Selena Gomez reveals she has bi-polar: What are the symptoms of the condition?
Selena Gomez has been refreshingly open about her mental health struggles throughout the years, which includes bouts of anxiety and depression.
Now, she has revealed her recent diagnosis of bi-polar disorder in an Instagram Live video with Miley Cyrus as part of Cyrus’ Bright Minded: Live series.
“I went to one of the best mental hospitals… McLean Hospital and I discussed that after years of going through a lot of different things, I realised that I was bipolar,” the singer shared.
“And so, when I got to know more information, it actually helps me. It doesn't scare me once I know it, and I think people get scared of that, right?”
The Lose Yourself To Love Me singer joins the likes of Demi Lovato and Halsey in opening up about her diagnosis and how she was empowered after understanding what it meant for her.
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“When I was younger, I was scared of thunderstorms and my mom bought me all these books on thunderstorms... She was like, ‘The more you educate yourself on this, the more that you’re not going to be afraid.’ It completely worked. That’s something that helps me big time,” Gomez said by way of an explanation.
Bi-polar is also known as manic depression and can present itself in a number of different ways.
According to the NHS, people who suffer from bi-polar disorder might have depressive episodes of feeling low and lethargic followed by manic episodes of feeling high-energy and overactive.
Mood swings, which are more common, are different to episodes of bi-polar.
The main difference is that bi-polar episodes can last for several weeks and tend to be more extreme than mood swings.
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Whilst the depressed side of bi-polar is quite widely talked about - it involves feelings of worthlessness and low-moods - the mania that bi-polar people face isn’t talked about as often.
“People who are going through the manic stages of bi-polar might feel overly happy, have ambitious plans and talk really quickly.
“They also might feel more reckless in their behaviour, which might include buying things they can’t afford - and would otherwise not really be interested in buying.” Psychotherapist, Christine Elvin, explains.
This aligns with the NHS symptom tracker which says that some people with bi-polar disorder view the manic stage of the condition as a “positive” experience.
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Many people who suffer from bi-polar will find that the highs and lows of the mental health condition interfere with their everyday life, which is why a GP diagnosis is needed.
Luckily, there are numerous ways to treat it, which include mood stabilisers, therapy and medicine to treat the symptoms of depression and mania separately.
“It's thought using a combination of different treatment methods is the best way to control bipolar disorder.” The NHS explains.
Despite many people believing that bi-polar is a genetic condition, this only accounts for some cases. Other factors might include extreme stress, overwhelming problems or life-changing events.
It can develop in anybody at any time, although it rarely develops in people over the age of 40.
