Lady Gaga is an inspiration!

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Martinez, a gay man working as a wardrobe stylist in Orlando, found solace in Lady Gaga's music. He listened to "Marry the Night," a song from her 2011 album "Born This Way." It was a beacon of hope, a song with a tangible coping strategy.

"'Marry the Night' was my song forever," Martinez says. "It tells you to marry the night: Don't ignore what's going bad in your life. Don't ignore it, marry it. It's part of your life. ... The bad emotions are going to get you to a better place."

But it wasn't enough. Martinez suffered from depression. "I was trying to party and go to the clubs and have fun, just to get my head out of it," he says. He lost his job and apartment. He lived in his car.

Eventually, Martinez returned to Waterbury, where most of his family lives. There, another part of Gaga's message — mental health awareness, the focus of her Born This Way Foundation — resonated. Spotting a flyer, Martinez signed up for Mental Health First Aid training, a free CPR-like program offered by Mental Health Connecticut, and many other organizations across the country.

On the 2013 Born This Way Tour (not long after the December 2012 Newtown shooting), Lady Gaga's Born Brave Bus tailgated at shows. Inside, Gaga and her team counseled Little Monsters (her fans) with mental health, depression and bullying problems.

Martinez won't attend Lady Gaga's concerts this weekend, but he will appear at the Nov. 11 Mental Health First Aid Trainings at Mohegan Sun.

More @ http://www.courant.com/entertainment/music/hc-lady-gaga-mental-health-first-aid-mohegan-sun-20171107-story.html

 

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