Getty Selena Gomez attends the 2020 Hollywood Beauty Awards
Selena Gomez, while chatting with fellow former Disney star Miley Cyrus on her Instagram Live show, Bright Minded, the singer opened up about being bipolar for the first time.
Gomez said, “Recently, I went to one of the best mental hospitals in the world, but definitely in America, McLean’s Hospital. I discussed that, after years of going through a lot of different things, I realized that I was bipolar. ”
“So when I go to know more information, it actually helps me. It doesn’t scare me once I know it. I think people get scared of that,” Gomez said, describing how there was always such a stigma against even discussing mental health disorders while she was growing up.
“I’ve seen it, and I’ve seen some of it in my own family, where I’m like, ‘What’s going on?’ I’m from Texas. It’s not known to talk about your mental health. You’ve got to seem cool, and then I see anger built up in teenagers and young adults because they are wanting that so badly. I feel like, when I finally said what I was gonna say, I wanted to know everything about it and it took the fear away.”
According to the National Institute of Health [NIH], “Bipolar disorder (formerly called manic-depressive illness or manic depression) is a mental disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, concentration, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks. These moods range from periods of extremely ‘up,’ elated, irritable, or energized behavior (known as manic episodes) to very ‘down,’ sad, indifferent, or hopeless periods (known as depressive episodes).”
Gomez’s Appearance On Miley’s Instagram Series Made For Her Most-Watched Episode To Date
Gomez has opened up about her Lupus diagnosis, and the singer previously announced that she was taking an extended break from social media due to anxiety and depression, after which she checked herself into a psychiatric facility. But this was the first time she put an official name on her diagnosis.
All the Good things Selena Gomez has done & reasons why she should be more respected:
Gomez, who has 172 million followers on Instagram, and 60.4 million followers on Twitter, has an army of fans cheering on her bravery. According to Pop Crave, Gomez’s appearance made for Miley’s most-watched Bright Minded episode, with 187K followers watching live.
One user online tweeted, “Selena Gomez just confirmed that she was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder while also suffering from Anxiety, Depression & Lupus. This explain’s every question we have ever had, from now on I think we should stop being selfish & controlling.”
Gomez Sings About Her Mental Health Struggles On Her Newest Album, ‘Rare’
The Wizards of Waverly Place actress released her latest record, Rare, in January and unlike her previous hit pop tracks such as “Hands to Myself,” or “Bad Liar,” many of the songs on the new album felt less joyous in nature, and more grounded in her real-life issues.
The first single, “Lose You To Love Me,” was a song of self-exploration and the fight to find happiness after a bad break up that never seems to end, (ahem, Justin Bieber). On the bluntly titled, “Vulnerable,” she sings about why it’s so scary to reveal her true self.
“If I show you all my demons/And we dive into the deep end/Would we crash and burn like every time before? I would tell you all my secrets/Wrap your arms around my weakness/If the only other option’s letting go.”
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