Pop superstar Ariana Grande has been open with her fans about experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after the massacre at her Manchester concert in 2017 that took the lives of 22 people and injured over 100 more.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BwAisgHlEwL/
In an interview with British Vogue last year, Grande seemed like she felt guilty for suffering, saying,
It’s hard to talk about because so many people have suffered such severe, tremendous loss. But, yeah, it’s a real thing. I know those families and my fans, and everyone there experienced a tremendous amount of it as well. Time is the biggest thing. I feel like I shouldn’t even be talking about my own experience – like I shouldn’t even say anything. I don’t think I’ll ever know how to talk about it and not cry.
Grande posted an image of a brain scan on her Instagram stories on Thursday. The picture shows a comparison between a “healthy brain” and one with the effects of PTSD. It also included four shots of what is presumably Grande’s brain, which certainly looks to have affected areas.
On the image, Grande wrote, “hilarious and terrifying” and also, “not a joke.”
She also posted a selfie where she’d written, “she’s trying her muthaf**in best,” “life is wild,” and “my brain is tired” across her face.
Grande is currently on her Sweetener Tour, which is taking her around the US. She’ll be theyoungest female artist to ever headline Coachella when she takes the stage this weekend.
Grande’s fans immediately took to Twitter to express their concern about her.
https://twitter.com/aIighted/status/1116462226766999552
https://twitter.com/needygiaws/status/1116434396788269057
https://twitter.com/agtriIogy/status/1116437304015454208
ariana experienced so many traumas in such a short period of time and she’s releasing albums, doing multiple legs of tour and i truly hope she’s taking her time to heal
— carmen (@bocafruit) April 11, 2019
https://twitter.com/ghostinangel/status/1116432660442882053
https://www.instagram.com/p/BwKkyHIlJC5/
But, as some people pointed out, she is a strong woman.
Yet this woman is still touring and performing almost every night, recording and releasing music, etc. Women are strong as hell and Ariana isn't an exception, i hate this so much for her and i just hope she's taking care of herself bc she deserves to be happy https://t.co/4Ert8pC9PP
— carli 🍉 (@carlifiveH) April 12, 2019
And for her to keep performing shows just how much her fans mean to her.
PTSD is a serious mental illness and sometimes she really need a break from everything. the fact that ariana is still touring shows how much she cares. i really hope she makes sure to take care of herself ♡ pic.twitter.com/sSywLnCApI
— toni (@lucybfilm) April 12, 2019
In March, Grande tweeted about how she felt “so much healthier” since she’s started releasing music on her terms instead of according to the schedule of a record label.
https://twitter.com/ArianaGrande/status/1111118690177683456
So, while PTSD is absolutely no joke, it seems that Grande is definitely doing what she can to take care of her mental health.
