116 Days of Summer Guests: Mackenzie Day

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Mackenzie Day — Mackenzie and her sister

I think Code Red is the most impactful, most special song I’ve ever written. Now, 8 years of difficulties & challenges, I’ve been watching my sister go through and helping her through her struggles still today. The struggle to live a normal life due to the impact of mental illness(Severe Depression & Severe Anxiety). Not being able to leave the house because she’s stuck on the floor having a panic attack every day, multiple times a day. Needing to be high(weed) most of the time to even want to stay alive.

Therapy has helped but she continues to struggle on a day-to-day basis. Alot of individuals in society do not understand that mental health is a real issue and how important it is that there is some kind of support for your friends and loved ones.

Until you witness someone dealing with mental health issues first hand, do you realize the seriousness of the matter and that it needs to be treated with high importance, to find the right help, and have the right necessary support.

As the oldest sibling, I guess I took on the parent role when the parents didn’t know how to deal with the panic moments. In the beginning, the mental health ignorance was loud, and I was the only one. I think my sister felt comfortable sharing space within those hard moments. This song is for my sister, but it’s also for myself.

As I also wrote this when I felt depressed for the first time in my life during the pandemic and my sister was in the worst mental state of her life, the song just came out of pure helpless frustration. 15 minutes later I knew I had just written something life changing. This song states the importance of checking in on those with mental health struggles, and not allowing it to get to a place of harm in order to realize how serious it can be.