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17th Oct 2015
Pop superstar Lady Gaga has opened up about her struggle with depression and anxiety, saying she struggles with both on a daily basis.
In an interview with Billboard, the songstress spoke about her motivations for starting the Born This Way Foundation – a nonprofit group set up to show teens they weren’t alone – and how much she identifies with the vast numbers of her young fans who struggle with mental health.
The focus of the foundation has shifted in recent years, with the emphasis now on peer support and preventive initiatives, including research on youth and mental health.
“I’ve suffered through depression and anxiety my entire life. I still suffer with it every single day,” Gaga said. “This modern thing, where everyone is feeling shallow and less connected? That’s not human.”
“I just want these kids to know that that depth they feel as human beings is normal. We were born that way.? The singer explained that she empathised with her fans struggles and wanted to continue to raise awareness of the importance of mental health.
?Depression and anxiety really link them [the fans]. There is something in the way that we are now, with our cell phones, and people are not looking at each other and not being in the moment with each other, that kids feel isolated. They read all of this extremely hateful language on the Internet. The internet is a toilet. It is. It used to be a fantastic resource — but you have to sort through s**t to find the good stuff,? Gaga said.
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?These kids just want to feel human, but they feel like robots. They don’t understand why they’re so sad. There are scientific reasons, which the foundation researches, why you feel sad when you look at your phone all day.?
There is something in the way that we are now, with our cell phones, and people are not looking at each other and not being in the moment with each other, that kids feel isolated.
This isn’t the first time the performer, who is currently starring in the latest’season of American Horror Story, detailed her personal problems with depression. She revealed that back at the end of 2014, she hit what she described as “rock bottom.”
“I couldn’t even feel my heartbeat. I was angry, cynical, and had this deep sadness like an anchor dragging everywhere I go. I just didn’t feel like fighting anymore. I didn’t feel like standing up for myself one more time – to one more person who lied to me,” she told Harper’s Bazaar earlier this year.
Her comments came at a time when her career faced upheaval; she was forced to change management amid criticism when her Artpop album didn’t chart as well as expected. Gaga bounced back with a chart-topping jazz album and recently did her part in raising awareness for those who were victims of sexual assault with her powerful Til It Happens To You music video.
It’s always refreshing to see those in the public eye speak out about mental health – fellow celebrities such as Bressie, Lena Dunham, Emma Stone and Kylie Jenner have also opened up about similar struggles – and the stigma that can still be associated with this. It is never easy to open up and speak about such a personal issue, and we’re sure Lady Gaga’s inspiring words will resonate with more than a few people.
Via Billboard