


      130

      i work in the MH field and find this post "interesting" because depression and dissociative d/o are two very different things, though you wouldnt know it from the post. and, by the way, dissociative d/o is the "new" name for multiple personality disorder and almost no one gets that diagnosis…it is possible to dissociate without having that diagnosis and it is also possible to be depressed in addition to it but the quote and the post make it all a little confusing. i doubt he really has mpd, but clearly has some mental health issues he's needed to clear up. either way i liked the crows early stuff…when i was in high school.

    31. KL says – reply to this


      131

      Its nice to see Adam on here, without you saying horrible things about him!! lol

      I'm so excited that they have a new album!

    32. SUnshine from CRAZY GIRLS on Sunset Strip says – reply to this


      132

      I worked as a dancer on the Sunset strip at the Best Club called CRAZY GIRLS.ADAM came in often ..he sat at the stage , watched girls partied and never ever spent a penny. he is one of the cheapest FUCKS ever. Now, George Clooney..thats a man……..very generous, .Brett Michaels takes care of his girls..but this guy sucked !!

    33. sunshine from CRAZY GIRLS on Sunset Strip says – reply to this


      133

      he is a cheap duck !!!! never tips dancers and his hair cockalocks stick like mildew

    34. lotusgrl says – reply to this


      134

      Adam Duritz rocks! Love The Counting Crows….His voice is sexy, his lyrics smart. Can't wait to hear the new cd!

    35. Haley says – reply to this


      135

      Re: lisa – "and, by the way, dissociative d/o is the "new" name for multiple personality disorder" Dissociative disorder is not the new name for multiple personality disorder. It's new name is dissociative identity disorder (DID).

    36. MARCOS says – reply to this


      136

      He's crazy because he has an ugly face and horrible hair.
      Do you blame the guy?

    37. DMAN says – reply to this


      137

      I'D LIKE TO PUT A MATCH TO THAT

    38. exdepressed says – reply to this


      138

      Salute his courage, we all know there is a fine line between genius and crazy, and the most creative artists walk both sides of that line. I lived on depressed side of the line without the artistry, thank you to people like him for speaking up and making the less talented of us feel better about having gone through it. AGREE WITH POST #32.

    39. Erin says – reply to this


      139

      IT'S DISSOCIATIVE DISORDER, NOT DISASSOCIATIVE. THAT'S NOT EVEN A WORD. YOU'RE VILE.

    40. Jeff says – reply to this


      140

      It's not a double album jackass.

    41. caghmwui vqkjfytcm says – reply to this


      141

      imlwuh txwz acdr pirdawhf jyiqtuvs txydaks rlkj

    42. robin says – reply to this


      142

      Counting Crows is by far the best band ever! Their songs really have meaning and are moving. The new album is superb second only to the classic "August and Everything After"

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