Katy Perry opened up about suffering from situational depression after her last album, and here’s how she sought help

Katy Perry is a wise woman. After a string of wildly successful studio albums, Perry released Witness in 2017 but it wasn’t as critically lauded as her previous four albums. All artists have setbacks and yet, Perry said the lukewarm reception to the album sent her into a spell of “situational depression.”

“I have had bouts of situational depression and my heart was broken last year because, unknowingly, I put so much validity in the reaction of the public, and the public didn’t react in the way I had expected to…which broke my heart,” Perry shared in the August 2018 issue of Vogue Australia.

First, we’d like to commend Perry on the use of the phrase “situational depression.” Per Healthline, situational depression is a short-term form of depression that typically begins after a traumatic event. This is different than clinical depression which is long-lasting and often related to a chemical imbalance.

After slipping into the depression, Perry attended a week-long program at the Hoffman Institute, which is “a 7-day soul searching, healing retreat of transformation & development for people who feel stuck in one or more important areas of their life.” Perry now sends Hoffman Institute gift cards to her friends because it was that life-changing.

“Music is my first love and I think it was the universe saying: ‘Okay, you speak all of this language about self-love and authenticity, but we are going to put you through another test and take away any kind of validating 'blankie.'" Perry explained. "'Then we’ll see how much you do truly love yourself.’ That brokenness, plus me opening up to a greater, higher power and reconnecting with divinity, gave me a wholeness I never had. It gave me a new foundation. It’s not just a material foundation: it’s a soul foundation.

Elsewhere in the interview, Perry made a smart comment about the public’s curiosity about her relationship with Orlando Bloom. Though she told the interviewer that “it’s okay to mention him,” she said national speculation about her boyfriend is often misogynistic. Case in point: Perry met Pope Francis earlier this year and yet, some headlines focused on her vacation with her partner and not her historic meeting at the Vatican.

“I don’t want it to be a headline of the story, because it takes away from the purpose, Perry stated. “Also, it’s extremely misogynistic. Of course, I love my relationship, but that is one part of me, and I don’t want any part of what I do to be diminished.

Big thanks to Perry for enlighting the timeline a bit today.

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