Lady Gaga's Mom Says She Didn't Know The 'Warning Signs' To Help Her Daughter Through Depression

Lady Gaga is known for using her powerful voice for more than just music. Over the course of her career, the pop star has been very vocal about her experience with mental health, and launched the Born This Way Foundation in 2011 to help youth facing similar issues. And on Today's web series "Through Mom's Eyes," the "Shallow" singer's mom, Cynthia Germanotta, opened up about what it looked like to witness Gaga navigate her depression, the bullying she faced in school, and what the structure is doing to create ensure young folks are "better equipped to deal with her struggles than she was."


Germanotta started by explaining that things got particularly challenging for Gaga in middle school, once classmates began to single her out and bully her. "Because she was unique, [she] began experiencing a lot of struggles," she mentioned. "Feeling isolated from events, humiliated, taunted, and that's whenever she developed depression." Nevertheless at the time, the mother of two wasn't totally aware all of the struggles her older daughter was facing. "I knew some of it," she explained. Yet there's some of it that she didn't share because she was either embarrassed or afraid to tell me."


In hindsight, Germanotta also recognizes that she did not have the level of awareness or resources required to completely help her daughter at that time. "We tried our best as parents to assist her, yet didn't know everything," she mentioned. "So I felt where I made mistakes was I didn't really know the warning signs to look for." Fortunately, the Born This Way Foundation adds a lot of cooperative insights to young people and their families in similar situations, and also easy access to a collection of different helplines.


"It's something that's very, very personalized to us, plus it goes back to the struggles that Stefani had growing up," Germanotta mentioned of the structure. "As her career took off, we realized how several other young people had similar experiences, and her message was really resonating with them." Right now that it's been in existence for nearly a decade, talking to youth has become Germanotta's preference part. "Hearing from young people, that's how we inform all of our programs, and so they know best."


As for Gaga, the Place on Earth This Way Foundation has evolved into way more than just a passion project; it's her life's work. "Of course, she'll never leave her music or her acting; she wants to be memorable for that," Germanotta mentioned. Nevertheless she really wants to be memorable for helping youth all over the world."


If you or someone you know is struggling with their emotional health, head to halfofus.Com for ways to get help.