My Mind & Me is a 2022 documentary film that closely follows singer and actress Selena Gomez during a six-year period of her career. The film showcases her struggles dealing with the unimaginable fame she experienced and the challenges of her crippling mental health. In this critically acclaimed documentary, Selena shares with the world that she is living with bipolar disorder and lupus. Selena did allude to having depression and anxiety way before she was officially diagnosed with bipolar disorder, so when the film debuted on Apple TV last month, it wasn’t necessarily a shock to her fans and supporters around the world. Critics, musicians and her peers in Hollywood praised the superstar for her transparent, raw and emotional discussion that acknowledged the stigmatism that unfortunately still comes with having a mental illness.

After years in the limelight, Selena Gomez achieved an unbelievable amount of success and at one point was one of the most talked about artists in the world. From her highly publicized break up with Justin Bieber to a lifechanging diagnosis of bipolar disorder and lupus, her life became an immediate public spectacle. Thank God her meltdown wasn’t as dramatic as Britney’s breakdown in 2007, but Selena still went through a seriously dark, depressive episode during one of the biggest tours of her career.

For those who are not as educated with the disease, living with bipolar disorder can be a rollercoaster ride of emotions, never knowing when you could experience a manic high or a devastating period of depression. Sometimes that black hole you never think you will get out of, where you can’t even get out of bed, is a very sad, lonely and scary place to be. The early years are absolutely the most challenging as you’re slowly getting comfortable with the unpredictable symptoms that accompany this misunderstood illness.

Selena Gomez was born in Grand Prairie, Texas not too far from where I grew up in Plano, Texas. She spent a good chunk of her childhood in Texas and began her career in the entertainment industry in 2002, at just ten years old. Selena starred in the children’s television series, Barney & Friends, the show we watched in school as kids growing up. She kept busy and simultaneously worked on Barney while appearing in bit part roles like Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over and the made-for-television film, Walker, Texas Ranger.

With millions of records sold, breaking over fifteen Guinness Records thus far and cementing herself as one of the greatest pop stars of our generation, I believe Selena Gomez to be one of the most down to earth, brave and kind souls to ever grace the entertainment industry. The way she’s grown into her own skin, staying true to herself and using her platform to help people who suffer from mental illness, is so admirable.

Photo cred: last.fm