Lady GaGa has hit out at some of her ''lifelong friends'' for ''betraying'' her.

The 'Paparazzi' hitmaker slammed some of her pals and mentors for ''taking advantage'' of her, but she now insists she has her ''spirit back''.

She wrote on her Little Monsters website: ''Today is a really happy day for me. The past year was a challenge, and I'm so happy to have my spirit back. I felt in chains at times.

''Then there were all the personal moments. Betrayed by lifelong friends, mentors I've had for years suddenly taking advantage of me, and a massive struggles with my body image.(sic)''

In what is thought to be a reference to her disagreement with director Joseph Kahn over a scrapped 'Born This Way' video treatment, she also talked about her previous record label disagreements.

She added: ''Whether is be the record label disagreeing with me on single choices, or directors who could only create an idea of 'gaga' or what I've 'done before' and not able to move forward, and there was also of course the incessant dragging of the most important single of my career in dead-beaten-horse-mud. (sic)''