Selena Gomez said sharing her bipolar disorder diagnosis gave her such strength.

Selena Gomez said sharing her bipolar disorder diagnosis gave her such strength.

Selena Gomez has been open about her health struggles over the years, and she gets more candid than ever in her new Apple TV+ documentary Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me, arriving on the streaming platform on November 4, 2022. The documentary will cover a range of topics, such as Gomez's battle with lupus and her experiences with mental health, including bipolar disorder. Ahead of the film's release, the actress and singer spoke about some important personal moments in her life that are depicted in the Kelly Clarkson Show documentary.

For Gomez, sharing her bipolar diagnosis for the first time was a big step forward. "I was able to say my diagnosis out loud for the first time and it just gave me so much strength," she shared on the talk show, adding that it "wasn't easy." That's also one of the reasons she wanted the documentary to "feel really personal," she told Clarkson.

Since first publicly announcing her diagnosis in 2020, Gomez has spoken about her experiences with bipolar disorder, the mental illness that causes extreme mood swings, including emotional highs and lows, according to the Mayo Clinic. It affects about 2.8 percent of the U.S. population, reports the National Alliance on Mental Health.

Still, Gomez is "kind of afraid" that people will see "this whole other side" of her, she admitted to Clarkson. However, because Gomez is so honest, perhaps others struggling with anxiety, depression and other mental illnesses will feel less alone in what they are going through, Clarkson noted.

Progress has been made in normalizing talking about mental health, but the stigma surrounding mental health remains. Up to 51 percent of people with bipolar disorder go undiagnosed and/or untreated, the Treatment Advocacy Center estimates. Mental health treatment and care are not always accessible to those who need it most, but with public figures like Gomez standing up for those who are struggling, it can help people understand that they are not alone in what they are going through.

Back in 2019, Gomez received recognition for her work to destigmatize mental health. She received the 2019 McLean Award from Boston's eponymous hospital, which honors individuals "who have advanced the public's understanding of psychiatric illness and mental health." She gave up big time then Acceptance speech explaining how it feels to "finally [have] known why [she] had suffered from depression and anxiety for so many years." She “felt equal parts scared and relieved” that her struggles were being given a name,” she said at the time.

Selena Gomez Revealed the Social Media Limit That 'Saved' Her Life

Additionally, Gomez recently launched a mental health platform called Wondermind, which the Only Murders In the Building star hopes will shed light and reduce the stigma surrounding mental health. Cheers to Gomez for using her platform and experiences to help others feel less alone and provide them with the resources they need to get help.