Watch an exclusive clip from Selena Gomez's new mental health documentary
At the height of her fame, actress and singer Selena Gomez hit the lowest of lows in her struggle with mental health.
The 30-year-old is now sharing an unfiltered look into her inner turmoil in a new documentary, "Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me."
Shot over six years, the documentary, airing on Apple TV+, shows Gomez's battle with anxiety and depression as well as lupus, an autoimmune disease that can cause inflammation and tissue damage throughout the body, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Gomez went public with her lupus diagnosis in October 2015, and later took time off from her tour to deal with the mental health side effects of her disease, which she said included "anxiety, panic attacks and depression."
In an exclusive clip of the documentary that aired Thursday on "Good Morning America," Gomez is seen dealing with severe anxiety amplified by her battle with lupus.
"I hadn't been on stage in over two years, and I still didn't know if I was ready," Gomez says in the clip, which was filmed just before her appearance at the 2019 American Music Awards. "But what good is having a song if I was too scared to sing it?”
Alek Keshishian, the director of the documentary, told ABC News' Juju Chang that filming stopped at one point after Gomez suffered a nervous breakdown and was admitted to a mental health facility.
Keshishian said they decided to resume filming upon Gomez's release in order to document her journey to recovery.
"After she came out of the facility, I suddenly realized, wait a second there's a really fascinating story because she is just now in recovery herself," said Keshishian. "And the fact that she's still very much the patient."
Gomez revealed in 2020 that she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, a mental health condition that involves changes in mood, activity levels and energy, according to the National Institutes of Mental Health.
She told Chang in an interview earlier this year that learning more about her health diagnoses had a positive impact in her life.
"I just found that it was really freeing to have the information, to kind of know what's going on," she said. "It didn't scare me."
"I started to have a relationship with myself, and I think that's the best part," Gomez continued. "I've probably been the happiest I've ever been. My mom knows. And it's just been really wonderful, but it's work and you do it every day."
Gomez, who also underwent a kidney transplant for her lupus in 2017, has become an outspoken advocate for mental health causes.
In April, the singer and her mother, producer Mandy Teefey, joined together with Newsette co-founder Daniella Pierson to launch Wondermind, a platform that offers mental health resources.
"There are places where people go when they need help, and it's unfortunate that they cost ridiculous amounts of money," Gomez said when Wondermind was launched. "But [as with] Planned Parenthood, there's a place for women to feel okay and to feel understood, and I want that for mental health."
She continued, "I think it's so important and I can't stress it enough how much I care and how much I really, really want people to be understood, seen and heard."
"Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me" premieres globally on Apple TV+ on Nov. 4.
If you are experiencing any thoughts about wanting to hurt yourself or anyone else, any thoughts of suicide, or any mental health crisis, please call or text 988. You will reach a trained crisis counselor for free, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also go to 988lifeline.org or dial the current toll free number 800-273-8255 [TALK].
