4 Things You Need To Know About PTSD, Lady Gaga Shares Her Story

Phenomenal pop star and icon Lady Gaga recently shared that she is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD. She admitted as much during an interview on the Today Show, which also featured her visit to a homeless shelter in New York.

According to a report in WA Today, she revealed that she has PTSD to the shelter’s residents while she was visiting. Not only was she able to sing some of her hits for the youth in the shelter, she also brought them clothes as well as share some stories.

First Time Opening Up About PTSD

During the interview, she also said that it was her first time telling other people about it. She said, “I’ve never told anyone that before, so here we are.” According to the report, she had earlier revealed in 2014 that she survived a rape when she was 19 years old. Having PTSD, according to her, is one of her “deepest secrets.”

Although she only admitted having PTSD recently, she had previously acknowledged suffering from other mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression. She said that sharing her experiences especially with the LGBT teens in the shelter would hopefully empower them to open up as well. For her, it was the kindness of others – her doctors, family and friends – that helped her overcome her mental illnesses.

I spent a beautiful morning w/ ?️‍? youth @AliForneyCenter the largest drop-in center in the ?. I brought ?& led them in a group meditation pic.twitter.com/ZinvWkcKqJ

— xoxo, Joanne (@ladygaga) November 26, 2016

PTSD: 4 Things You Need To Know

When celebrities like Lady Gaga open up about their mental illness, the illness usually gets more media attention and hopefully, public awareness about it will increase. Here are five things about PTSD that you need to know.

1. PTSD can happen to anybody or can affect anybody. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America defines it as ” a serious potentially debilitating condition that can occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a natural disaster, serious accident, terrorist incident, sudden death of a loved one, war, violent personal assault such as rape, or other life-threatening events.”

2. In order to spot PTSD, a person must be experiencing certain symptoms longer than 4 weeks. The National Institute of Mental Health listed the following symptoms: flashbacks about the event or bad dreams, obvious “avoidance” of anything that reminds them of the event, being irritable or temperamental, high-strung or nervous, loss of interest in anything enjoyable or selective memory loss. The NIMH website has the complete list of symptoms to watch out for.

3. Although it can affect anybody, children and adults experience PTSD differently. According to NIMH, younger children may have a different set of symptoms altogether.

4. The treatments for PTSD once diagnosed ranges from medications to psychotherapy or talk therapy.

Featured Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons

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