MGK Reveals the ‘Positive Affirmation’ He Lives by to Manage His Mental Health Today: ‘Tattoo It on My Tongue’ (Exclusive)

MGK is practicing positive thinking.

The rapper-turned-punk rocker (formerly Machine Gun Kelly) has long been open about his struggles with anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation.

Today, that managing his mental health means that “I have to live in a place of positive affirmations right now,” the “Cliché singer, 35, tells PEOPLE. “So speaking into existence what I would like: I’m so f—ing happy. Tattoo it on my tongue.”

The Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter opens up about some of turmoil in his personal life on his new album, Lost Americana, which dropped in August. On one standout, “Treading Water,” MGK reveals he spent last Christmas in rehab and appears to reference a tumultuous time in his on-off relationship with girlfriend Megan Fox, with whom he welcomed daughter Saga in March.

“I broke this home, and just like my father / I’ll die all alone,” he sings on the track, later saying, “I’m lookin’ at the kids’ faces / Sittin’ in the driveway while I pack up suitcases / I just ruined their holiday / And lies don’t die, they grow / And everything you try to hide eventually shows … It’s a complicated relationship, that’s nobody’s business / But I’m in this business, face it / I’ve been hiding from the ideation / That the public has been ruinin’ my reputation.”

Then on album closer “Orpheus,” which was co-written with Fox, MGK sings of fighting for love while nodding to the Greek myth: “Eurydice died from a viper / The girl Orpheus knew he’d die for / Go to the underworld and fight for / ’Cause life’s just death if I don’t have you / So I’ll find Hell to be trapped into / To get back to you.”

Of navigating difficult times, MGK tells PEOPLE, “I’m a rolling stone, man. You’re bound to continue hitting rocks and obstacles. It’s just the path I chose, I guess.”

The “Forget Me Too” singer — who is also dad to daughter Casie, 16, from a previous relationship — says he didn’t hesitate to show his sensitive side on the album.

“Vulnerability is how I was able to hold on to the fan base I’ve had for so many years,” MGK says. “The human behind the music has to show the human side.”

He adds: “Maybe this time, they’ll get to know the man-slash-broken-boy behind the moniker MGK.”

If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, emotional distress, substance use problems, or just needs to talk, call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org 24/7.