Guns N' Roses' Duff McKagan Guests On Mind Wide Open

Michael Angulia | 08-10-2020

Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver icon Duff McKagan will be the feature guest on Lily Cornell Silver's IGTV series Mind Wide Open beginning 9am PT/12noon ET today (August 10th). We were sent the following details:

Duff bravely delves into growing up with anxiety, revealing how he had his first panic attack at 16. Additionally, he talks about his use of drugs and alcohol to self medicate and the damage that did.

He and Lily discuss the everyday challenges they both face in managing anxiety and depression including using the tools of meditation, martial arts and different forms of therapy. Duff also talks about touring with Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver as a sober person and still having to regulate his emotional and physical life utilizing new tools and healthier solutions, including his good friend and bandmate, Slash being a "safe person" for him.

As in previous episodes, Lily continues on her mission to de-stigmatize conversations around mental health. In a recent interview with Rolling Stone Lily said, "If you want to talk about mental health, you need to really delve into all the different facets that work within that....I want to discuss the difference between grief and trauma and chemical imbalances like anxiety and depression and bipolar disorder." She continues, "...You need to have someone you can be open with and not worry that they're going to feel burdened by it or judge you for it. My mom is absolutely that person for me as well."

Duff told Rolling Stone, "Lily has taken the very brave step of exposing her own ups and downs with mental health and carrying forward a message and public conversations with others. This public forum of Mind Wide Open is a brilliant dive into the real-time realities and solutions for us all to hold onto. Lily has definitely lived it and is still dealing with her own 'stuff,' and that she chose to do something like this just shows the character of this super-strong, young woman." Watch the episode (once available) here.