Selena Gomez discusses mental health in an inspiring speech at the White House

Selena Gomez discussed “destigmatizing” mental health while speaking about her own struggles at the White House’s Mental Health Youth Action Forum on Wednesday.

At the forum, which brought together young leaders working on creative ways to support mental health in America, the Only Murders in the Building actor began her speech with her own journey of struggling with mental health issues.

Gomez said, “Just to throw in a little bit of my journey, I felt like once I found out what was going on mentally, I found that there was more freedom for me to be okay with what I had, because I was learning about it.”

“Bringing attention to mental health through media or just by talking about your journeys can help,” the actor added. “It sets the example that it’s a topic that can and should be discussed freely and without shame.”

She continued: “Mental health is very personal for me, and I hope that by using my platform to share my own story and working with incredible people like all of you,” she said. “I can help others feel less alone and find the help they need, which is honestly all I want.”

“When it comes to talking about and destigmatizing mental health, I want to ensure that everyone, no matter their age, their race, religion, sexual orientation, have access to services that support their mental health,” she further stated at the event.

Gomez was joined by First Lady Jill Biden, Ambassador Susan Rice, US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy along with 30 youth mental health activists at the event. She also talked about her beauty brand Rare Beauty and how it helps in advocating mental health.

“My brand Rare Beauty and the Rare Impact Fund supports organizations that expand access to mental health services and education for young people and we partner with mental health experts and non-profits throughout the year to share free educational resources,” she pointed out.

Concluding her speech, Gomez challenges other businesses and individuals to make a difference in the world by taking action to destigmatize mental health, adding, “We need as much help as we can possibly get developing resources and services and increasing access to those services for young people.”