Gaga wrote a letter about her experience with PTSD

[Coop 15,354]

I have wrestled for some time about when, how and if I should reveal my diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). After five years of searching for the answers to my chronic pain and the change I have felt in my brain, I am finally well enough to tell you. There is a lot of shame attached to mental illness, but it’s important that you know that there is hope and a chance for recovery.

It is a daily effort for me, even during this album cycle, to regulate my nervous system so that I don’t panic over circumstances that to many would seem like normal life situations. Examples are leaving the house or being touched by strangers who simply want to share their enthusiasm for my music.

I also struggle with triggers from the memories I carry from my feelings of past years on tour when my needs and requests for balance were being ignored. I was overworked and not taken seriously when I shared my pain and concern that something was wrong. I ultimately ended up injured on the Born This Way Ball. That moment and the memory of it has changed my life forever.  The experience of performing night after night in mental and physical pain ingrained in me a trauma that I relive when I see or hear things that remind me of those days.

I also experience something called dissociation which means that my mind doesn’t want to relive the pain so “I look off and I stare” in a glazed over state. As my doctors have taught me, I cannot express my feelings because my pre-frontal cortex (the part of the brain that controls logical, orderly thought) is overridden by the amygdala (which stores emotional memory) and sends me into a fight or flight response.  My body is in one place and my mind in another. It’s like the panic accelerator in my mind gets stuck and I am paralyzed with fear.

When this happens I can’t talk. When this happens repeatedly, it makes me have a common PTSD reaction which is that I feel depressed and unable to function like I used to. It’s harder to do my job. It’s harder to do simple things like take a shower. Everything has become harder. Additionally, when I am unable to regulate my anxiety, it can result in somatization, which is pain in the body caused by an inability to express my emotional pain in words.

But I am a strong and powerful woman who is aware of the love I have around me from my team, my family and friends, my doctors and from my incredible fans who I know will never give up on me.  I will never give up on my dreams of art and music. I am continuing to learn how to transcend this because I know I can.  If you relate to what I am sharing, please know that you can too.

Traditionally, many associate PTSD as a condition faced by brave men and women that serve countries all over the world. While this is true, I seek to raise awareness that this mental illness effects all kinds of people, including our youth. I pledge not only to help our youth not feel ashamed of their own conditions, but also to lend support to those servicemen and women who suffer from PTSD. No one’s invisible pain should go unnoticed.

I am doing various modalities of psychotherapy and am on medicine prescribed by my psychiatrist.  However, I believe that the most inexpensive and perhaps the best medicine in the world is words. Kind words…positive words…words that help people who feel ashamed of an invisible illness to overcome their shame and feel free. This is how I and we can begin to heal. I am starting today, because secrets keep you sick. And I don’t want to keep this secret anymore.

A note from my psychologist, drnancy;

If you think you might have PTSD, please seek professional help.  There is so much hope for recovery.  Many people think that the event that stimulated PTSD needs to be the focus.  Yet often, people will experience the same event and have completely different reactions to it.  It is my opinion that trauma occurs in an environment where your feelings and emotional experience are not valued, heard and understood.  The specific event is not the cause of traumatic experience.  This lack of a “relational home” for feelings is the true cause of traumatic experience. Finding support is key.

 

[PartySick 159,892]

I love her so much. Literally, words could not express the admiration and respect I hold for this woman.

[GhettoFabulous 18,501]

I almost cried I'm so grateful for this women and everything she does.

[Coop 15,354]

But I am a strong and powerful woman who is aware of the love I have around me from my team, my family and friends, my doctors and from my incredible fans who I know will never give up on me.  I will never give up on my dreams of art and music. I am continuing to learn how to transcend this because I know I can.  If you relate to what I am sharing, please know that you can too.

 

 

[Squeeshy Keety 9,908]

I admit to being uneducated about the effects of PTSD, but she needs to do whatever she can to stay emotionally healthy. The little managers need to simmer down and accept the fact that she just can't deliver (quantitatively) as much as she did at the start of her career. I just want her happy, and after everything she has done for all of us, she f*cking deserves better. 

[Gagaplayer315 14,012]

This broke my heart  

And to think that after all the trauma she went through with her hip injury she was torn apart by the media in the following year and her artistic vision for ARTPOP was ridiculed by everyone. Now I understand why she was doing all the other things like Jazz and the acting.

