Lady Gaga and Prince William Discuss Mental Illness in New Video

By James Pleasant

Pop superstar Lady Gaga and Prince William recently collaborated to discuss how to eradicate the stigma associated with mental health issues, in a video produced by the British Royal Family’s Heads Together campaign.

“There’s a lot of shame attached to mental illness,” said Gaga in the video when discussing her daily battle with mental illness. “You feel like something is wrong with you. In my life I go, ‘Oh my goodness, look at all these beautiful, wonderful things I have…I should be so happy,’ but you can’t help it if in the morning you wake up and you are so tired, you are so sad, you are so filled with anxiety and the shakes, and [revealing my mental illness] was like saying ‘this is a part of me and that’s okay.’”

During their FaceTime conversation, Prince William pointed out that mental health is just as important as physical health, and it’s time to remove the stigma associated with mental health problem. “It’s time that everyone speaks up and really feels very normal about mental health,” he said. “It’s the same as physical health.”

The “Born This Way” singer is well-known for speaking out against stigmas and other social issues. In December 2016, Gaga penned an open letter that revealed her diagnosis and experiences with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

“I seek to raise awareness that this mental illness affects all kinds of people, including our youth,” wrote Gaga in her letter. “I pledge not only to help our youth not feel ashamed of their own conditions, but also to lend support to those servicemen and women who suffer from PTSD.”

The Heads Together campaign, spearheaded by Prince William, Prince Harry, and Duchess Catherine, is designed to shed light on mental illness awareness, and end the negative associations and stigmas haunting those afflicted on a daily basis.

Earlier this year, Heads Together won the 2017 Virgin Money London Marathon Charity of the Year, which saw hundreds of runners racing in solidarity with people suffering from mental illness. In May, Heads Together launched a video series of interviews highlighting celebrities discussing their experiences with addiction and other mental illnesses.

About 4 million people around the world currently suffer from some type of mental illness, according to the World Health Organization. Despite available treatments, two-thirds of people with mental illness don’t seek help because of the stigma, discrimination, or financial reasons.

To learn more about Heads Together, click here.

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