Selena Gomez Talks Social Media, Mental Health and More

(Radio.com) Selena Gomez has been upfront about her struggles with anxiety and depression. In a new cover interview with Harper's Bazaar, the singer and actress discusses the life-long implications of that fight. The upshot: In 2018, Selena says, she will work on putting herself (and her wellbeing) first.

"I've had a lot of issues with depression and anxiety, and I've been very vocal about it, but it's not something I feel I'll ever overcome," Gomez said. "There won't be a day when I'm like, 'Here I am in a pretty dress -- I won!' I think it's a battle I'm gonna have to face for the rest of my life, and I'm OK with that because I know that I'm choosing myself over anything else."

Nevertheless, Gomez admits that pressures in Hollywood and on social media are unavoidable. To cope, she's adjusted her attitude to remain focused on what's important.

"I'm not focused on the things that I used to be like, 'Do I look old enough? Do I look sexy enough? Do I look cool enough? Am I nice enough, graceful enough?' Those sorts of things would come into my mind, but now I feel a little more liberated," she said. Pressures in the public eye, she said, are "a small price to pay for being able to have the life I have now."

Meanwhile, the Queen of Instagram said social media's effect is a double-edged sword. On one hand, platforms like Instagram connect people all over the world but on the other, they offer "a false representation of what's important."

"So, yeah, it's a complex relationship. Probably one of my most difficult relationships," Selena admits. "Thanks to the Internet, no matter who you are, you know you're not alone. Maybe a young boy or girl growing up in the South or wherever is confused and terrified to be who they are because they don't think it's right. Now they can see all around them people living free of pain, of hidden agendas, of secrets." Read more here.

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