Selena Gomez is one of today’s most important Latin artists. Her talent is matched by her bravery when it comes to talking about her mental health.
The actress, singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist, whose birth name is Selena Marie Gomez, has been in the public eye since the age of 10, when she was part of the children’s show “Barney & Friends.” Her acting career and fame took off in 2007 when she starred in Disney’s ‘Wizards of Waverly Place,’ one of the channel’s most successful series that won three Emmy Awards.
Gomez’s success as an actress allowed her to venture into the music industry, and she managed to become one of the most influential pop stars of the decade. But all this success and fame came hand in hand with internal struggles from being in the public eye and subjected to the scrutiny of people watching her every step.
Gomez’s battle with Lupus
In 2014, Selena Gomez was diagnosed with Lupus. This chronic autoimmune disease can affect the skin, brain, joints, kidneys, and lungs, causing inflammation that damages the tissue of the affected organs. This diagnosis was a tough blow for the singer, who had to be admitted into a mental health facility because she was very affected not only by the disease but also by the public’s adverse reaction to her mental state.
Gomez would have to undergo a kidney transplant in 2017 due to Lupus. She admitted in an interview that feeling like an object for always being in the public eye only worsened her mental health, and she came to suffer from anxiety and depression.
Coming to terms with reality
Early in the Covid-19 pandemic, Selena Gomez joined American singer and actress Miley Cyrus on her Instagram Live Talk Show “Bright Minded.” She confessed she was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. Gomez also admitted during the Live that it was a great relief for her to be able to find an explanation for the things she was feeling.
Despite her many struggles, both physically and mentally, Gomez has remained steadfast and believes in helping people who are going through similar situations with mental health. Looking for ways in which she can help the community, Gomez uses her work as a means to raise money to donate to those who need it most.
Her beauty company Rare Beauty has the Rare Beauty Impact Fund, which seeks to raise $100 million for mental health services in communities that need it most. In addition to this, she is the co-founder of Wondermind, a platform that seeks to offer exercise tools to help maintain your mental health, helpful guides, and daily content such as podcasts discussing important topics related to mental wellness.