[REALITY 76,361]

I almost cried reading this. It's just so beautiful and touching. You know, this woman has literally given everything she's got, and sometimes we take that for granted. 

She's a kind, loving, smart, and compassionate lady, and it breaks my heart to know that she's gone through so much, and has suffered through so much, only to keep a smile on her face and try to power through it.

I really just want to give her a big hug right now; after everything she's done for us, I think we need to do something for her, and spread love, kindness, and positivity: something that she's preached so much about. 

EDIT - I was curious about this, and just looked up a bit about Gaga's experience with PTSD in her recent interview, and the comments are just so f*cking disgusting. I know I shouldn't take them seriously, but I'd be saying if it was Gaga or if it was just anyone else. 

The fact that some people are just shoving this aside and just saying that she's "faking it" or that she's just "doing it for attention" really don't have any idea what she's been through and what it means to have PTSD. Absolutely disgusting. 

[donutellha 13,819]

she is such brave heart. it moves me to see someone go through such and manage to open up.

[Mister Gaga 22,898]

She's unique. So proud to stan for this woman, who's not afraid to show her flaws, mistakes and experiences. 

[TommyJade 29]

I suspected she was having mental health issues - just because so many behaviours mirrored my own. Regulating energy and emotions. It's hell. To do what she is right now in the face of all that? I have so much admiration for her. 

What is incredibly hurtful is how many people on here have been jumping on her and criticizing her. "She shouldn't be feeling lonely, she wanted fame." "She shouldn't be talking about her mental health so much." "She should be doing more promo." I stopped visiting her so much as it was triggering me all the time, and I just have anxiety.

I'm thankful she wrote this. I found out in October that my medication wasn't working after having a horrid year and have worried if my life will ever get back to normal. She's given me hope that you can do brilliant work while taking care of yourself. I love how she spoke specifically about dissociation, which is really unpleasant to deal with. I think this will raise awareness of so many issues surrounding mental health.

Anyway, my 2 cents. Not trying to be nasty with the second paragraph - I can imagine she must have struggled with the negative press during this album cycle

[Bloody hooker 6,445]

This makes me so sad. It's hard to believe that she goes through this everyday.

Plus I knew that the BTWB injury messed her up, but I didn't know that it affected her that bad. She is such a strong woman, and that's why I love her.

[Letmelivemylife 8,715]

She once said that when they were wheeling her into her hip surgery, she thought about all of the stories when had told her and that our bravery terrified her in a way. In reality, it's her bravery that terrifies me. Words cannot express how much I love this woman. It's a real honest genuine love. She taught me lessons that nobody else had taught me and most importantly, she taught me that unconditional love does exist. She spent years "raising" us in a way and she was always there no questions asked. She loved us as if we were her own flesh and blood. No matter how many times we ****ed up, she was always there to take us back and forgive us. It's our turn to be there for her now. 

[Katie14 4,828]

"I was overworked and not taken seriously when I shared my pain and concern that something was wrong. I ultimately ended up injured on the Born This Way Ball. "

I thought I remembered her saying that she didn't tell anyone about the pain she was in because she didn't want to have to cancel the tour. Does anyone remember what she said?

Anyway, she is so brave for sharing her experiences. Im glad she brought to light that when people don't treat you with respect, dignity, or take you seriously, that can be extremely damaging. You don't have to go through one specific severe physical or emotional trauma to get PTSD. 

[VANTABLACK 7,793]

I have my first ever  psychologist appointment later this month , I had to wait 6 months but I finally decided to get help after so many years dealing with my depression and ptsd , I've just been so ashamed and dead inside I don't even know it will help but I just don't want to live like this anymore , I want to be happy  

the fact that Gaga knows how I feel and we are connected in some way gives me so much hope but also makes me so sad , I just wish I could have a conversation with her and tell her how I feel and tell her how big of a part she is in my life , she's the only thing that's made me worth living for .  

[VANTABLACK 7,793]

I have my first ever  psychologist appointment later this month , I had to wait 6 months but I finally decided to get help after so many years dealing with my depression and ptsd , I've just been so ashamed and dead inside I don't even know it will help but I just don't want to live like this anymore , I want to be happy  

the fact that Gaga knows how I feel and we are connected in some way gives me so much hope but also makes me so sad that this pain exists in our lives which I don't think we deserve  , I just wish I could have a conversation with her and tell her how I feel and tell her how big of a part she is in my life , she's the only thing that's made me worth living for .