"I Don't Want to Keep This Secret Anymore": Lady Gaga Writes an Open Letter About Her PTSD
"This is how I and we can begin to heal."
After revealing to the world her struggle with PTSD since being raped as a teenager, Lady Gaga has continued her mission to remove the stigma from mental illness in an open letter published on her Born This Way Foundation website.
"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," she wrote. "Examples are leaving the house or being touched by strangers who simply want to share their enthusiasm for my music."
I wrote a letter sharing my experience w/ PTSD. I want 2 help others understand what it is + how to get or give help https://t.co/7wmuvNLcT5December 7, 2016
She further details her experiences with disassociation and anxiety, and how she ignored the symptoms until it resulted in injury.
"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," she said. "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."
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Chelsea Peng is a writer and editor who was formerly the assistant editor at Marie Claire. She's also worked for The Strategist and Refinery29, and is a graduate of Northwestern University. On her tombstone, she would like a GIF of herself that's better than the one that already exists on the Internet and a free fro-yo machine. Besides frozen dairy products, she's into pirates, carbs, Balzac, and snacking so hard she has to go lie down.