Selena Gomez Thought Talking About Her Mental Health Would Be 'Damaging'

Selena Gomez has become a champion of destigmatizing mental health struggles but she had to get through that hurtle on her own before she could encourage other people to start being honest. In a new interview with Fast Company, the Only Murders in the Building star opened up about how she was feeling leading up to sharing her bipolar diagnosis with the world in 2020.

Gomez told the outlet she grew up being a "people pleaser" and struggled with the fact that younger people who watched her on Disney Channel looked to her as a role model. "I didn’t know who I was. Having that responsibility would make me walk on eggshells a lot,” she reflected. “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.”

She continued, "I wanted there to be a conversation started. I wasn’t ashamed, and I wanted it to lead to something healing." Gomez added that she's now found relief in opening up about her bipolar diagnosis and feels comfortable taking mental health breaks as needed. "I’ve never promised anyone that I’ll never have a bad day again. I’ve always been honest with my fans. Even when I take breaks from social media, I’ll say I’m taking a break," she said.

Gomez also talked about the impact of her 2022 AppleTV+ documentary My Mind & Me. "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. That’s the coolest gift, but yeah, look at me… It’s crazy to have that responsibility.”