IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

Selena Gomez opens up about her mental health and medication

"My highs were really high, and my lows would take me out for weeks at a time," Gomez said.
Selena Gomez Visits Music Choice
Selena Gomez says she is doing much better after being diagnosed with mental health issues and taking medications.Steven Ferdman / Getty Images
/ Source: TODAY

Selena Gomez admits the journey to figuring out how to manage her mental health hasn't been easy, but says she's finally in a good place.

“My highs were really high, and my lows would take me out for weeks at a time. I found out I do suffer from mental health issues. 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, 27, told WSJ Magazine. "I got on the right medication, and my life has been completely changed."

Gomez is getting ready to release her first studio album in four years on Friday. The album, called "Rare," is earning rave reviews from critics and is being called a "danceable lesson in self-love and acceptance."

“I feel like I was supposed to go through everything I’ve gone through," Gomez said. "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."

Gomez, who got her start on "Barney," as a child, has grown up in the spotlight. She opened up about her struggles with depression and anxiety in a speech last year, with the hope that her experience would encourage other people to seek help.

"It felt as though all of my pain, anxiety and fear washed over me all at once, and it was one of the scariest times of my life," she said as she recently accepted the 2019 McLean Award from McLean Hospital in Massachusetts, honoring her for her work to advance the public's understanding of mental health.

Gomez sought treatment in 2018 for anxiety and depression, one year after the singer had a kidney transplant as a result of her battle with lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease.

Hearing her diagnosis made Gomez feel "equal parts terrified and relieved," she said.

"Although this does not mean that it has all gone away, I can say that after a year of a lot of intense work I am happier, I am healthier and I'm in control of my emotions and thoughts more than I have ever been," she said.