Selena Gomez recently attended an event at McLean Hospital in Massachusetts where she was honored with the 2019 McLean Award for Mental Health Advocacy. Gomez opened up about her personal struggles with anxiety and mental illness in her acceptance speech.

"I think that we are better when we tell the truth, and so this is my truth," Gomez began her speech by saying. "Last year, I was suffering mentally and emotionally, and I wasn't able to stay all kept up and together. I wasn't able to hold a smile or to keep things looking normal." The pop star and actor shared that her pain and anxiety that washed over her "all at once," and was "one of the scariest moments" of her life.

"I sought support and the doctors were able to give me a clear diagnosis," she told the audience. Gomez described the moment of diagnosis as something that left her feeling "equal parts terrified and relieved." "Terrified, obviously, because the veil was lifted, but relieved that I finally had the knowledge of why I had suffered for so many years with depression and anxiety," she said.

"I've never had full answers, awareness, or anything about this condition," she continued. "So I began to face it head-on, as my mother taught me to face my fears and challenges when I was younger. I sought out help. I actually sought out to get the help that I needed."

Gomez credits education and talking to other people that suffer from the same thing, as helpful for her recovery. "I read a lot about it, and it was something that kind of took over and I became very passionate about it," she said about her advocacy work.

Gomez recognizes that her mental health isn't perfect but it has improved with time and work. "Although this does not mean that it has all gone away," she explained. "I can say that after a year of a lot of intense work that I am happier, I am healthier, and I'm in control of my emotions and thoughts more than I've ever been before, so I'm very happy about that."

Watch her speech in full, below!

Celebrities Who Opened Up About Mental Health

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