Selena Gomez has been very candid with the public when it comes to her ongoing battle with lupus. Additionally, in the 2022 Apple TV+ documentary, she mentioned quite frankly her mental health struggles in her 20s, which culminated in a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. <\/p>\n\n
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, \u201cPeople with bipolar disorder experience highs and lows in moods \u2014 known as mania and depression<\/strong> \u2014 that differ from the typical fluctuations most people experience.\u201d <\/p>\n\nThese mood swings can affect not only a patient’s sleep, energy, activity, judgment, and behavior, but also their ability to think clearly. <\/p>\n\n
Gomez herself described her ordeal in an interview with Rolling Stone in 2022, saying, \u201cI’ll be very open with everyone about this: I’ve been to four treatment centers, and I think in my early twenties I was depressed, when I started to feel like I wasn’t in control of what I was feeling, whether it was really great or really bad.” <\/p>\n\n
5 Surprising Facts about Selena Gomez’s Disease<\/h2>\n\n 1- Selena Gomez\u2019s statement about her health<\/strong><\/p>\n\n“My lupus, the kidney transplant, the chemotherapy, having a mental illness, and having very public trauma, were all things that should have been down for me, honestly,” Gomez told Elle<\/strong> in 2021 about her struggles with her physical and mental health. <\/p>\n\n2- Gomez and the kidney transplant<\/strong><\/p>\n\nIn a 2017 statement, Selena Gomez documented on Instagram how complications from lupus led to the singer needing a life-saving kidney transplant. In fact, up to 60% of lupus patients will develop kidney complications. <\/p>\n\n
3- Lupus weakens immunity<\/strong><\/p>\n\nAccording to Dr. Gary Jackson – Professor of Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina through the Lupus Foundation of America, lupus causes the body to destroy itself, \u201cInstead of the immune system fighting off things like infection and cancer, it turns against the individual and begins to act against them.\u201d <\/p>\n\n
4- The safety of Selena Gomez\u2019s organs<\/strong><\/p>\n\nWhen it comes to Gomez’s aforementioned case, her lupus caused enough kidney damage that she needed a kidney transplant at age 24, and facing a long waiting list for a new kidney. <\/p>\n\n
Gomez praised her brave friend, who was famous for her role in the series How I Met Your Father. She said with emotion: \u201cThere are no words to describe how I can thank my beautiful friend Francia Raisa<\/strong>. She gave me the ultimate gift and sacrifice by donating her kidney to me. I am incredibly lucky with her. I love you so much, sister.\u201d <\/p>\n\nSelena Gomez texted Francia Raisa<\/strong> on her 35th birthday: \u201cNo matter where life takes us, I love you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n5- Selena Gomez\u2019s chances of recovery<\/strong><\/p>\n\nUnfortunately, there is no cure for lupus at this time. While it is possible to treat the symptoms of the autoimmune disease, it will never be completely cured. <\/p>\n\n
Selena Gomez is considered luckier than others with this disorder due to her fame and success, which allows her access to excellent health care. For many people with lupus, the cost of maintaining life after suffering from a chronic disease can be exorbitant, leading to them drowning in debt because of the high cost of health care. <\/p>\n\n
When it comes to Gomez’s mental health struggles, the actress is fighting a lifelong battle. Her lupus has caused mental health problems such as panic attacks, anxiety, and depression, and she is increasingly suffering from bipolar disorder. There is no cure for bipolar disorder at the moment. However, its effects can be mitigated with medications. <\/p>\n\n
In conclusion, despite her struggles with mental and physical illnesses, Gomez has become a strong advocate for both health and body, and at a roundtable at the White House with First Lady Jill Biden and US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy in 2022, Gomez explained: \u201cI hope that by using my platform to share my own story (the story of her illness), I can help others not feel alone.\u201d <\/p>\n\n