Pop singer Lady Gaga, 36, shares a celebratory social media post commemorating 15 years in the music and entertainment industry. However, by prioritizing her mental health, she was better able to reach the milestone.
Gaga noted she was able to get a handle on her anxiety and depression by determining what caused her to be unhappy and addressing those issues in her life and career. By addressing these mental health challenges, she learned to cope. Genetic testing can help determine the best course of mental health treatment for people struggling with issues like anxiety and depression.
The test can give doctors a profile of how a person is likely to respond to different psychiatric medications.
Pop singer Lady Gaga, 36, has learned to put her mental health first which helped her reach a milestone atop of the music industry. A new post by the “Poker Face” singer, acknowledged 15 years in the music industry by spotlighting key moments throughout her career. Despite her success as an entertainer, she credits prioritizing her mental health for helping her work through bouts of depression and anxiety over the years.
“Thank you for 15 years,” Lady Gaga wrote simply in a caption.
It’s easy to get caught up with other aspects of life causing our mental health consequently to take a backseat. However, it’s important to remember caring for your mental health can impact your physical health. It’s satisfying to see stars like Lady Gaga use their platform for good, elevating the conversation around mental health.
The Oscar-winning music star burst onto the music and entertainment scene in 2008 with her hit song, “Just Dance.” However, despite her immense success at such a young age, she had to overcome personal challenges including depression and anxiety which also impacts millions of Americans.
While there is no indication Lady Gaga has dealt with cancer personally, her struggles with mental health may be relatable for cancer patients. In a previous interview, Dr. Scott Irwin, Director, Supportive Care Services at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, speaks about depression in people battling cancer. He says, “Depression is a really interesting topic because a lot of people assume that, oh, they have cancer. “They must be depressed. That’s actually not true. 85% of patients do not get what would be considered clinical depression. 15% do,” he said.
WATCH: How to treat depression?
Depression causes “severe symptoms that affect how a person feels, thinks and handles daily activities, such as sleeping, eating, or working” according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Anxiety has similar effects on the lives of people impacted by the disorder.
Mental Health America, a major nonprofit focused on promoting mental health, says “42.5 million” adults are impacted by anxiety disorders, and “21 million” are living with depression this year alone.
Lady Gaga previously opened up about her experiences with anxiety and depression and how she deals with it.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 18: Lady Gaga attends the Los Angeles Premiere Of MGM’s “House Of Gucci” at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on November 18, 2021, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
“I invented myself, Lady Gaga,” she said before an audience at Yale University in 2015.
“I curated my life to be an expression of my pain. This is how I overcame my depression, by creating somebody that I felt was stronger than me. But…nothing was able to fix how I was genetically made. I was born this way. No matter how much success you have, no matter how many opportunities, fame, fortune—no matter how many people accept you, to your face, the person that really needs to accept you is you,” she continued.
Gaga admitted she took medication for anxiety and depression. The emotional toll the mental disorders took on her even caused her to consider quitting her music career. However, she started realizing the root causes of her downed feelings. Her advice to help others better deal with anxiety and depression is to stop doing things that make you unhappy. She noted steady requests to shake fans’ hands and sell products to use her likeness wasn’t satisfying.
Lady Gaga attends the Italian premiere of “House Of Gucci” at the Space Cinema Odeon in Milan.
“I feel sad when I’m overworked, and that I just become a money-making machine, and that my passion and my creativity take a back seat. That makes me unhappy, it feels shallow. I have a lot more to offer than my image,” she said.
In addition to taking more control of her life and cutting out things that contributed to her anxiety, she also turned to therapy, made music, and started acting to help her cope.
Managing Your Mental Health
Our mental health affects how we think, feel, and behave. Certain triggers like stress, traumatic events, or changes in your physical health can affect your mental health.
Psychiatrist Dr. Samantha Boardman suggests people working on their mental health to practice positive psychology. Positive psychology focuses on encouraging feelings of positivity among patients and finding what brings a sense of vitality to their lives.
WATCH: Managing your mental health amid a health challenge.
Dr. Boardman also suggests asking yourself some questions about how you deal with stressful situations to see if they’re working or need adjusting.
“Are your coping strategies in the way that you’re using them now are they as effective as they were in the past? Take a look at your beliefs, do you have any fixed beliefs that are counterproductive that are impeding you from taking positive steps?” Dr. Boardman said.
To keep your mental health in check, it’s important to be aware of signs that can be subtle that something is affecting your mind. These signs include:
A change in eating or sleeping habits
Losing interest in people or usual activities
Experiencing little or no energy
Numb and/or hopeless feelings
Turning to drink or drugs more than usual
Non-typical angry, upset, or on-edge feelings
Yelling/fighting with loved ones
Experiencing mood swings
Intrusive thoughts
Trouble getting through daily tasks
If you find yourself struggling in any of these areas, talk to your doctor or a mental health professional to begin your emotional journey alongside your other cancer treatment.
“Depression and stress make it harder to treat cancer [and] make it harder to tolerate the treatments,” Dr. Scott Irwin, director of supportive care services at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, previously told SurvivorNet.
“There’s data that if you have extra stress or depression that you may not recover or you have a higher risk of recurrence, so in treating the depression, we’re actually impacting the cancer care outcomes,” Dr. Irwin added.
A Possible Link Between Your Emotional Health and Your Genetics
If you are struggling to maintain positive thoughts related to your outlook on life amid your cancer journey, a genetic test could help you find the right solution.
Genetic testing is successful in matching patients with the right medication to offset bouts of anxiety or depression.
“This test covers all of the psych medications, essentially, and it also covers pain medications. It’s such a great test,” Dr. Lori Plutchik, licensed psychiatrist and co-founder of Caring For Caregivers, previously told SurvivorNet.
WATCH: How genetic testing can aid your mental health.
“Depression affects about 20% of women at some point in their life and about 10% of men at some point in their life. That’s a very prevalent illness, and then when you’re working in the cancer population, which I’ve worked in extensively over the years, depression can be up to 50% in patients who are having impairments in their life due to their illness,” Dr. Plutchik continued.
The test that Dr. Plutchik uses, Genomind, looks for multiple factors before determining the medication that will both have successful results and minimal side effects.
To do this, there are two parts the test examines. First, the doctor will test for certain genes that are associated with responses to a medication commonly prescribed for mental health issues. Secondly, the patient’s ability to metabolize medication will be tested. Doing this reduces the chance of negative side effects and allows patients to respond well to medication on the first try.
“About 95% of the time the first medication that I choose for them ends up being the right medication,” Dr. Plutchik explains.
Questions to Ask Your Doctor
If you find yourself struggling with a diagnosis or helping a loved one cope with their emotions, consider asking your doctor the following questions:
How can I go about improving my outlook/mental health?
Are there any activities I can do to encourage positive feelings?
When should I seek other interventions if I’m still struggling?
How can seeking these connections help me in my day-to-day life?
