Bipolar UK responds to Selena Gomez speaking about delays in bipolar diagnosis

This Tuesday (3 March), while appearing on an episode of the Friends Keep Secrets podcast alongside her husband, Benny Blanco, singer and actress Selena Gomez discussed how difficult it was to get a diagnosis of bipolar.

She recalled being misdiagnosed before ultimately receiving her bipolar diagnosis. She explained that finding the right diagnosis and treatments involved seeing "multiple different people," and emphasised how important it was to remember that "you can’t just give up."

“I knew something was wrong, but I think I was misdiagnosed,” she said, before admitting that the journey to getting a diagnosis was “f*****g’ complicated”.

She added: “It's so hard that you just can't give up. You have to find these things, like I'm so grateful I went to four different rehabs because it all helped me understand it.”

Bipolar UK's CEO, Simon Kitchen, has praised Selena for speaking openly about the delays she faced in receiving a bipolar diagnosis and for raising awareness of the hurdles many people encounter when trying to access timely mental health support.

He said: “Selena Gomez’s story highlights just how challenging it can be to get a bipolar diagnosis. If someone as high-profile as Selena, with access to world-class healthcare, can spend years trying to understand what is happening to their mental health, it shows just how complex and often misunderstood bipolar is.

“Misdiagnosis and long delays are not just a problem in the UK, but around the world, with many symptoms of bipolar still not recognised early enough by medical professionals.

“In the UK, the average wait for an accurate diagnosis of bipolar is 9.5 years, contributing to the high suicide risk.

“Bipolar is the most common severe mental illness in the UK, affecting over one million people. It causes extreme mood swings and changes in energy, with periods of depression or intense highs, including hypomania, mania, and sometimes psychosis.

“Stories like Selena’s are vital because they challenge stigma, encourage people to seek support, and highlight the urgent need for quicker diagnosis and better access to specialist support worldwide. Early recognition can be life-changing, allowing people to access the treatment and care they need and deserve to live well.

“On behalf of everyone at Bipolar UK, I thank Selena Gomez for using her profile to raise awareness of this condition, which affects a millions of people around the world and is still so widely misunderstood.”