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Selena Gomez Revealed Her Bipolar Diagnosis on Miley Cyrus's Talk Show
Wellness

Selena Gomez Revealed Her Bipolar Diagnosis on Miley Cyrus’s Talk Show

“When I go to know more information, it actually helps me. It doesn’t scare me once I know it.”

Selena Gomez appeared on Miley Cyrus’s recently launched Instagram Live talk show as a guest on Friday and revealed during the episode—in a conversation about mental health, self-isolation, and connecting with people in trying times—that she was recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

“Recently I went to one of the best mental hospitals in the world, but definitely in America, McLean’s Hospital,” said Gomez. “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.”

“I’ve seen it, and I’ve seen some of it in my own family, where I’m like, ‘What’s going on?’" she continued. “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.”

Though this is the first time she has spoken openly about her bipolar diagnosis, Gomez has opened up about other mental health struggles in the past.

In August 2016, she announced that she would be taking a break from her career to deal with anxiety, depression and panic attacks associated with lupus (an autoimmune condition). At the American Music Awards later that year, she addressed her brief retreat from the spotlight, saying, “I had to stop because I had everything and I was absolutely broken inside. 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. If you are broken, you do not have to stay broken.”

She spoke just as candidly in her April 2017 Vogue cover story: “Tours are a really lonely place for me,” she said. “My self-esteem was shot. I was depressed, anxious. I started to have panic attacks right before getting onstage, or right after leaving the stage. Basically I felt I wasn’t good enough, wasn’t capable. I felt I wasn’t giving my fans anything, and they could see it—which, I think, was a complete distortion.” Eventually she checked herself into a 90-day mental health facility in Tennessee, surrendering her cell phone and taking part in various forms of therapy.

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Gomez is not the only celebrity in recent years to speak up about their struggles with mental illness. Famous figures like Prince Harry, Ariana Grande and Camila Cabello have also shared their experiences in interviews or on social media, which goes a long way in making others feel less alone in their own journey. For affordable mental health resources across Canada, check out our roundup here, and don’t hesitate to reach out to get the help you need.

Photo by Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images
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