Sarah Shelton – Photo Editor
One of the biggest role models in my life is Selena Gomez. She has been an inspiration to me since I was around 10 years old, and she finally has a documentary of her journey titled “My Mind & Me.”
Gomez first starred in my favorite Disney show, “Wizards of Waverly Place,” and I immediately fell in love with her character, Alex Russo. From the dry sarcastic humor to the important life- lessons she learned, Gomez was teaching us how to be strong from a young age.
One thing about me is I love concerts, and Gomez was actually my first one. When I was 12 years old, my parents took me to the “Star Dance Tour” in 2013 and I have never been the same since.
After this concert, I remember people in middle school knowing me as the “girl who loves Selena Gomez.” Yes, she was my favorite singer and all over my school binder. I remember even crying when her song, “The Heart Wants What it Wants,” came out.
During the “Star Dance Tour,” Gomez was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called Lupus and since then, she has always used her voice to advocate for the Lupus Research Alliance.
She then came out with her album “Revival,” which I used the quote “I’m reborn in every moment, so who knows what I’ll become” for my high school senior quote. Gomez’s music and movies got me through a lot so I did not care when my boyfriend, at the time, made fun of me for it.
Years after, Gomez was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. As a person who has been diagnosed with mental illness, it is amazing to see such a strong and compassionate woman use her platform to help others in her situation.
Gomez has had a mental health panel with President Joe Biden in the White House and uses her makeup brand, “Rare Beauty,” to donate to many mental health resources with the Rare Impact Fund. She even now has a free newsletter as the co-founder of “Wondermind.” According to Wondermind’s Instagram, it is “the world’s first mental fitness ecosystem to democratize and destigmatize mental health for everyone.”
Knowing all this, I knew the documentary was going to mean a lot to me as well as many others. However, I did not expect it to be as heart-wrenching as it was.
Before the release, Gomez released her song “My Mind & Me,” which is what inspired the documentary title.
Gomez somehow always releases songs I mentally need at the time I need them. From “De Una Vez” to “Camouflage” to “Lose you to Love me” and now this, wow, she can make vulnerability into art.
Anyway, seeing it start in 2016 around the “Revival Tour” was amazing because I was also in attendance and it was one of the best days of my life. However, seeing her immediately struggle hurt.
Seeing her also struggle right away in the documentary for always being connected to Disney and to her ex, Justin, also hit the heart.
While people will always have something to say about celebrities, she should never have been always connected to her ex in this way, especially when he admitted in an Instagram post he abused drugs and his past relationships. She confirmed emotional abuse in an NPR interview, which is not mentioned in the documentary as this is her story, not her relationship story.
Both, Gomez and Justin have learned from their past and I personally love how Gomez shares her story with kindness, never speaking negatively about anyone. I love how she only briefly mentioned a “past relationship” and showed how she was able to let it all go with her song “Lose You to Love Me.”
Seeing all of Gomez’s struggles, visiting her old school and all the cute home-baby videos really put into perspective that like all of us, she is human. She has exes, mental health issues, talents and downfalls.
I remember when the “Revival Tour” got canceled and people started terrible drug rumors, knowing she has anxiety and an autoimmune disease. Being able to see what truly happened means a lot. Having a psychotic break is no joke.
Hearing her friend say “they wouldn’t have recognized her,” and her mom saying she was scared she was going to die really put into perspective how badly Gomez was struggling behind the scenes, and nobody knew.
When I met Gomez in early 2020, before the pandemic, even I recognized a change in her. Which by the way, 43 minutes and 13 seconds into the documentary it shows her in New York City the day I met her.
The “My Mind & Me” film debuted with a 100% rotten tomatoes score based on six reviews and within a few hours of release, the song received a nomination for best song in a documentary for the 2022 Hollywood Music In Media awards.
This documentary is a must-watch if you care about mental health, especially Bipolar Disorder.
“I hope a conversation has started,” Gomez said at the premiere of her documentary.
