Bruce Springsteen recalls being ‘embarrassed’ to go to psychiatrist

Bruce Springsteen is opening up about one of the most difficult chapters of his life, his battle with mental health and the embarrassment he once felt about seeking help.

The 76-year-old rock icon reflected on that time during an appearance on BBC’s The Radio 2 Breakfast Show with host Scott Mills, alongside actor Jeremy Allen White, who portrays him in the upcoming biopic Deliver Me from Nowhere.

“Mental illness ran through my families. I had aunts, very, very ill. I had cousins who were very ill and I just got used to it,” Springsteen said. 

“These were the people that I loved. But no one got any help whatsoever … there was no medication. There was no interactions with any psychological help. And so, everybody just suffered through it.”

The Born to Run singer shared that the film accurately depicts his “deterioration” during that difficult time. 

“I was very lucky, you know, and Jeremy really captures sort of my deterioration at that time when I first, I guess I had my first breakdown, really, is what it was,” he recalled. 

“And though I didn’t know what was going on, I was lucky enough at that point to have a relationship with, you know, Mr. Landau, Jon Landau.”

Landau, played by Succession star Jeremy Strong in the movie, was more than just a manager to Springsteen — he was a lifeline. 

“He had experience in this area and got me to some folks that really were able to help me out at the time,” Springsteen said.

Still, getting help didn’t come easily. The music legend admitted that when he first began seeing a psychiatrist, he was deeply ashamed. 

“I was totally embarrassed,” he revealed. 

“And for years, I would almost disguise myself before going into the psychiatrist’s office. I have my baseball hat on and my glasses and I’m looking around and I’m sneaking in as fast as I can.”

Over time, Springsteen learned to let go of that shame and accept therapy as a vital part of his well-being. 

“It took me years to get used to just feeling fine and confident about walking into the office,” he said. 

“It was just so forbidden in the world that I grew up in that it took me a long time to get used to it and now it’s been a big part of my life for the last half of my life.”

Deliver Me from Nowhere, which tells the story of the making of Springsteen’s landmark 1982 album Nebraska, hits theaters on October 24. For Springsteen, it’s not just a film about music, it’s a reflection of the pain, growth, and healing that shaped the man behind The Boss.