'It doesn't scare me': Selena Gomez opens up about bipolar diagnosis

Selena Gomez revealed she had bipolar disorder diagnosed, and understanding the condition had "taken the fear away".

The singer and actress opened up about the diagnosis while appearing on Miley Cyrus's Bright Minded series on Instagram.

The Lose You To Love Me singer, 27, said the condition had been confirmed after visiting doctors at McLean Hospital in Massachusetts.

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"I discussed that after years of going through a lot of different things, I realised that I was bipolar," says explained in the interview, which was filmed for Cyrus's IGTV.

The star, who has appeared in films such as Spring Breakers, said the diagnosis had left her feeling "equal parts terrified and relieved".

"Terrified because the veil was lifted but relieved that I finally had the knowledge of why I had suffered with various depressions and anxieties for so many years," she says.

Symptoms of bipolar disorder typically include severe high and low moods, depression, sleep issues and anxiety. Subsequently learning about the disorder has made Gomez come to terms with the diagnosis, she told Cyrus.

"When I have more information, it actually helps me, it doesn't scare me once I know it," Gomez says.

The singer, who shot to fame as a young actress on Disney's Wizards of Waverly Place, also urged listeners to nurture their mental health.

"I'm from Texas, it's just not known to talk about mental health," she says. "You got to seem cool. And then I see anger built up in children and teenagers or young adults because they are wanting that so badly.

"I just feel like when I finally said what I was going to say, I wanted to know everything about it. And it took the fear away."

Gomez, who also suffers from the autoimmune disease lupus and underwent a kidney transplant in 2017, has previously opened up about her mental health.

In 2016, she revealed on social media she was taking a career break to “focus on maintaining my health and happiness” after experiencing “anxiety, panic attacks and depression”.

Gomez also told Vogue in 2017 that being on tour had affected her mental health.

"I started to have panic attacks right before getting on stage, or right after leaving the stage," she told the magazine. "Basically I felt I wasn’t good enough, wasn’t capable. I felt I wasn’t giving my fans anything, and they could see it — which, I think, was a complete distortion."

She also said in 2019 that she was a "big believer in therapy".

“I go to therapy," Gomez said. "It’s just one of the most important things – to get to know yourself. Not saying everyone in the world has to do it, but I do think that it’s helped me understand myself and my childhood a lot better.”

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if you go

The flights

Direct flights from the UAE to the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, are available with Air Arabia, (www.airarabia.com) Fly Dubai (www.flydubai.com) or Etihad (www.etihad.com) from Dh1,200 return including taxes. The trek described here started from Jomson, but there are many other start and end point variations depending on how you tailor your trek. To get to Jomson from Kathmandu you must first fly to the lake-side resort town of Pokhara with either Buddha Air (www.buddhaair.com) or Yeti Airlines (www.yetiairlines.com). Both charge around US$240 (Dh880) return. From Pokhara there are early morning flights to Jomson with Yeti Airlines or Simrik Airlines (www.simrikairlines.com) for around US$220 (Dh800) return.

The trek

Restricted area permits (US$500 per person) are required for trekking in the Upper Mustang area. The challenging Meso Kanto pass between Tilcho Lake and Jomson should not be attempted by those without a lot of mountain experience and a good support team. An excellent trekking company with good knowledge of Upper Mustang, the Annaurpuna Circuit and Tilcho Lake area and who can help organise a version of the trek described here is the Nepal-UK run Snow Cat Travel (www.snowcattravel.com). Prices vary widely depending on accommodation types and the level of assistance required.

UAE cricketers abroad

Sid Jhurani is not the first cricketer from the UAE to go to the UK to try his luck.

Rameez Shahzad Played alongside Ben Stokes and Liam Plunkett in Durham while he was studying there. He also played club cricket as an overseas professional, but his time in the UK stunted his UAE career. The batsman went a decade without playing for the national team.

Yodhin Punja The seam bowler was named in the UAE’s extended World Cup squad in 2015 despite being just 15 at the time. He made his senior UAE debut aged 16, and subsequently took up a scholarship at Claremont High School in the south of England.

Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

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