Lewis Capaldi says antipsychotic medication ‘changed my life’

Lewis Capaldi made his comeback after a two-year break on the Pyramid stage of Glastonbury last month. (Leon Neal/Getty Images via CNN Newsource)

Lewis Capaldi says that he is taking antipsychotic medication and that it has changed his life.

The Scottish singer stepped away from the public eye following a difficult performance at the Glastonbury Festival in the summer of 2023.

His fans stepped in to help him finish hit song “Someone You Loved” during that performance as he appeared to struggle on stage.

Capaldi returned to the hugely popular British festival last month and is embarking on a sold out tour of the U.K. and Ireland in September, followed by a series of dates in Australia and New Zealand.

The 28-year-old singer-songwriter opened up about his mental health struggles in an interview with Theo Von on YouTube.

Speaking on the comedian’s podcast “This Past Weekend,” Capaldi said he’d had “a breakdown of sorts on stage” at the festival two years ago.

He revealed that an initial prescription for antidepressants made him feel “numb,” while coming off them made him feel “really low.”

The shift to antipsychotic medication made all the difference, he said.

“It was really scary when they offered it up,” he said, adding that he questioned the prescription, saying: “I’m not psychotic.”

He said he takes aripiprazole, which is known to be a treatment for Tourette’s Syndrome, as well as other conditions like bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

“It’s changed my life,” he said. “It’s genuinely been a massive, massive help.”

He said he’s been having therapy and that he’s also made other lifestyle changes: he has cut back on drink, changed his diet and taken up exercise, revealing that he has lost about 28 pounds since January.

“My anxiety levels are so low these days,” he said. “I don’t feel as stressed. I don’t know if it’s all related to this (the antipsychotics) or other choices – I guess it’s an amalgamation of things.”

Glastonbury was a turning point

The performance at Glastonbury in 2023 was “the lowest moment of my life,” Capaldi said, adding: “I had this moment where I was on stage, like two, three songs in, (thinking) this is the last time I’m going to play a gig for a long time. I need to try and get through the rest of the show but when I come off I’m done.”

That decision, he said, left him feeling like a “weight had been lifted.”

There had been a similar episode several weeks earlier in Chicago, which he said was “way worse.”

“I couldn’t come back on stage and finish the song and I was backstage convulsing and having this crazy panic attack,” he said.

“In a weird way it’s probably the best thing that’s ever happened to me, that moment at Glastonbury in 2023, because… I wouldn’t have stopped otherwise.”

CNN’s Lisa Respers contributed to this report.