Is Selena Gomez bipolar? This is how the announcement affected her fans.

Sabina Saktaganova Staff Reporter, The Pawprint

Selena Gomez has recently opened up to Miley Cyrus during her IG Live talk show, Bright Minded, about her mental health issues. During the show, Selena was asked how she’d been dealing with social distancing and COVID-19 in general. The singer revealed that she’d recently visited a hospital in Boston where it was confirmed that she had bipolar disorder. “After years of going through a lot of different things, I realized I was bipolar,” she told Miley on Friday, April 3.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) states that bipolar disorder is  “a mental illness that causes dramatic shifts in a person’s mood, energy, and ability to think clearly.” 

As its symptoms include high and low moods, it is often referred to as mania and depression. As mentioned by the National Institute of Mental Health, about 4.4% of adults in the US deal with bipolar disorder at some point in their lives.

The moment of realization was a life-changing event for her as it allowed her to better understand herself and the reason why she had been struggling with anxiety and depression. She said: “It doesn’t scare me once I know it.” The announcement has been extremely impactful not only to Selena, but to her fans too, some of whom have been coping with the disorder themselves.

Selena has been always open about her medical struggles in the past. However, to most of her fans, the singer’s announcement about a mental health disorder is extremely crucial as it gave them a sigh of relief. 

Many people struggling with mental health disorders feel like there are times when they need to hide their diagnosis. Moreover, it made them feel less alone and like they can cope with this illness.

Another reason why Selena’s honesty is so impactful is that there is still a social stigma attached to mental health. Bipolar disorder is one of those illnesses that come along with many misconceptions and disapproval of the society, which make people feel like they need to “lie” about their disorder. 

However, their mental health issues are part of them and no one has to hide their personality.

But what is the most important for Selena’s fans is the feeling of connection her announcement gave them. Even though they have never met, they have walked similar paths and can understand each other, which connects the singer and her fans even more.