There’s a myth that good art comes from tortured artists. And, while it’s not always the case, sometimes hard times can actually lead to some exciting work. Such is the case for Selena Gomez. In a new interview promoting her upcoming album, Rare, Selena Gomez opened up about her mental health struggles and how getting help led to her most honest album yet —and why she didn’t want to keep on being ‘tortured’ to produce good work. 

Selena Gomez has opened up in the past about her lupus diagnosis and mental health struggles. 

And now, in a cover story with the WSJ Magazine, the Lose You To Love Me singer got real about her mental health journey, how therapy and meds helped her. 

She explained how her lifestyle and health issues affected her mental wellbeing.

Gomez talked about how the pressure of a frantic work schedule, the Hollywood partying scene, plus flare-ups of her autoimmune disease, all contributed to worsening symptoms of anxiety and depression. “My highs were really high, and my lows would take me out for weeks at a time,” she recalled. 

Selena talked about how getting the help she needed was such a major step forward.

The pop star visited treatment facilities due to mental health issues more than once, and —she disclosed in the interview— has been seeing therapists for over six years now. “I found out I do suffer from mental health issues,” she said. “And, honestly, that was such a relief.” “I realized that there was a way to get help and to find people that you trust,” Gomez went on. “I got on the right medication, and my life has been completely changed.”

Now, the singer finds talking about her mental health and learning more about it to be a helpful tool. 

“I had low self-esteem, and that’s something I work on continuously. But I feel so empowered because I’ve gained so much knowledge about what was going on mentally,” she revealed.

Her physical health issues have also played a role in her gratitude for life today. 

During a surgery she underwent to receive a kidney transplant, Gomez experienced complications that turned the two-hour procedure into a seven-hour one. “That’s what makes you go, You know what, I’m just so happy to be alive,” she said.

Now, with her lupus in remission and her mental health in a more stable and positive place, Gomez said sees the purpose in her past struggles. 

“There were a few moments in my life when I felt like, Why? Why me?” she said. “But now I look at it as, At least I can relate to more people.”

All this newfound empowerment, and ability to openly speak about her struggles, has led straight to Rare.

Selena’s new album ‘Rare’ will be her first album since 2015’s Revival. Gomez has described Rare as “the most honest music I’ve ever made.” And if you needed more affirmation, take it from the singer’s famous BFF, Taylor Swift.

Sel’s BFF Taylor Swift gave ‘Rare’ her stamp of approval

“This is the first time I’ve heard her truly channel the details of her emotional experience,” Swift told WSJ about Gomez’s new album. “I just thought, Wow, she’s finally allowing herself to let other people know things aren’t always OK. You can be vulnerable and lonely and independent and strong and brave and scared all at once.” Swift’s approval was just one of the things that made Gomez feel she was on the right track with this album. “I remember Taylor said when I played her some of the new songs, ‘I feel like I’m seeing who you were before this,’” the singer recalled. “That makes me happy. I like feeling like that girl again.”

If you or someone you know is seeking help for mental health concerns, visit the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) website, or call 1-800-950-NAMI(6264).

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