Page 7 - Black Velvet Magazine Issue 108

BV108 pg 04-09 Eva Under Fire.qxp_BV108 pg07 17/06/2023 17:02 Page 4

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ple entering treatment also needing help with are sitting quietly in the room with us] you know, mind yourself in your brain. I don’t care if you’ve
mental health issues. even just the band and my tribe that we travel got to do it like a phone voice memo, to say,
It is well known that sometimes people use with, they’re very helpful in doing that. They go, ‘Today is going to be good. I am enough and I’ll
alcohol or substances, including prescription ‘Hey, you’ve got a weird face, what’s wrong with get through it because I’m a smart cookie and I
medication, to self-medicate as a way of coping you?’” Eva laughs. “I’m like, ‘Oh, I am mad, or know what I’m doing.’” she chuckles. “As a mat-
with anxiety, depression or pain. For anyone overwhelmed, or whatever. I need a time-out’. ter of fact, it’s really cool because, with that par-
who suffers with substance abuse and/or mental So there’s some of that. It’s about not only ask- ticular song, when we play it live, sometimes I
health issues, the most important part is recog- ing yourself hard questions, but who you sur- do switch it up to ‘YOU are the strong’. Because
nising and admitting that there is a problem. round yourself with too.” everybody that’s standing in front of a rock band
Then its time to start taking action in seeking Eva tells us that when she is feeling anxious has been through some things, right? They re-
professional help. Self-care is also a very impor- she likes to go for a walk to clear her head. “It’s late to that statement for a reason; they relate to
tant step on the road to recovery. literally to just remove myself from whatever it is some of the heavy content in the lyricism. It’s
Self-care is something we all need to do a I’m struggling with, and also as an effort to get such a really cool moment. A very powerful,
little more of in life. Each and every one of us out of my own head. This world is so topsy-turvy emotional moment. I do want them to know that
has been guilty of not taking a moment to take and wild, there’s not a lot of logic to it some- they get through their stuff, I get through my
care of ourselves. Take anxiety as an example; times. It’s like, ‘There is no reason this should stuff, we’ll get through it together, but you’ve got
it is one of the most common mental to tell yourself that you are worth it. I
health problems and comes in different “You’ve got to tell yourself that you are do… I try to do that. So I definitely
levels. It can be easy to hide and hard worth it. I do… I try to do that. So, I definitely think that’s probably the number one
to recognise. There are many ways thing. Tell yourself you’re worth it.”
you can help yourself deal with anxiety think that’s probably the number one thing. The intention of ‘The Strong’ is to
so that things do not seem so over- Tell yourself you’re worth it.” ­ Eva Marie honour each person's struggle to be
whelming. Opening up to somebody their best selves. What inspires Eva to
you trust, physical exercise, eating be the best version of herself?
healthy, breathing exercises, keeping a diary… be happening, right?’ But it is, and you just have “I’ve got no other choice!” Eva laughs.
Finding ways to cope that do not involve alcohol to figure that out. Deal and cope the best that “I can answer that for her,” pipes up Eva’s
or addictive substances will help you make you can, try not to stress, and walk through it. I bandmate, Chris.
healthier decisions when life becomes challeng- also try to take things in very tiny pieces, baby “Go ahead,” Eva smiles.
ing. steps, and you’ll get there.” “Robert Lyberg,” says Chris
“Awww. He’s part of it.” Eva agrees, smiling
eing a practising Psychologist, primarily n ‘The Strong’, Eva belts out the lyrics, ‘I as she glances over to her husband (Eva Under
Bworking in the areas of anxiety, depres- Iam the strong, I am the brave, I am the Fire guitarist) Robert. “I mean I don’t have a
sion, grief and substance abuse recovery, Eva scar, I am the pain…’ All those are elements of choice. I feel like there’s a lot of other things, you
tells us that she has become pretty good at ourselves that make us who we are. We ask Eva know? I don’t often say it’s yes or no, right or
recognising and dealing with her own fears and what advice she would give to those struggling wrong. Black and white thinking is something I
anxieties. with how to use these elements to propel them- try to stay away from, but the only other choice,
Open about the fact that she is not scared selves forward, rather than being anchored by really, is just curl up in a ball and try to avoid
to reach out, Eva reveals that she has a lot of their past? everything, and that doesn’t work for me. So, my
help and support surrounding her. “I preach “Ahh, that’s a great question,” states Eva, option is to be my best self all the time; when I
about people getting therapy because I am a before pausing to consider her answer. “Self- don’t and I can’t, accept that. That’s okay you
therapist. I am a therapist in therapy and I write talk,” she responds. “Like the narrative that we can have a bad day. It doesn’t mean you’re a
for my therapy,” she laughs. “I do a lot of soul- have about ourselves. What we tell ourselves bad human; it doesn’t mean I’m a bad person if
searching and self-awareness stuff, but these about ourselves, in our own head - make that I can’t do that all the time and stay ‘on’ all the
guys [signalling to her fellow bandmates, who more positive. All the time. Say it out loud; re- time. So, yeah, it’s because the other choice

EVA UNDER FIRE