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Why Selena Gomez Entered a Mental Health Treatment Facility Again

The 26-year-old pop singer recently entered a facility to help address ongoing issues related to anxiety and depression.

By Corinne Heller Oct 11, 2018 9:43 PMTags
Watch: Inside Selena Gomez's Shocking Hospitalization

Selena Gomez is already feeling better after seeking new mental health treatment at a facility again following a harrowing few years and recent health scares, E! News has learned.

The 26-year-old singer suffers from lupus, an incurable autoimmune disease, as well as depression and anxiety. In 2016, she spent 90 days in a facility, getting mental health treatment to learn how to cope with issues related to her lupus. In 2017, Gomez underwent a kidney transplant; lupus can attack kidneys and other organs. Earlier this year, Gomez completed a two-week treatment program for depression and anxiety.

On Wednesday, it was revealed that Gomez has entered a treatment center again to help address ongoing issues related to depression and anxiety.

"She is getting the help that she needs," a source told E! News on Thursday. "She is already feeling better than she did last week."

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Selena Gomez Enters Mental Health Treatment Facility After Hospitalizations

Gomez's recent treatment facility stay comes weeks after she was hospitalized twice for physical health ailments. TMZ said the singer received medical attention after her white blood cell count became increasingly low—which is often caused by lupus.

The source told E! that after being treated once, Gomez returned to the hospital after still feeling unwell. E! has learned she suffered a panic attack after her second hospitalization, although this was not the sole catalyst for her seeking mental health treatment at a facility again.

"This is an ongoing issue," the source explained. "It is consistent but she is committed to focusing on her mental and physical health."

Gomez, who is notoriously private, announced this September that she is taking an official social media break.

"Depression is something she's always struggled with, but whenever it gets really bad for Selena, she removes herself from social media and withdraws from people who aren't a handful of the people she trusts," a second source told E! News.

"Selena has been trying really hard recently to remain focused and not let her health affect her," a third insider said. "She has been actively writing new music, and moved to Orange County for a change of pace and a fresh breath of air."

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During her 2016 treatment facility stay, Gomez underwent dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), a type of cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy. She told Vogue in 2017, "DBT has completely changed my life," adding, "I wish more people would talk about therapy. We girls, we're taught to be almost too resilient, to be strong and sexy and cool and laid-back, the girl who's down. We also need to feel allowed to fall apart."

"She really likes DBT and is a huge advocate of it," the first source told E! News on Thursday. "She wanted to go back. She gets a lot out of doing it."

 

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Gomez's return to rehab also comes soon after her ex Justin Bieber got engaged, then reportedly married Hailey Baldwin following a whirlwind rekindled summer romance. Gomez has not commented on the matters. The source told E! News that the singer has no contact with Bieber at all.