Selena Gomez’s Mental Health Battle in Her Own Words

Starting a dialogue. Selena Gomez has spoken candidly about her struggles with mental health over the years.

The singer first sought treatment in 2014 after she was diagnosed with lupus. She has since attended various voluntary programs to manage anxiety, panic attacks and depression. Nine months after she completed treatment in January 2018, Us Weekly confirmed she was seeking “opened-ended” mental health treatment.

In April 2020, the Getaway star revealed that she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. “It doesn’t scare me once I know it,” she told Miley Cyrus in an episode of the latter’s “Bright Minded” Instagram series. “I think people get scared of that, right?”

The Rare Beauty founder has also used her platform to raise awareness about mental health, both by hosting conversations with experts and shedding light on various issues through her projects.

From 2017 to 2020, she served as an executive producer on the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why, which sparked many discussions about the struggles contemporary teens and young adults face.

“This is happening every day,” Gomez said during an Elvis Duran and the Morning Show interview in 2017, referring to the show’s serious themes. “Whether or not you wanted to see it, that’s what’s happening. The content is complicated. It’s dark and it has moments that are honestly very hard to swallow, and I understood that we were doing something that is difficult.”

Deal of the Day

During the coronavirus pandemic, which brought mental health to the forefront for people all over the world, the “Bad Liar” songstress continued to speak out about the importance of checking in with your emotions. In October 2020, she hosted an Instagram Live with Dr. Vivek Murthy, President Joe Biden’s surgeon general, to discuss the feelings of loneliness she was experiencing while in lockdown.

“In the beginning I couldn’t deal with it that well,” she said, discussing the early months of quarantine. “But then I started going into a place where I as writing and being active; it forced me to have that time. I’ve been able to spend time with those quality people a lot more than I ever have, and I’m spending a lot more time with my family.”

Murthy explained that Gomez’s story was a great example of why it’s important to share how you’re feeling. “If you recognize that [almost everyone is struggling in some way], you’ll recognize that there’s many ways to reach out,” he said. “When we serve other people, we shift the focus from ourselves to them in the context of a positive interaction … and we reaffirm to ourselves that we have value to bring to the world.”

Trying Her Best 

A rep for Gomez confirmed she sought treatment in February 2014. Shortly after, she thanked fans for their support on Instagram: “I’ve done everything I could to the best of my ability. Thank you for the unconditional love and cyber hugs. You inspire me."

Giving Into Pressure

The Disney alum gave an inspiring speech at the We Day conference in March 2014. "I'm surrounded by people who are supposed to guide me, and some of them have, and others haven't. They pressure me. There's so much pressure. You gotta be sexy, you gotta be cute, you gotta be nice. You gotta be all these things,” she told the crowd. "They tell me what to wear, how to look, what I should say, how I should be. Until recently, I had given into that pressure. I lost sight of who I was. I listened to opinions of people, and I tried to change who I am because I thought that others would accept me for it."

Being a Light

After Gomez sent a struggling fan words of encouragement on Instagram, she screenshotted her message and shared it with her millions of followers. "By me following you is not me saying it's ok to think these thoughts. It's not me saying 'hey you said sad things, so I'm going to follow you to make you feel better'. God puts us in situations that are so unexplainably difficult for a reason. There is someone in the world feeling so much, just like you,” she wrote in February 2015. "People everyday feel so many emotions they wish they could turn it off. But that's not why we are here. We are here for relationships, for people just like us who feel worthless. Your purpose is to share, help, encourage. Remember that. Please. Before you think of taking your life, think of all the [lives] you could save. I love you. More importantly there is a God that will love more than I ever could."

Taking Time

In April 2016, the “Same Old Love” songstress explained her decision to go to rehab years earlier. "I got diagnosed with lupus. My mom had a very public miscarriage. So I had to cancel my tour. I needed time to just be OK,” she told GQ. ”It’s really frustrating, because I am 100 percent allowed to have that, but I think people just want to have some sort of — I understand what you’re asking. But I’m just saying, I don’t think it really matters. My past seems to be way more fascinating for people than my future, which bums me out … Why do you care?"

Feeling the Side Effects 

Gomez revealed she was taking a step back from the public eye in August 2016 to cope with the side effects from Lupus. “As many of you know, around a year ago I revealed that I have Lupus, an illness that can affect people in different ways. I’ve discovered that anxiety, panic attacks and depression can be side effects of Lupus, which can present their own challenges,” she said in a statement to Us Weekly. “I want to be proactive and focus on maintaining my health and happiness and have decided that the best way forward is to take some time off. Thank you to all my fans for your support. You know how special you are to me, but I need to face this head on to ensure I am doing everything possible to be my best. I know I am not alone and by sharing this, I hope others will be encouraged to address their own issues.”

Returning to the Stage 

The “Hands to Myself” crooner made her first post-rehab appearance at the American Music Awards in November 2016. “In 2014 this stage was actually the first time I was authentically 100 percent honest with all of you,” a teary Gomez told the audience. “I think it’s safe to say most of you know a lot of my life whether I liked it or not. I had to stop because I had everything and I was absolutely broken inside and I kept it all together enough to where I would never let you down, but I kept it too much together to where I let myself down.”

“I don’t want to see your bodies on Instagram. I want to see what’s in here,” Gomez continued while pointing to her heart. “I’m so grateful to be able to share what I love with people that I love. You guys are so damn loyal but if you are broken you do not have to stay broken.” 

Staying Thankful 

Gomez shared an emotional message with fans on Thanksgiving Day in 2016, admitting it was her “hardest” but “most rewarding” year yet. “I’ve finally fought the fight of not 'being enough.' I have only wanted to reflect the love you guys have given me for years and show how important it is to take care of YOU,” she wrote. “By grace through faith. Kindness always wins. I love you guys. God bless.”