There has been a lot of praise for Lady Gaga’s brief remarks at the Grammy Awards. The pop star received the award for best pop duo/group performance for the song “Shallow” from the movie A Star Is Born, and she used the opportunity to talk about mental health and the importance of seeking help.
“I’m so proud to be a part of a movie that addresses mental health issues. They’re so important. A lot of artists deal with that and we gotta take care of each other,” Lady Gaga said. “So if you see somebody that’s hurting, don’t look away. And if you’re hurting, even though it might be hard, try to find that bravery within yourself to dive deep and go tell somebody and take them up in your head with you.”
The American Council on Science and Health praised the latest remake of the movie classic A Star Is Born as “genuinely and accurately” capturing “the reverberating heartache associated with addiction, depression, anxiety and the many internal demons we all often battle to some degree or another.”
Critic Elizabeth Cassidy felt the 2018 rendition missed “a major mental health opportunity” because “the movie could have made Jack (Bradley Cooper’s character) a suicide attempt survivor instead. Many suicide attempt survivors say they felt regret after their attempt, and they realize how suicide was the wrong choice.”
Cassidy writes that “Many people who see this movie will relate to Jack. They’ll see their struggles in his and may even ache for a release like Jack did. There are so many tragic stories about people dying by suicide, in real life and on the big screen, it’s time we make way for something more productive and show people that recovery is possible. “
Lady Gaga has spoken out about mental health issues before. In October 2018, Gaga was named one of ELLE’s Women in Hollywood. She delivered her acceptance speech “from an extremely vulnerable and honest place. She opened up about her sexual assault, mental illness, and a plea for women to lift up each other’s voices and ‘beckon the world towards kindness,’ she said.”
“After I was assaulted when I was 19 I changed forever. Part of me shut down for many years. I didn’t tell anyone. I avoided it myself. And felt shame even still today standing in front of you. I feel shame for what happened to me,” Gaga said during her speech, according to ELLE.
“Depression, anxiety, eating disorders, trauma—these are just a few examples of the forces that can lead to this tornado of pain,” Gaga said, but she also stressed the importance of seeking help and speaking out instead of succumbing to the “tornado of pain.”
“It is my personal dream that there would be a mental health expert teacher or therapist in every school in this nation and hopefully one day around the world,” Gaga said in 2018. “Let’s lift our voices. I know we are, but let’s get louder. And not just as women. But as humans.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues, please contact your primary care physician or The Pavilion at Williamsburg Place. Our Acute Care Program is designed for immediate stabilization of acute psychiatric conditions. Our patient-centered treatment intends to help each individual through participation in group therapy, therapeutic activities, and psychopharmacology.
