“We Are Here For You”: Selena Gomez Reveals Why She No Longer Sleeps In Her Bedroom
Selena Gomez doesn’t feel comfortable sleeping in her bedroom anymore due to ongoing mental health struggles. After launching her mental health wellness site, Wondermind, she opened up about her “debilitating” anxiety and how she used to be unable to leave her bed.
Selena candidly spoke at Wondermind’s inaugural virtual Mental Fitness Summit on World Mental Health Day on October 10, E! Online reported on Wednesday (October 16).
- Selena Gomez no longer sleeps in her bedroom due to anxiety linked to mental health struggles.
- Anxiety can be a motivation but becomes a problem if it affects daily life.
- Selena shared she couldn't leave her bed for years during dark times.
The singer revealed: “I spent too much time in my bedroom that I actually don’t even sleep in my bedroom anymore, because I associate it with such a really dark time.”
She admitted: “Being anxious is so debilitating sometimes. I didn’t want to leave my bed for years and part of it was I wasn’t doing the work.
“You have to believe in yourself and do the work that will truly enlighten you a little bit.”
Selena Gomez doesn’t feel comfortable sleeping in her bedroom anymore due to ongoing mental health struggles
Image credits: Kate Green / BAFTA / Getty
Anxiety isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as the Mental Health Foundation explains. It can spur us on, help us stay alert, make us aware of risks, and motivate us to solve problems.
However, anxiety can become a problem if it affects your ability to live your life. If your anxiety is ongoing, intense, hard to control, or out of proportion to your situation, it can be a sign of a mental health problem.
According to the Foundation, anxiety can affect both the mind and body, leading to symptoms such as a sense of dread, irritability, difficulty concentrating, restlessness, shortness of breath, and heart palpitations.
Image credits: Wondermind
It may also cause changes in behavior, like avoiding certain situations or withdrawing from social interactions.
Common anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, social anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and specific phobias.
These conditions are widespread, with up to one in 20 people in the United Kingdom experiencing generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
Moreover, GAD affects 6.8 million adults, or 3.1% of the US population, as per the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.
After launching her mental health wellness site, Wondermind, she opened up about her “debilitating” anxiety
Image credits: Wondermind
During the launch of her platform, which she co-founded, Selena also detailed a restless night she had experienced just before the summit.
The 32-year-old pop star recalled: “As recent as last night, I was in bed and I couldn’t fall asleep ’til about four, and it was just because my mind was simply racing.
“And I just kept saying over and over again, ‘This will pass. Just let it go through your body and it’ll go away,’ and of course, eventually, I fell asleep.”
Selena further stated that she finds it helpful to talk about her struggles with close friends, her therapist, and her mother, Mandy Teefey, with whom she co-founded Wondermind, E! Online reported.
She said: “I still have days where I need my mom, like, my mommy. And then there are also moments for me, I just allow myself to be vulnerable and cry and just talk it out.”
In the summit’s segment uploaded to Instagram, the Disney Channel alumnus added: “I tend to isolate. There are moments, of course, where you need to be on your own and feel things.
“I didn’t accept help, I just wouldn’t. And I found complete freedom in sharing everything I’ve been walking through because I know that other people feel that way too.”
Selena said she used to be unable to leave her bed
Image credits: selenagomez
She concluded: “And I hope no one ever looks at me and thinks, ‘Oh, her life is perfect.’ Because that’s just simply not true.
“I’m very grateful and I have a very blessed life. But we’re all humans, and feelings are very real.
“I think it definitely needs to be talked about and we need to educate people more about it.”
After raising millions of dollars in 2021, Wondermind launched its website in 2022, intending to “democratize and destigmatize” caring for your mental health, Forbes reported at the time.
The startup was co-founded by Selena, her mom, Mandy, and newsletter entrepreneur Daniella Pierson.
Image credits: selenagomez
Daniella, who acts as Wondermind’s co-CEO, explained: “We are going after everyone with feelings—not just [people with] mental health disorders.”
She has described the site as “a sexier, more entertaining competitor to Psychology Today, WebMD, etc. for the millions of people searching about mental health daily.”
Selena has long been outspoken about mental health. In a 2021 interview with Elle Magazine, she disclosed her bipolar disorder diagnosis, which she received in 2018.
The actress told the publication at the time: “I felt a huge weight lifted off me when I found out. I could take a deep breath and say, ‘This explains so much’.”
Selena previously disclosed her bipolar disorder diagnosis, which she received in 2018
Image credits: selenagomez
Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition characterized by periodic, intense emotional states affecting a person’s mood, energy, and ability to function, according to the American Psychiatric Association (APA).
