Selena Gomez has opened up further about her mental health struggles, including the heartbreaking reason she can no longer sleep in her bedroom.
The singer and actress spent World Mental Health Day on October 10 joining her mom, Mandy Teefey, and social worker Minaa B for a keynote speech at the Wondermind’s Mental Fitness Summit.
She took to the stage to speak about her experience dealing with her mental health struggles, which includes psychosis, bipolar disorder and anxiety.
Gomez shared that after isolating herself from the outside world for years, she has now been able to rely on a small community she built around herself for support.
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She shared: “I don’t have a lot of people in my life, [but] I know who my inner circle is.
“I have to talk things out. And I have a therapist too, but it’s also nice to have people around you who will just listen to you. There is a freedom in letting go of whatever it is that’s keeping you stuck and that lump in your throat.”
A panel discussion brought up ways to cope when you are overwhelmed and don’t want to leave your bed, with Gomez revealing why she now chooses not to sleep in her bedroom.
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She began: “I am a very anxious person.
“It’s kind of like doomsday, and I think having a positive conversation with yourself, even if that sounds weird, it’s really impactful. Like before I step out of the car, and there’s going to be lots of noises and stuff—if that’s the case, I’m not saying that’s every day—but I have to breathe, and I have to say, ‘All of this is a gift, and I may not be in the mood for this, [but] every time I see someone and end up making them smile, [it] always just makes my day no matter how I’m feeling.’”
She then mentioned her documentary, My Mind and Me, which explored her struggles with mental health, and shared why she cannot sleep in a room which so many people find safer than the outside world.
She explained: “I’m a little bit different than my mom, because I spent too much time in my bedroom that I actually don’t even sleep in my bedroom anymore, because I associate it with such a really dark time.”
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She added: “Being anxious is so debilitating sometimes, and yeah, I didn’t want to leave my bed for years, and part of it was I wasn’t doing the work. And you have to believe in yourself to do the work that will truly enlighten you a little bit.”
The star went on the share how she tries her best to take social media breaks for her wellbeing, and she has also found she’s had ‘to stop trying to defend myself’, because ‘I should not be apologetic for being honest, for saying I’m not good, and that’s not nice what you said’.
Gomez shared: “You know, my mom has always taught me that the noise is going to be there constantly, but it’s about finding that moment where I actually physically say, ‘No, I am a good person, I’m kind, I work really hard, and I’m grateful, and I love all the little things in life,’ and I need that reminder. I’m not going to lie, it kind of hurts.
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“I’m definitely not one of the people who can kind of ignore it. It’s just too—I’m just speaking on my generation’s behalf because it’s wild how inhumane people can be with their words and things they would probably never say in person either. It just hurts.”
Topics: Selena Gomez, Celebrity, Mental Health
Britt Jones