Selena Gomez has been relatively open about her struggles with mental health for the last few years. And while she does everything she can to take good care of herself, she recently got very real on the future of her depression.
In her new cover story with Harper’s Bazaar (where 13 Reasons Why‘s Katherine Langford interviewed her!), Selena opened up about what it’s truly like to face a long-life struggle with depression and anxiety. She said,
“Anyone who knows me knows I will always start with my health and my well-being. I’ve had a lot of issues with depression and anxiety, and I’ve been very vocal about it, but it’s not something I feel I’ll ever overcome. There won’t be a day when I’m like, ‘Here I am in a pretty dress—I won!'”
She then added,
“I think it’s a battle I’m gonna have to face for the rest of my life, and I’m okay with that because I know that I’m choosing myself over anything else.”
Selena recently returned from her second stint in a psychiatric treatment center, which she voluntarily checked herself into.
Despite rumors that the rehab stay was related to drug addiction, friends and family have confirmed that the recent stay was merely a chance for Selena to “get away and focus on herself with no distractions.” Selena said,
‘I want to make sure I’m healthy. If that’s good, everything else will fall into place.”
A source* told Us Weekly,
“It’s about physical, mental wellness and clean eating. She was there for about two weeks but she was also in the city doing work. She feels great.”
Selena stayed at the Privé-Swiss in Connecticut, a retreat for high-profile individuals. According to the website, the rehab facility includes therapy, fitness classes, meditation, nutrition coaching, life coaching, and massages.
Since coming back to L.A., Selena has already returned to her normal routine and has been seen out and about in the park and meeting up with friends for dinner. She’s also started working on her music again (yay!). But don’t expect an album anytime soon. Selena said,
“My next album has been forever in the making. When people ask me why, I’m honest about it: It’s because I haven’t been ready. I mean, point-blank, I don’t feel confident enough in where my music is yet. If that takes 10 years, then it takes 10 years. I don’t care. Right now I just want to be super intentional with all of the things I’m doing.”
This is the second time Selena has willingly decided to check herself into a facility for mental health. Last summer, she canceled part of her tour after feeling depressed and drained. She previously told Vogue,
“Tours are a really lonely place for me. My self-esteem was shot. I was depressed, anxious. I started to have panic attacks right before getting onstage, or right after leaving the stage. Basically, I felt I wasn’t good enough, wasn’t capable. I felt I wasn’t giving my fans anything, and they could see it—which, I think, was a complete distortion.”
Sel has since become an advocate for self-care and mental health awareness. Back at the 2016 AMAs, she gave a moving speech in which she said,
“I had to stop because I had everything and I was absolutely broken inside. I kept it all together enough to where I would never let you down but I kept it too much together to where I let myself down.”
She’s since become a huge believer in therapy, particularly Dialectical Behavior Therapy. She said,
“DBT has completely changed my life. I wish more people would talk about therapy.”
She’s also gone to couples therapy with Justin.
We’re so glad that Selena is being proactive and staying on top of her mental health. Self-care is the most important thing you can do for yourself.
*It’s worth noting that quotes from “sources” are often leaked from the celeb’s own team.
READ THIS NEXT
5 Selena Gomez Outfits You Can Actually Afford — And Where to Buy Them
