Selena Gomez has revealed why she’s continued to be so open about her mental health struggles.
The actor, 31, spoke candidly about her well-being during an interview with her mental fitness publication, Wondermind, published on 10 October for World Mental Health Day. According to Gomez, when she started being transparent about her mental health, it had one of the “biggest positive impacts” on her.
“When I decided to be open about my mental health, people began to reach out and share their stories,” she said. “Listening and connecting was the biggest gift because you feel less alone.”
The Only Murders in the Building star noted that despite how open she’s been about her mental health, she’s still working on improving her wellbeing.
“I am not going to pretend I have it all figured out and I think it’s always going to be a work in progress. You have to learn to make the choices that are best for you,” she continued.
The “Single Soon” singer also specified that when she doesn’t have the chance to take a full mental health day in the midst of her busy schedule, she’s been “a true believer in DBT [dialectical behaviour therapy],” which is “a type of talk therapy” that’s “specially adapted for people who experience emotions very intensely”, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
The publication also notes that DBT “focuses on helping people accept the reality of their lives and their behaviours, as well as helping them learn to change their lives, including their unhelpful behaviours”.
When asked what advice she’d given her younger self about taking care of her mental health during the interview with Wondermind, Gomez said that she tries not to “look back and wish anything could have been different”. However, she still acknowledged how grateful she is for different publications that have shined a light on mental health issues, noting that those outlets weren’t around when she was a child.
“What I am happy about is that more people are opening up about their mental health. There are more resources out there, such as Wondermind, that I would have loved when I was younger,” she said. “I am happy anyone reading this right now has a place to connect.”
Regarding advice that she’s given to someone who’s struggling with their mental health, Gomez said that she doesn’t love doing that, because she “doesn’t have all of the answers”. However, she still gave some tips to fans about confiding in their loved ones when going through a difficult time.
“I’d say, though, find a friend or a family member you feel comfortable talking with and open up about what you are feeling,” she explained. “It’s very freeing to open up to someone. There is so much strength in being vulnerable.”
Over the years, the Disney Channel alum has continued to use her platform to speak candidly about mental health. During an interview with Fast Company earlier this month, she discussed some of the reactions she’s received from fans, noting that she never expected to be able to reach the amount of people that she can, and that she wants to use that responsibility wisely.
“When I was younger, I thought I could save the world. It breaks my heart to hear a girl come up to me and say: ‘I was so close to taking my life, but when I watched your documentary, I couldn’t imagine doing that anymore,’” Gomez said, referring to her Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me documentary, which premiered in November 2022. “That’s the coolest gift, but yeah, look at me… It’s crazy to have that responsibility.”
She also confessed that it’s still been difficult for her to speak about something so personal since she grew up being a “people pleaser”.
“I had a responsibility at a very young age - young people were looking up to me,” the Rare Beauty Founder said. “I didn’t know who I was. Having that responsibility would make me walk on eggshells a lot. I thought maybe it would be damaging to tell people who I am. It started to become a threat that freaked me out. Well, if you’re not right, then you can’t work.”
However, Gomez added that she wanted to start a “conversation” about mental health because of the release of her documentary. “I wanted there to be a conversation started. I wasn’t ashamed, and I wanted it to lead to something healing,” she said.
