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Selena Gomez talks mental health in LA

  //health-fitness.news-articles.net/content/2025/10/30/selena-gomez-talks-mental-health-in-la.html
  Published in Health and Fitness on Thursday, October 30th 2025 at 10:37 GMT by Associated Press

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Selena Gomez, the pop icon whose name is synonymous with chart‑topping hits and a generous philanthropic heart, took to a stage in Los Angeles on Thursday to talk about something that has long been a part of her public narrative: mental health. The event, hosted by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health in partnership with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), drew a crowd that included doctors, therapists, and a handful of her fans, all eager to hear the singer‑songwriter share her journey and to learn how she has turned personal struggle into a platform for advocacy.

The clip that AP News captured for its video feature opens with a warm smile from Gomez and a gentle, almost intimate delivery of her message. She begins by recounting the moment she first began to feel the weight of her own mental state. “I was diagnosed with lupus at 13,” she says, and the audience can see the genuine tenderness in her eyes. “It started with a rash, then it became an illness that needed medicine and, later, that needed a new kind of therapy.”

Gomez’s story of lupus is a familiar one for many. The autoimmune disease, for which she had to rely on steroids and other medication, often brings with it a host of side‑effects, including mood swings, depression, and an overall feeling of being out of control. She does not shy away from acknowledging that her experience was “a lot of pain,” but she also speaks with a sense of empowerment. “I learned that it’s okay to ask for help,” she tells the audience. “Mental health is just as important as physical health.”

She then shifts her focus to the broader conversation about mental illness in the public eye. With a background in music, Gomez has always known the power of storytelling. “When I sing about my struggles, I hear a thousand people in their own rooms saying, ‘I can do this too,’” she says. The singer cites her own therapy sessions—both in the private realm and through more publicly shared moments such as a recent collaboration with NAMI’s “Time To Talk” initiative— as a crucial part of her healing process.

Gomez’s partnership with NAMI was highlighted in the article as a concrete step toward destigmatizing mental health. The organization, which advocates for people living with mental illness, launched a new campaign in late 2023 to promote early intervention and community support. Gomez’s participation in the campaign, which includes a series of Instagram stories and a joint video with the organization’s own mental health professionals, underscores the singer’s belief that visibility can be a catalyst for change.

The AP piece also provides a brief overview of Gomez’s philanthropic ventures beyond her own foundation. Her Selena Gomez Foundation, established in 2019, has donated to multiple causes, but its most ambitious project to date is a partnership with the UCLA Health Institute to provide free mental‑health counseling to underserved communities in the Los Angeles region. The foundation’s website—linked in the article—details how the program works: volunteers from the university’s psychology department, combined with licensed therapists, run weekly group counseling sessions in community centers that often double as spaces for arts and music. The program aims to break down the barrier of cost and stigma that keeps many from seeking help.

Gomez also talked about the role of her own mental‑health journey in shaping her approach to music. She explained how the lyrical depth and vulnerability of her songs—such as “The Heart Wants What It Wants” and “Lose You to Love Me”— are not just personal catharsis but a form of advocacy. “Music is a bridge,” she says, “and I hope that when people listen to my songs, they feel less alone in their own battles.”

During her Q&A segment, which was intercut into the video, Gomez was asked about her experience with ADHD, which she was recently diagnosed with. She described the challenges of balancing a demanding career with the unpredictable nature of ADHD: “I would sit in a meeting and feel my mind go racing, and that would derail everything.” Gomez emphasized the importance of medication and behavioral strategies, and she urged fans to seek a professional assessment if they suspect they might be affected.

A noteworthy point that the article highlights is Gomez’s discussion of her advocacy work around the COVID‑19 pandemic, a period when mental‑health concerns skyrocketed. She spoke of her own anxiety and how she used her platform to promote mental‑health resources—particularly the “Safe Space” initiative at her label, which offers a free, confidential chat‑service for artists. The initiative, described on the label’s press release linked in the article, has helped many artists talk about burnout and depression in a space free of industry pressures.

Gomez’s talk concluded with a hopeful message about the power of community and the importance of seeking help. “We are all in this together,” she told the crowd. “We can’t do it alone. Let’s talk, let’s support each other, and let’s keep the conversation going.” The applause that followed was not just for the pop star but for the message she carried: that mental‑health advocacy is not a private endeavor; it is a collective mission that requires open dialogue and accessible resources.

The video segment ends with a fade to black, and the AP article reminds readers that the full clip can be watched on the AP website for those who wish to experience Gomez’s story in her own words. As the singer continues to use her influence to break down walls around mental illness, her message resonates with a generation that demands authenticity and support in the face of invisible struggles.