The actress and singer Selena Gomez has just released a documentary: “My mind and me”, available on Apple+ TV. In the documentary, Gomez describes her struggle with the autoimmune disease, lupus, in parallel with severe bipolar disorder. For several years, she suffered from extreme mood swings and dangerous manic episodes followed by depressive episodes when she couldn’t get out of bed. Only after being hospitalized with psychotic symptoms did she receive a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, and only after some time of coping with that did she find a doctor who could help her find a workable treatment system that allowed her to get on with her life.
Gomez shares that she was very reluctant to release the documentary, which has been described as “raw” and “intimate”, but she has been deeply touched by the overwhelmingly positive response. She wants to work in the future with educational programs, developing K-12 curricula that will help students understand mental illness and reduce stigma.
MoodSurfing salutes the courage and honesty of this young artist, and we hope to hear more from her in the years to come!
Stop press! Last Wednesday Teen Vogue published a moving and powerful response to the film “My mind and me” by the young author, Devi Jag. Jag writes: “The strength in it now is knowing when my mind is asking for help. Accepting my bipolar disorder means accepting that I need help, and that’s absolutely powerful.”