It can be easy to look at people like Lady Gaga and Prince William, people who seem to have everything figured out in life, and assume that they're in tip-top mental health shape. But it's important to remember that mental illness can affect anyone, regardless of who they are.
And that's exactly what the pop star and the Duke of Cambridge set out to prove with their new video on the royal family's official Facebook page. The setting is surprisingly informal, something we don't often see from the over-the-top Gaga or Prince William. It's literally just the performer in her kitchen, FaceTiming the prince in his office. And we can't think of a better setting to encourage thoughtful, honest conversations about mental health.
The conversation starts with Lady Gaga complimenting the Duke of Cambridge on the royal family's Heads Together program. "It reminded me how much my mental health changing changed my life," the pop star, who has been quite open about her struggles with mental health in the past, told the prince.
"Harry, Catherine and I really felt that this was such an important area that throughout all our charitable work -- whether it was veterans, homelessness, addiction -- most of it seemed to stem back to mental health issues," Prince William told Lady Gaga, explaining why he started Heads Together with his wife and brother.
And Prince William isn't just blowing hot air when he talks about his family's road to self-discovery with regards to mental health. Prince Harry recently opened up to Bryony Gordon on the British journalist's podcast about his struggles with mental illness and his path to finally getting counseling.
Throughout the conversation, Lady Gaga and Prince William kept returning to one major issue: reminding people that it's OK to talk about mental health and ask for help when things get tough. They both stress the fact that mental illness isn't something to be ashamed of. "I feel like we're not hiding anymore," Gaga said. "We're starting to talk. And that's what we need to do really."
Whether your mental health is in tip-top shape right now or you're currently struggling, this conversation is worth watching (it starts at 1:50 in the video below). If we all take a page from Lady Gaga and Prince William's book and actively work to normalize mental health, the world could be a much better place.
