Lady Gaga got candid about taking anti-psychotics after trauma to help reduce medication stigma

Trigger warning: This story discusses rape.

We don’t need to tell you that Lady Gaga is a modern icon���not only because of her Oscar-winning talent and innovative style, but also because she refuses to hide or romanticize her personal struggles. On Saturday, January 4th, Gaga spoke candidly with Oprah about her mission to destigmatize doctor-prescribed mental-health medication, and mental health issues generally. She told Oprah that taking anti-psychotics is a crucial part of her regimen to manage her PTSD and fibromyalgia. Previously, Gaga has said she believes both conditions were sparked after being raped at 19.

Gaga sat down with Oprah in Ft. Lauderdale as part of Oprah’s 2020 Vision: Your Life in Focus tour.

The Oscar winner also acknowledged that many people are afraid of medication. Of course, one of the most effective ways of normalizing medication is to talk openly about it, and to see more healthy representations of people who take medication in the media. But it’s also crucial for people to become informed about what is and isn’t copacetic about prescription antidepressants and other mental-health medication.

“I really want to just erase the stigma around this,” Gaga told Oprah.

Gaga went on to say that a combination of medication, several forms of therapy, and “radical acceptance” helps her manage both her fibromyalgia and PTSD.

Other than her own positive experiences with properly prescribed and monitored medication, Gaga also is motivated to advocate for the cause because of the gross inequalities in the American healthcare system, and, particularly, the challenge of finding affordable mental health care.

Often, Gaga acknowledged, the astronomical costs of medication and care and a dearth of thorough information shut out the people who need them the most.

You can watch a clip of Gaga’s powerful interview below.

If you are a sexual assault survivor and need help, you can call the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 to speak to a trained counselor. You can also chat online with a counselor here. Both services are available 24/7.