Selena Gomez Talks Hitting 'Rock Bottom' Before Managing Mental Health: 'I'm In a Much Better Place Now'

During a SXSW panel titled "Mindfulness Over Perfection: Getting Real On Mental Health," Gomez reflected on the negative way she spoke about herself when she was younger, as evidenced in her 2022 documentary, My Mind and Me.

"It makes me sick to hear the things that I was saying about myself in the beginning. It bums me out," Gomez said. "But I think everybody can relate to that feeling. It's important to speak to yourself with kindness, but I don't think I really understood that [at the start of the film].'"

The doc, which was filmed over six years detailed how she struggled with confidence issues, suicidal thoughts that led to her bipolar disorder diagnosis and burnout.

The 31-year-old singer-actress explained she was inspired to be more open about her struggles after she watched Girl Interrupted with her mom, Mandy Teefey. The Only Murders in the Building star said it made her realize how "strange" the entertainment industry is, and how she felt like she didn't "fit in."

During the conversation, Gomez acknowledged that "you can't force someone" to take an honest look at their mental health and treat it before they're ready.

"There was a lot of people that cared about me more than I cared about myself that really wanted me to do things I wasn't ready for. I had my rock bottom, and I had to do it in my time," Gomez explained.

She continued, "It took a couple of tries, but I like to think and hope I'm in a much better place now."

Gomez has since become a champion of mental health, not only on social media -- taking frequent breaks from the online world to re-center -- and through her music, but with her platform, Wondermind, which she founded with her mom in December 2021, to give people a safe space online to talk about their mental health struggles.

Calling it "empowering," in an article on the platform's website, Gomez said she's hopeful Wondermind will empower those navigating their own struggles with mental health.

"At the same time that it can feel debilitating, it can feel empowering when you find the right space to share your story. Who is on that journey with you is very hard to navigate as well," Gomez shared. "If anything, I'm just grateful for anyone who is willing to share their story and be brave, and take a few moments of their day to make someone else's day. I hope this will let people know it's okay to feel all of the emotions that they do."