Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me

Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me is an engaging and engrossing view into the life of a pop culture machine that both nurtures and deprives the protagonist of her most valued need for connection and authentic living. The documentary takes us through Selena's life; from her humble beginnings as a child actor, to her struggle with autoimmune disease at the height of pop stardom, to a mental breakdown that lands her in in-patient treatment.

As a mental health professional who also struggles with anxiety and depression, this is one of the most raw and honest depictions of mental health I've ever seen. One of the more poignant themes is how much Selena is affected by being caught up in an existential struggle for authenticity, in which she surrounded by yes men and people who don't appear to have her best interests at heart. There are many poignant moments in the documentary, and I am not a good enough writer to explain them all. I just know that there is something uniquely special on display here.

If you struggle with your mental/physical health at all, this is a good documentary to watch to see how our struggles are all essentially the same; that we all struggle with stress and pressure and how we are all at our center living life for moments of connection, peace, and meaning.

There is a moment in Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me in which it feels like the star's world has cracked wide open, and she's bravely invited viewers to witness what comes next. Both of these things are somewhat true of the Apple TV+ documentary, made about a six-year period in Gomez's life, which focuses on her mental health. But the hour-and-a-half-long film does something curious 20 minutes in, when the singer and actress receives a bipolar disorder diagnosis in 2019, following hospitalization for a psychotic break. Gomez, now 30, tells the viewer that when she first got out, she didn't know how she'd cope with the diagnosis."I needed to keep learning about it," she says. "I needed to take it day by day."Then she tenderly recalls a childhood fear of thunderstorms, which could precede a tornado in her native Texas. Recognizing her daughter's terror, Gomez's mother provided her with books about storms, lightning, and thunder. This is paired with touching home video footage of a young Gomez being held in her mother's arms and playing innocently outside as thunder rumbles in the background."She basically said, 'The more you learn about it, the less you're going to be afraid of it,'" Gomez remembers. "And it really helped." For a moment, it seems like Gomez is poised to let her recovery journey unfold before our eyes, but this is not the film we're given. The intimate documentary shows Gomez in crisis, and yes, her revival, but not much of what happens in between. Though Gomez courageously allows the camera to linger as she weeps over anxious thoughts and stares blankly out the window, perhaps overcome by numbing depression, we never learn what bipolar disorder is, or how it affects her. This is not a criticism of Gomez or the filmmakers inasmuch as it's an attempt to imagine how else a project like this could address mental health in ways that help others, something that Gomez suggests is vitally important to her. What Gomez offers to viewers instead is profound reassurance that they're not alone with their pain. The genuine compassion she shows two young women who've attempted or contemplated suicide are standout scenes, not only because she recognizes their suffering, but also because she embraces them without judgment or shame. If only a fraction of viewers model the empathy she displays, Gomez may indeed fulfill her hope of saving lives.

It was raw. It was emotional. It was honest. I applaud Selena for deciding to speak to the world in this way. I have always admired her for the many things she is and does. This movie took it to a whole new level. I've been battling with my own mental and physical health and knowing that it's gaining more visibility by people, it's becoming a bigger conversation, thankfully to Selena and people with her platform, it means a lot. Mental health pains is not a monster we should hide. What Selena is doing is important and so necessary. Every such conversation is a beat that keeps our hearts alive.

Welcome to Selena's mind; the uncertainty of her reality; the negativity of her existence as an artist; and the pain from health issues that also impacts her mental state of being. All bared in this observational documentary with private access to all areas of her life.

This is a soul baring journey through the darkness of fame, where your purpose in life diminishes and privacy is nonexistent. It is all smiles for the annoying paparazzi, adoring fans and silly questions from so-called journalists. Selena's state of mind was already in the darkness, but all of this just pushed it further down the rabbit hole toward the mad hatter's party.

An impactful and assuring piece on mental health, revealing that not all is immune to it, even the famous and creative fall victim, and fight the same battle within.

As a victim of Mental demon, This documentary tells more than explanation and imagination. Mental illness is so cruel, if you have physical problems with that...i can't even imagine that! She's so strong after all this. I always proud myself for being alive, in her case I feel more than that. She use her position rightfully to speak and support to millions for making all strong by saying YOU'RE NOT ALONE!

The song itself broke anyone. Nov 3 eve 6pm(India) I heard for the 1st time in my bed...immediately my mind rewinding my past 2 years of dark times and never stop that song for 6 hours and cry endlessly throughout that time. It's my honest review people!

I just say THANK YOU SO SO MUCH to do that❤