Lady Gaga Started An Emotion Revolution To Help Teens Cope With Depression
Start writing a post
Entertainment

Lady Gaga Started An Emotion Revolution To Help Teens Cope With Depression

"We can't only have an academic standard, we have to have an emotional and social standard."

14
Lady Gaga Started An Emotion Revolution To Help Teens Cope With Depression
Yale

Back in October, Dr. Marc Brackett, of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, joined together with Lady Gaga's Born This Way Foundation to create the Emotion Revolution Summit.

Brackett, the director of the center, surveyed over 22,000 high school students and determined that they are not happy. Many are stressed, tired, and incredibly apathetic. And this isn't just affecting high schoolers. The annual report from the Center for Collegiate Mental Health at Penn State University shows that there's a "slow but consistent" growth in students suffering from depression and anxiety and "that college students are reporting increasing levels of distress."

Out of this, the Emotion Revolution Summit was born. The daylong event featured panels, workshops, and lectures all tailored towards raising awareness for the mental and emotional health of young people. A big problem in our society is that mental health is taboo. No one wants to talk about the legitimate hardships that people face while trying to deal with mental illness. Many are quick to shun the kids with anxiety because they're "overreacting". Some even believe that depression and anxiety are over-diagnosed. But this only worsens the problem.

Lady Gaga, formally known as Stefanie Germanotta, spoke to over 200 students at the Summit to remind them that they are not alone. Stefanie "invented Lady Gaga, [she] curated her life to be an expression of [her] pain." At a point, she couldn't mask her feelings in her musical alter-ego. In the video below she highlights the moment she found herself again. She realized that even if all of her fans accepted her, she had to accept herself.

Dr. Brackett and Lady Gaga's revolution is important because it actively strives to change the stigma surrounding depression and anxiety. Mental illness is a part of each person who suffers from it, but it is not all they have to offer. If it was, J.K. Rowling would have never published "Harry Potter" and Robin Williams wouldn't have been able to make the world laugh.

Personal acceptance is vital to the success of mental and emotional health awareness. Remember, I am more than my mental illness. I am not a stereotype. I have suffered and I have overcome. I am human, and I will be OK.


Know that if you are not alone. If you, or someone you know, needs help, please call:

The National Suicide Prevention Hotline - 1-800-273-8255

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
We Need More Than Memorials this Memorial Day
Cape Cod Irish

When I was a child, I used to look forward to Memorial Day Weekend from the time I returned to school after Christmas vacation. It was the yearly benchmark announcing the end of the school year and the beginning of summer vacation. It meant I was one step closer to regattas, swim meets and tennis matches.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

5 fun Summer Vacations that won't break your bank

Enjoy the sun, relax the wallet - here are the estimated costs

350
5 fun Summer Vacations that won't break your bank
Endless Ocean
We compiled the costs related to 5 enriching summer vacations for this year in the thrifty sense:
Keep Reading...Show less
sunglasses

I remember how exciting summer was when I was a kid. I would just be eagerly waiting for school to end so that I could fly to some exotic location with my family for the summer. Or hang out with my friends every day. Or just lay around in bed or read, paint, draw, basically do whatever.

Keep Reading...Show less
Remembering the Memorial in Memorial Union

Sometimes it's hard to remember that Memorial Union at the University of Missouri is actually a memorial, not just a place to take a nap on a couch and get Starbucks.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

Soccer, Spain and Racism

The whirlwind events of last week reflects the sad state of sports in Europe.

1533
Soccer, Spain and Racism

When we think of events that have transpired in the US over the last few years, a lot of it ends up in spotlighting the division in the country. However, things across the pond seem to be no better - at least when it comes to sports. Last week, Real Madrid - arguably the richest sports franchise in the world, had one of their Brazilian strikers subject to vicious racist attacks in Valencia. The player, Vini Jr posted this example video in his Insta account:

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments