On Sept. 13, Selena Gomez was recognized for bringing awareness to mental health issues as the recipient of the 2019 McLean Award for Mental Health Advocacy. Honored during a dinner put on by the McLean Hospital in Belmont, Mass., the singer gave a powerful speech while accepting the award.
“It felt as though all of my pain, anxiety and fear washed over me all at once, and it was one of the scariest times of my life,” Gomez said during the speech, detailing her recent experiences with depression and anxiety, according to a release. (Last October, the singer checked into an inpatient treatment center to combat her mental health struggles.)
“For me, it feels right to share that I have personally felt the effects of both depression and anxiety — but it isn’t easy,” she continued during her speech. “I have feared being misunderstood and judged. I know that I have been given experiences and people and opportunities that have made my life exceptionally beautiful and sweet, and yet I struggle with my own thoughts and feelings at times. But this doesn’t make me faulty. This does not make me weak. This does not make me less than. This makes me human. We need help, and we need each other.”
Related
While the release date for Gomez’s forthcoming third studio album remains unknown, she was most recently featured on Benny Blanco’s 2019 single “I Can’t Get Enough” alongside J Balvin and Tainy.