Selena Gomez has long been an advocate for mental health awareness, candidly sharing her own experiences with her fans over the years.
Last year, she shared the documentary My Mind & Me, which explored her experiences with bipolar disorder and, now, the star has spoken again about her mental health journey in a new interview.
Speaking to Fast Company, Gomez reflected on how getting diagnosed helped her deal with what was happening in her head. “I went through a really hard season,” she explained. “It was my highs and my lows, and I didn’t know what to do, so I couldn’t control it. I would want to cancel things. It was just a tormented feeling. That’s why, when I found out my diagnosis, it was just, ‘Oh, okay, I feel a bit relieved, I understand a bit more.’
“I got second opinions. I went to doctors. I’m fortunate enough to be able to have people who can help me survive every day.”
Although she also shared that she’s currently in a happy place – with that impacting the music she’s been working on of late – the star was also realistic about her expectations for how her mood and mental state could change in the future. “I love sad-girl music; I’m really good at that,” she said. “However, I can’t really write that if I’m not sad. I’ve had to relearn what being me and being happy looked like. There is not one sad song on this whole album.”
She continued: “I’ve never promised anyone that I’ll never have a bad day again. I’ve always been honest with my fans. Even when I take breaks from social media, I’ll say I’m taking a break.”
Last year, Gomez was honoured with the Morton E. Ruderman Award in Inclusion for her commitment to raising mental health awareness and expanding access to mental health services and education for young people around the world.
At the time, the pop icon said: “We know that the stigma associated with mental health has led to silence around the issue. I want to change that, especially for young people. I’ve been open and honest about my own journey with my mental health, and it hasn’t always been easy, but it’s something I’m constantly working on.”
