How Lady Gaga recovered from a spiral involving therapy and her fiancé
Lady Gaga is ‘lucky to be alive’ after a mental health crisis that pushed her to the brink of therapy and her fiancé’s support helped her recover. RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The singer and actress, 39, born Stefani Germanotta, has openly spoken about having panic attacks on her power Chaos ball tour and the breakdown that led her to cancel an earlier world tour and seek psychiatric care.
In a new interview, she opened up about the years of instability that occurred as she released chart-topping hits, starring in films like A star is born And House of Gucci and winning prizes.
The revelations have prompted sources close to the production of her tour and music to express relief that she survived the worst moments of her battle.
Gaga said: “There was a day my sister said to me, ‘I don’t see my sister anymore.’ And I canceled the tour.”
She added: “One day I went to the hospital for psychiatric care. I had to take a break. I couldn’t do anything… I completely broke down. It was really scary. There was a time when I didn’t think I could get better… I feel really lucky to be alive.
“I know this may sound dramatic, but we know how this can happen.”
Those around her now say that the crisis has been escalating for years.
One source said: “People forget how vulnerable she was behind the scenes. She struggled with trauma, exhaustion and pressure that would have broken anyone. Looking back, we are scared. She was on the verge of losing herself.”
Gaga also revealed that her mental health affected major professional milestones, saying: “I did that too A star is born on lithium,” and describes the panic attacks that now accompany the dramatic opening of her shows.
“I see all the fans,” she said, “and I’m wearing this big dress, and the music is so loud and it’s very dramatic… and for 90 seconds I have to talk myself out of a panic attack.”
Gaga, who says she also dealt with the trauma of being raped at the age of 19, said that at her lowest point she smoked weed all day and downed two bottles of wine a day.
According to a source, these moments reflect how much she has learned to manage her health.
“The fact that she can even stand on that stage is extraordinary,” the insider said.
“She went to therapy, fell in love and rebuilt herself piece by piece. A few years ago, none of us were sure she would make it to this point.” Her relationship with her fiancé, Michael Polansky, 42, played a crucial role in her recovery.
Gaga said, “Being in love with someone who cares about the real me has made a really big difference,” and credited the entrepreneur’s support with being central to her recovery.
Another source familiar with her recent work said: “He grounded her. She needed someone to see Stefani, not the global brand. Without that stability, I don’t know if she would have found her way back.”
After years of detours and instability, Gaga says she has finally reclaimed her artistic identity, culminating in her album Bend.
“It was months and months and months of rediscovering everything I had lost,” she said.
“And I honestly think that’s why it’s called that Bend. Because what it took to get it back was insane.”
