If you are somebody who watches Hollywood and looks forward to the release of new movies, you are probably already aware of the remake of A Star Is Born. This new movie, which will be released soon, stars Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga. The pop star recently was promoting the film and was seen on the October cover of Vogue magazine. She talked about a number of difficult topics in an interview and one that most people may not have been aware of.
The pop star is not known for revealing a lot of information about herself. When she was giving the interview to Vogue, however, she started talking about her fibromyalgia. This is a chronic health condition that causes severe joint and nerve pain. That pain is something that can certainly affect the quality of life of the individual who suffers from it and Lady Gaga says we could all learn a thing or two about it.
First of all, fibromyalgia is not extremely rare but it is not very well understood. In many cases, fibromyalgia is associated with a traumatic event that acts as a trigger.
Gaga feels that her case of fibromyalgia was triggered when she was only a teenager. Since that time, it has gotten progressively worse because of the stress of her career.
“For me, and I think for many others, it’s really a cyclone of anxiety, depression, PTSD, trauma, and panic disorder, all of which sends the nervous system into overdrive, and then you have nerve pain as a result.”
Many experts agree with Lady Gaga. According to a study in the Journal of the International Association for the Study of Pain, posttraumatic stress disorder may be a risk factor for fibromyalgia.
At one time, doctors felt that this was just a condition that people were making up in their own mind. They now agree that the pain of fibromyalgia is very real.
“For me, with my mental-health issues, half of the battle in the beginning was, I felt like I was lying to the world because I was feeling so much pain but nobody knew,” Gaga explained.
“So that’s why I came out and said that I have PTSD because I don’t want to hide – any more than I already have to.”
“People need to be more compassionate. Chronic pain is no joke.”
Even though Gaga is famous, she still struggles to get people to believe she is dealing with a real condition. That is due to the fact that it is essentially an invisible illness.
“I get so irritated with people who don’t believe fibromyalgia is real,” she said.
“People need to be more compassionate. Chronic pain is no joke. And it’s every day waking up not knowing how you’re going to feel.”
Because of the nerve pain she experiences, Gaga has had to cancel a number of tour dates over the years. Each time she struggles to let other people know how painful the condition is.
“You know that feeling when you’re on a roller coaster and you’re just about to go down the really steep slope?” she asked.
“That fear and the drop in your stomach? My diaphragm seizes up. Then I have a hard time breathing, and my whole body goes into a spasm.”
“[Trauma and pain] are keeping me from living a normal life.”
Gaga posted a message to fans last year on Instagram after she canceled a series of tour dates due to doctor’s orders.
“I have always been honest about my physical and mental health struggles,” she wrote.
“Searching for years to get to the bottom of them. It is complicated and difficult to explain, and we are trying to figure it out.”
The singer revealed that she was suffering “not only because trauma and chronic pain have changed my life, but because they are keeping me from living a normal life.”
But thankfully, Gaga says that with the help of her team of doctors she is “getting better every day.”
Fibromyalgia does not have a cure as of yet. Many people who suffer from this disease can control their symptoms with pain medication and antidepressants.