Selena Gomez just dropped a huge revelation about the status of her mental health during a time when many of her fans probably could use the escape from the news while hunkering down and waiting out the coronavirus pandemic.
On Friday, the former Disney star openly discussed her bipolar diagnosis on an Instagram Live video call with fellow former Disney channel standout Miley Cyrus on Cyrus’ “Bright Minded” series for the social media platform.
In the live chat, which was broadcast to some 180,000 viewers, the close pals, both 27, touched on many subjects and when the topic of mental health reared its head, Gomez jumped right in, describing to Cyrus a trip she took to a psychiatric hospital outside of Boston, where Gomez said she made her discovery.
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“Recently, I went to one of the best mental hospitals in America, McLean Hospital, and I discussed that after years of going through a lot of different things, I realized that I was bipolar,” Gomez recalled as seen in a video shared by a fan account. “And so when I got to know more information, it actually helps me. It doesn’t scare me once I know it.”
“I think people get scared of that, right?” she continued. “They’re like, ‘Oh!’ And I’ve seen it, I’ve seen some of it even in my own family, where I’m like, ‘What’s going on?’ I’m from Texas. It’s just not known to talk about mental health. You got to seem cool. And then I see anger built up in children and teenagers or whatever young adults because they are wanting that so badly. 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.”
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A source confirmed to Fox News at the time, “Selena has emotional stresses as many other people also do. She has taken it upon herself to tackle her emotional issues head-on and is seeking treatment at an East Coast facility.”
In the 20-minute conversation, Gomez also talked about the large donation she made to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles this week – the same hospital where she fought lupus and received a kidney transplant in 2017. Gomez also received mental health care at the hospital’s treatment center in 2018.
In September 2019, the pop star was honored by McLean Hospital in Massachusetts, receiving the 2019 McLean Award for mental health advocacy at the hospital’s annual dinner.
The award honored people who have “furthered the public’s understanding of psychiatric illness and mental health,” according to its website. Past recipients of the McLean Award included former NFL wide receiver Brandon Marshall, ABC News anchor Elizabeth Vargas, singer Judy Collins and actress Jane Fonda among others.
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It was during Gomez’s acceptance speech there where she opened up about the “scariest” moment of her life while she battled anxiety and depression.
“I think that we are better when we tell the truth and, so, this is my truth. Last year, I was suffering mentally and emotionally, and I wasn’t able to stay all that kept together. I wasn’t able to hold a smile or to keep things looking normal,” she said.
“It felt like all of my pain and my anxiety washed over me all at once and it was one of the scariest moments of my life,” she continued, adding that after she finally received a “clear diagnosis,” she started to feel “equal parts of terrified and relieved.”
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“Terrified, obviously, because the veil was lifted, but relieved that I finally had the knowledge of why I had suffered for so many years with depression and anxiety,” explained Gomez. “I’ve never had full answers, awareness or anything about this condition, so I began to face it head-on, as my mother taught me to face my fears and challenges when I was younger.”
