Legendary DJ Avicii was like a 'zombie' at the end of his life.

This post deals with suicide, and may be triggering for some readers.

The life and tragic death of legendary DJ Avicii is the subject of an upcoming documentary which chronicles his final days.

The Swedish DJ, whose real name was Tim Bergling, was a huge artist in the music industry in the 2010s, releasing groundbreaking hits like 'Hey Brother', 'Levels' and 'Wake Me Up'. Avicii's impact was immense and he has since been heralded as an important influence on bringing electronic music into the mainstream. 

But as Avicii's star continued to rise, off stage the Grammy-nominated musician struggled with crippling anxiety for his entire life. After initially being prescribed opioids for the pain caused by his pancreatitis, he developed an addiction to painkillers. 

In 2016, Bergling retired from touring citing stress and poor mental health as the reasons.

In 2018, Avicii was found dead in the city of Muscat, Oman, at the age of 28, devastating fans around the world. 

The new documentary, Avicii: I'm Tim, just premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. The film eerily features the artist himself offering narration about his career, which was taken from a past interview.  

Directed by Henrik Burman and featuring interviews with Coldplay's Chris Martin and American musician Nile Rogers, the documentary includes never-before-seen tour footage and behind-the-scenes moments. 

Avicii wins the Favorite Electronic Dance Music Artist award onstage during the 2013 American Music Awards. Image: Getty. 

It was an open secret how much of a toll touring took on Avicii — at the peak of his career, he performed more than 800 shows in six years, even playing in two cities in one night. 

"I was a lot happier before I was famous than after I was famous," Bergling says in the film. "I was on autopilot mode. I started really f***ing wondering why I was feeling like this. I had been acting away because this is how you're supposed to be acting."

In the documentary, Avicii admitted that he was 'killing' himself with his non-stop touring schedule. Former colleague and friend, Jesse Waits, spoke about the impact of Avicii's increasing drug addiction in his final years. 

"I grew up with a family that did drugs and I saw when people do opiates their eyes change... His eyes were wide open like a zombie, he was not there... his demeanour changed and his eyes dilated," he said. 

"That changed everything, those pills change how you act and how you feel. You wake up feeling like s**t and have to have another one to feel good. For him it was to suppress his anxiety but it just created more anxiety." 

Along with detailing his tragic final years, the documentary shines a light on Avicii's early years growing up in Stockholm in Sweden. 

While the film has already got buzz from its Tribeca Film Festival debut, it's unclear when the documentary will be available to watch. 

Avicii's father has recently released a photobook, Avicii: The Life And Music Of Tim Bergling, about his late son, but hasn't watched the film yet. 

“I haven't seen the documentary, which has now showed at Tribeca, so I will build up the courage to see it," Klas Bergling told the PA news agency. 

"He was one of a kind, I hope he will be remembered for many years."

If you think you may be experiencing depression or another mental health problem, please contact your general practitioner or in Australia, contact Lifeline 13 11 14 for support or beyondblue at 1300 22 4636.

Feature Image: Getty.