Selena Gomez has opened up about how a mental health diagnosis changed her life.
The Look At Her Now singer, who shared in April 2020 that she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, told Good Morning Britain on Monday that it was “really freeing to have the information”.
“It made me really happy because I started to have a relationship with myself, and I think that’s the best part,” Selena said, adding that she’s “the happiest I’ve ever been”.
The Only Murders In The Building star first publicly disclosed her diagnosis during an appearance on fellow Disney alum Miley Cyrus’ Instagram Live talk show, Bright Minded, at the beginning of the pandemic.
“After years of going through a lot of different things, I realised that I was bipolar and so when I go to know more information, it actually helps me,” the actor told Miley at the time.
“It doesn’t scare me once I know it. I think people get scared of that, right?”
In the same chat, Selena said wanting to seek professional medical help reminded her of how her mother helped her get over a big fear when she was younger.
“When I finally said what I was gonna say, I wanted to know everything about it and it took the fear away,” she recalled.
“When I was younger, I was scared of thunderstorms, and my mum bought me all these different books on thunderstorms, [saying], ‘The more that you educate yourself on this, the more that you’re not gonna be afraid.’ And it completely worked.”
And while learning more about her diagnosis has helped improve the star’s emotional well-being, one major lifestyle change has also made a difference: staying offline.
“I haven’t been on the internet in four and a half years,” Selena said on Good Morning America. “It has changed my life completely. I am happier, I am more present, I connect more with people. It makes me feel normal.”
Help and support:
- Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393.
- Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI - this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill).
- CALM (the Campaign Against Living Miserably) offer a helpline open 5pm-midnight, 365 days a year, on 0800 58 58 58, and a webchat service.
- The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email help@themix.org.uk
- Rethink Mental Illness offers practical help through its advice line which can be reached on 0808 801 0525 (Monday to Friday 10am-4pm). More info can be found on rethink.org.