"Mental illness carries so much stigma." This is a sentiment that has been echoed by the royal family, particularly by Prince William, Duke of Cambridge. Recently, he engaged in a conversation about mental health with pop icon and advocate Lady Gaga. The FaceTime discussion was part of William's Heads Together initiative, which he leads alongside Duchess Kate Middleton and Prince Harry - who himself has been vocal about the therapeutic benefits of addressing mental health.
This campaign shares many similarities with Lady Gaga's Born This Way Foundation, which also aims to tackle bullying. In a video shared on the Royal Family's Facebook page, Lady Gaga expressed to Prince William that "A lot of shame is associated with mental illness. It makes you feel like you're flawed."
She further explained, "In my life, I look around and think, 'Wow, I have so many wonderful, beautiful things. I should be ecstatic.' But it's impossible to control those feelings of exhaustion, sadness, and overwhelming anxiety that make thinking clearly a struggle upon waking up each morning."
Prince William responded by stressing the importance of having such discussions. He assured her, "You won't face judgment. Breaking through this fear and stigma is crucial because if we don't, it will only result in more problems down the line." He added, "Mental health is just as important as physical health. We all have mental health issues and there's no reason for us to feel embarrassed about them."
The Duke of Cambridge reached out to Lady Gaga following her open letter recounting her experiences with PTSD and sexual assault at the age of 19. They intend to meet in the U.K. in October to explore ways they can collaborate to support young people dealing with similar issues.