The Truth About Selena Gomez's Bipolar Diagnosis

Singer Selena Gomez shared a major revelation during an April 3, 2020, interview conducted by Miley Cyrus for her IGTV series, Bright Minded, which included a discussion about their mental health amid the coronavirus pandemic. "Sometimes I have to feel it, Miley," Gomez shared about her feelings. "Sometimes I've got to cry it out, and I've got to release it and just take a deep breath, and then remind myself to go back to my tools." She continued, "Which is, 'OK, where is this coming from?' I'm a big empath, so I feel so much of what the world is feeling. So maybe I need to take a step back from that, or whatever it is. But also just being there for other people helps me too."

The "Look at Her Now" crooner then talked about receiving "treatment a few times for anxiety and for depression," as well as "other stuff" that she had "been struggling with." As for that "other stuff" Gomez mentioned? "Recently I went to one of the best mental health hospitals in America, McLean Hospital, and I discussed that after years of going through a lot of different things, I realized I was bipolar," she explained to Cyrus. "So, when I know more information it actually helps me."

Although Gomez didn't share many details about her diagnosis, she did touch on how she came to terms with it and why she felt compelled to share her story.

There can be a lot of stigma surrounding mental health issues, a reality Selena Gomez knows all too well. "I think people get scared of it and I've seen it, even in my own family... I'm from Texas, it's not known to talk about your mental health," she explained to Miley Cyrus. "You've got to seem cool, and then I see anger built up in children, teenagers or adults because they are wanting that [to talk about it] so badly." 

Gomez has since adopted a different mindset, adding, "So I just feel like when I finally said what I was going to say, I wanted to know everything about it and it took the fear away," she revealed. 

The musician expressed this fearlessness again when she publicly discussed the intersection of her physical and mental health in an interview with Dazed. "Going through the lupus thing and the kidney transplant, I was dealing with fame and with being run-down, dealing with depression, anxiety and other mental health issues that I had," she confessed. "It was all a bit confusing."

The star was able to overcome this confusing period through music, culminating in the ultimate breakup ballad, "Lose You to Love Me." She told Dazed, "I was able to release a song that hopefully helps to heal some people, or just lets them know they are not alone ... And that's why I am grateful for the chapters of my life."

After Selena Gomez shared her bipolar diagnosis, fans took to Twitter to thank her for speaking out. "Want to say thank you @selenagomez for having courage to talk about her recent diagnosis of #bipolar," one person tweeted. "Welcome to the club. It is only with brave individuals like yourself being willing to discuss their own journey w/ #mentalhealth struggles we will finally end the stigma." Someone else said, "@selenagomez I cannot believe how brave you are for sharing your diagnosis with us! I 100% know what you're going through as I have bipolar disorder myself and I am still struggling but I'm taking it day by day! Love even more for this if that's even possible!"

The fan reactions probably mean a lot to Gomez, as helping others motivated her to speak out in the first place. The singer touched on how this advocacy has helped her while accepting an award in 2019, stating, "Although this does not mean that it has all gone away, I can say that after a year of a lot of intense work I am happier, I am healthier and I'm in control of my emotions and thoughts more than I have ever been."

Bravo to Selena Gomez for continuing to open up about mental health, including her bipolar diagnosis.