Selena Gomez is ‘happier, healthier’
Nearly a year after stepping away from social media and the spotlight, singer-actor Selena Gomez opened up about her battle with depression and anxiety while accepting the McLean Award for Mental Health Advocacy, according to USA Today.
“Last year, I was suffering mentally and emotionally and I wasn’t able to stay all kept up and together,” she said in her speech, shared on Wednesday on Instagram.
“I wasn’t able to keep a smile or to keep things looking normal. It felt like all of my pain and my anxiety washed over me at once and it was one of the scariest moments of my life,” she added.
Gomez revealed that the diagnosis left her “equal parts terrified and relieved”. “Terrified, obviously, because that veil was lifted. But relieved that I had the knowledge of why I had suffered for so many years with depression and anxiety,” she explained.
Gomez, 27, said she faced her diagnosis head-on “as my mother taught me to face my fears and challenges,” which led her to a much better place.
“Although this does not mean that it has all gone away, I can say that after a year of a lot of intense work... I am happier, I am healthier, and I’m in control of my emotions and thoughts more than I’ve ever been. So I’m very happy about that,” she shared.
The Taki Taki singer said it’s not easy to share her mental health struggles, but she hopes her experience will inspire others to seek help when needed.
“I know that I’ve been given experiences and people and opportunities that have made my life exceptionally beautiful and sweet — and yet I struggle with my own thoughts and feelings at times... This does not make me weak... This makes me human. We need help, and we need each other.”