Lady Gaga recently visited the Ali Forney Center for homeless LGBT youth in New York, and for the first time, she spoke about her mental illness. In an interview that aired on NBC, Lady Gaga talked about the visit to the Ali Forney Center and revealed that she has had Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This is probably the first time Lady Gaga has spoken about the mental health issues she is facing. She also revealed that she was raped at the age of 19 she was raped by a man who was 20 years older than him.

This woman who has won Grammy awards multiple times only shared the courageous moments of her life. In the video that aired on NBC on Monday, we quote her saying; I told the kids today that I suffer from a mental illness, I suffer from PTSD. I’ve never told anyone that before, so here we are. But the kindness that’s shown to me by doctors as well as my family, and my friends, it’s really saved my life.'  While this came as a shocker to many, we cannot deny that sexual harassment is a burning issue that we have right now. Even the celebrities aren't spared from this. New Laws on Mental Health in India: Everything You Want to Know About It. 

What is PTSD?

It is an anxiety disorder that develops as a reaction to a severe mental, emotional distress or physical injury. For example, a person who may have suffered from violent assault, military combat, natural disaster or any life-threatening event. A study describes PTSD as, 'Although post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) are categorised as separate and discrete disorders, the boundary between them is sometimes indistinct. Their separation is based on the assumption that PTSD results primarily from psychological stress, while TBI is the consequence of an identifiable injury to the brain.'

How to know that a person is suffering from PTSD

While PTSD acts differently on a different person. There are still a few similarities that act as the characteristics of this disorder. A study says, People presenting with PTSD symptoms are often exposed to multiple traumatic events. It is important to understand that the traumatic event that triggers PTSD may be an accumulation of multiple exposures to various traumatic events. Understanding the person’s trauma history and the meaning of the traumatic event on their sense of self and future is important in developing a treatment plan.' A few characteristics of a person suffering from PTSD are-

  • Experiencing or witnessing a stressful event;

  • Re-experiencing symptoms of the event that include nightmares and (or) flashbacks

  • Efforts to avoid situations, places, and people that are reminders of the traumatic event; and

  • Hyperarousal symptoms, such as irritability, concentration problems, and sleep disturbances

PTSD can leave one of the worst impacts on the people going through this disorder and is highly linked with suicidal thoughts. In this regards, a study says, PTSD has a substantial impact on the individual and society. There has been emerging evidence demonstrating that, among the anxiety disorders, PTSD is one of the most strongly associated with suicidal behaviour, even after adjusting for other axes I and II mental disorders.'

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 12, 2018 06:34 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).