What Young Boys with Poor Mental Health Need to Know

“Old Town Road” singer and rapper Lil Nas X is potentially going to be granted anonymity for last year’s assault case.

Montero Lamar Hill, otherwise known more famously by his artist name, Lil Nas X, has today been granted a mental health programme by a judge in California. In case you weren’t aware, in August 2025, the rapper was arrested for battery of a police officer after he was caught walking around the streets of Los Angeles naked.

It was reported that Lil Nas X was under the influence during this incident and has been struggling with substance abuse for quite some time. Following the event, the rapper was rushed to the hospital, where it was suggested that the amount of drugs in his system was reflective of an overdose. Since then, the court declared that the artist could face up to five years in prison.

Lil Nas X’s original response

When the incident happened, the singer-songwriter shared a video on his TikTok account four days later. Vaguley, addressing the event, Lil Nas X reassured fans that he was going to be “okay.” While he’s not seen taking much accountability in the footage, it’s clear that there is a sense of dissociation in his body language.

@stereogum
Lil Nas X is out on bail and speaking about his ordeal over the weekend. Early last Thursday morning, Lil Nas X was arrested for battery of a police officer after he was found wandering naked on Ventura Boulevard in Los Angeles, muttering to himself and at one point putting a traffic cone on his head. Police suspected he was on drugs and he was hospitalized after an altercation with them. The “Old Town Road” rapper spent the weekend in jail and yesterday in Los Angeles Superior Court was charged with four felonies. He is potentially facing years in prison. Lil Nas X (real name Montero Hill) pled not guilty to three counts of battery with injury on a police officer, along with one felony charge of resisting an executive officer. His bail was set at $75,000 and he’s been ordered to enroll in a narcotics outpatient program. According to ‘Reuters,’ Nas’ attorney Christy O’Connor said the singer was not taking illegal drugs and that “the episode was an aberration in his life.” #LilNasX
♬ original sound – stereogum

What happened in the recent court hearing?

After months of deliberating, the judge has proposed that the rapper’s charges could potentially be squashed if he completes the mental health programme. In response to the news, Lil Nas X told Rolling Stone, “I’m thankful. Just very thankful… It could have been much worse.”

What can young boys learn about this?

Substance abuse is a complex disease that often takes the sanity and lives of many young adults. Often eating away at people’s mental health. Causing them to act out in arbitrary ways and commit crimes they wouldn’t usually do. That’s not to say that within all of this, accountability goes flying out the window. It’s very important for anyone who has suffered from drug abuse to also take accountability.

However, it’s also important to take note of the fact that many young men struggle with addiction. In November 2025, the National Health Service (NHS) England released a report. It showed that men aged 25 to 34 years old (14.2%) were more likely to be dependent on drugs in the UK. Additionally, “10.5% of adults with a common mental health condition reported signs of drug dependence.”

A message that the younger generation can take from Lil Nas X’s court case is that there’s a very thin line between addiction and committing crimes. It’s too easy to find oneself in positions of hopelessness. Drawn to drugs that make you unable to make conscious moral decisions.

The rapper’s court case is a hopeful indication that the law can be on your side. Even when, so often, it doesn’t feel like it is. And that mental illness is a serious disease that can be accounted for in court.

What support can young men get and where?

The UK has a plethora of support systems for people struggling with addiction. From the NHS to WithYou. However, Young Minds is an independent charity dedicated to providing resources for the youth.

If you’re a young adult who struggles with bad mental health. Or substance issues, know that there is support here for you. If you need a space to read about where to get these resources from. Or discover more stories about mental health, subscribe here.

Post Views: 22

Laviea Thomas

Journalist at Inside Success | Website | + posts

Laviea Thomas is a journalist at Inside Success who writes about film, music and politics.

Outside of that, she is an experienced freelance journalist with bylines in NME, The Quietus, Metal Hammer and more.

Over the years, Laviea has been an active panellist discussing fundamental conversations in the music industry, such as diversity and inclusion, and the importance of grassroots venues. She has been a panel guest for Kerrang! Focus Wales Festival, Future Yard and more.