5 Times Lady Gaga Advocated For Mental Health

17 April 2020, 14:17

One World: Home Together organiser, Lady Gaga is not only a global superstar but a staunch advocate for mental health issues and here's a couple of times she's been a truly committed supporter.

Lady Gaga has been determined and committed to de-stigmatising mental health for many years now and has declared the Global Citizen and WHO TV special One World: Home Together a 'love letter' to medical staff across the world fighting the pandemic, including mental health workers.

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So open, has the singer been about her personal experience with mental health, she's even outlined the 'crisis' she endured which saw her hospitalised.

The 'Stupid Love singer has detailed her battle that "morphed into physical chronic pain, fibromyalgia, panic attacks, acute trauma responses, and debilitating mental spirals that have included suicidal ideation and masochistic behaviour" to help others feel less alone.

Gaga on mental health during Coronavirus pandemic

Whilst promoting the incredible One World: Together At Home event she's helped organised and fundraise for, Gaga has spoken about the importance of talking about mental health during the pandemic

She praised mental health professionals in the US providing free care for frontline medical staff so when they get off their shift they have 'someone to talk to' because they're working under such catastrophic conditions I want the [TV] special to be our love letter."

'Shallow' GRAMMY acceptance speech

The enormous success of the film Gaga starred in alongside Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born, saw her accept two GRAMMYs for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, and Best Song Written for Visual Media, delivering a stirring speech about mental health, a theme the film explores in great depth.

The 9 time GRAMMY winner said: "I'm so proud to be a part of a movie that addresses mental health issues."

"We gotta take care of each other. So if you see somebody that's hurting, don't look away."

"And if you're hurting, even though it might be hard, try to find that bravery within yourself to dive deep and go tell somebody and take them up in your head with you."

Mental health in Lady Gaga's Five Foot Two Netflix documentary

In 2017, Gaga joined the likes the Beyoncé and Katy Perry, dropping an intimate, behind the scenes documentary about her life, Five Foot Two.

It showed her in a never-seen-before light, living her normal life, and the secret struggle she was experienced with chronic pain illness, Fibromyalgia, something she's since said is linked to her mental health problems.

She said: "I hope that they see the message at the end of the film. I wanted that to be there, for people to be able to reach out about mental health, anxiety as well as chronic pain and mental illness."

"It’s freeing for me because because I want people that struggle with it to hear me."

"There is a degree of self deprecation and shame that comes along with feeling in pain a lot, and I want people that watch it, that think that there’s no way that I live that way because they see me dance and sing, to know that I struggle with things like them."

Born This Way foundation

Gaga started the 'Born This Way' non-profit foundation in 2012, named after her 2011 album, whose primary aim is to 'seek to support the mental and emotional wellness of young people by putting their needs, ideas, and voices first.'

It shares resources for people to get mental health help, funds programs such as the 'teen Mental Health First Aid' program which is 'in-person training teaches high school students about common mental health challenges and what they can do to support their own mental health and help a friend who is struggling.'

She, and the charity, has always especially supported the LGBTQ+ community, helping younger people to overcome 'bullying and abandonment', with her song Born This Way becoming a staple song in the community for its message about acceptance.

Lady Gaga spoke candidly in mental health chat with Oprah

Covering an enormous array of topics in raw and honest chat with Oprah earlier this year, Gaga discussed everything from being a sexual assault survivor, to wanting to get mental health taught in the curriculum across the US.

She said: "What is health class, sex ed? Is that what we're still doing? We should be learning about the brain and the heart, and the mind and the body and it's connection and all the things."

"I want there to be someone in every school that someone can go to if they're in need of help, or that someone can go to if they see that someone else needs help."

"At the same time, it [should be] a requirement in every school that you learn about the importance of kindness, about triggers, and you learn about depression."

The pair shared an emotional moment backstage after their interview, where Oprah thanked the 'Bad Romance' singer for being so honest.

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