Singer Wendy Shay is using her platform to raise awareness about mental health issues, stating that one of her new songs, PTSD, was inspired by a young woman she met at a rehabilitation center.
In an interview broadcast on GHOne TV and watched by MyNewsGh, the award-winning artist described visiting a rehab center as part of her charity work and being inspired by a young woman’s narrative of tragedy and rehabilitation.
“I met this beautiful girl who had been introduced to drugs by her first boyfriend. The relationship was toxic, and when he went to jail, she struggled to receive love again,” Wendy recounted. “She eventually checked herself into rehab because she had suicidal thoughts.”
Wendy, who trained as a nurse before pursuing music, said she immediately recognized the woman’s symptoms as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
“Her story touched me so much. That’s how the song PTSD was born,” she said.
The singer emphasized that heartbreak and toxic relationships often contribute to mental health issues, particularly among women.
“People laugh when someone is heartbroken, but it’s not funny. It can damage your mind and soul. Many women at rehab centers are there because of broken hearts,” she explained.
Wendy called for more open conversations about mental health in Ghana.
“We don’t talk enough about mental health. As someone with a platform, I feel it’s my duty to raise awareness,” she said.
She said that themes like self-worth, love, and mental health—all of which she feels are essential to adulthood and emotional recovery—are explored in her album Ready.