These periods, lasting from days to weeks, are called mood episodes. Mood episodes are categorized as manic/hypomanic episodes when the predominant mood is intensely happy or irritable.
Alternatively, they are categorized as depressive episodes when there is an intensely sad mood or the ability to experience joy or pleasure disappears, as per the APA.
People with bipolar disorder generally experience periods of neutral mood as well. When treated, people with bipolar disorder can lead full and productive lives.
“Hope she feels better for her life,” a reader commented
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Redecorate and change the bed. That might make it feel like a different room.
Just over 11months ago I was semi-falling asleep when I heard a guy outside on the scaffolding that was up on our building. It was about 80ft up. I saw him, just his top half and shouted/screamed as loud as I could "WHAT THE ACTUAL F*CK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" I then got my phone, called 999 police and stayed on the phone while they sent out the nearest car. I was patched through to one officer and he shone his torch, saying, "Tell me when you see it." I did. He was great. They couldn't see anyone, I obviously had scared him off by shouting at him. They went over the CCTV cameras but obviously never caught him. Anyway... I phoned the scaffolding company and my Housing Association. They both came over to see exactly where he was etc. Said that they were going to put up extra cladding to make it harder to climb up... I suggested 2 sheets of plywood where he must've climbed up. I'd gone down the next day to try and figure out how he'd gotten up. Took photos to show them. Even offered
To buy the sheets. Extra cladding was put up but until the scaffolding was gone? I didn't sleep in my bedroom. I have the window on tilt but locked it on tilt. It was only a few weeks before that they'd fixed my bedroom window because it wasn't shutting. It was held closed by duct tape I have. They sent someone out as an emergency repair because it was a security issue. Thank gosh that they had. I remember saying to the repair lady, "I'm disabled so it's not like I can exactly run down the stairs if someone got in! I could give them a hefty whack with my cane I use inside though!" She said, "Oh bless you! It's booked in now for later this afternoon so don't you worry!"... But when something traumatic happens in a place? You can start to associate it with the event. My own PTSD was exacerbated by that night because of my violent ex. I did talk to my doctors and others about it though. I have to be open about these things. It just really pished me off when a neighbour made it all about her. She didn't say, "Omg, that must've been terrifying, are you okay?". She said, "Omg what if he'd attacked ME!"... Um, you weren't even here... But thanks for your concern for me. Cheers... So I guess it's? You do what you need to do in order to feel secure, get sleep and try your best to take care of your mental health.
Load More Replies...Redecorate and change the bed. That might make it feel like a different room.
Just over 11months ago I was semi-falling asleep when I heard a guy outside on the scaffolding that was up on our building. It was about 80ft up. I saw him, just his top half and shouted/screamed as loud as I could "WHAT THE ACTUAL F*CK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" I then got my phone, called 999 police and stayed on the phone while they sent out the nearest car. I was patched through to one officer and he shone his torch, saying, "Tell me when you see it." I did. He was great. They couldn't see anyone, I obviously had scared him off by shouting at him. They went over the CCTV cameras but obviously never caught him. Anyway... I phoned the scaffolding company and my Housing Association. They both came over to see exactly where he was etc. Said that they were going to put up extra cladding to make it harder to climb up... I suggested 2 sheets of plywood where he must've climbed up. I'd gone down the next day to try and figure out how he'd gotten up. Took photos to show them. Even offered
To buy the sheets. Extra cladding was put up but until the scaffolding was gone? I didn't sleep in my bedroom. I have the window on tilt but locked it on tilt. It was only a few weeks before that they'd fixed my bedroom window because it wasn't shutting. It was held closed by duct tape I have. They sent someone out as an emergency repair because it was a security issue. Thank gosh that they had. I remember saying to the repair lady, "I'm disabled so it's not like I can exactly run down the stairs if someone got in! I could give them a hefty whack with my cane I use inside though!" She said, "Oh bless you! It's booked in now for later this afternoon so don't you worry!"... But when something traumatic happens in a place? You can start to associate it with the event. My own PTSD was exacerbated by that night because of my violent ex. I did talk to my doctors and others about it though. I have to be open about these things. It just really pished me off when a neighbour made it all about her. She didn't say, "Omg, that must've been terrifying, are you okay?". She said, "Omg what if he'd attacked ME!"... Um, you weren't even here... But thanks for your concern for me. Cheers... So I guess it's? You do what you need to do in order to feel secure, get sleep and try your best to take care of your mental health.
Load More Replies...
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