The Morton E. Ruderman Award in Inclusion has been given to Selena Gomez in recognition of her commitment to raising awareness of mental health issues by The Ruderman Family Foundation.
The Boston-based nonprofit honored the former Disney Channel star, praising her “dedication to raising mental health awareness and her commitment to expanding access to mental health services and education for young people around the world”.
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Selena Gomez Honored For Her Mental Health Advocacy
“Selena Gomez powerfully embodies our Foundation’s mission in the mental health arena,” said President Jay Ruderman in a statement, “a mission that continues to take on increased importance given today’s tremendous mental health crisis for youth, young adults, and the entire community.”
“Drawing inspiration from her personal journey, Selena has given voice to the struggles of countless individuals who have endured mental health challenges, while working tirelessly to increase access to indispensable mental health resources and programs,” Ruderman added.
Talking about the honor, Gomez said, “I am honored to be the recipient of this year’s Morton E. Ruderman Award in Inclusion,” “Mental Health impacts all of us, and we each have a role to play in ensuring that everyone — regardless of their background — has access to mental health services. I hope by sharing my own story and using my platform, we can empower each other and more young people to address mental health.”
“We know that the stigma associated with mental health has led to silence around the issue. I want to change that, especially for young people,” she said. “I’ve been open and honest about my own journey with my mental health, and it hasn’t always been easy, but it’s something I’m constantly working on.”
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Gomez’s Mental Health Journey
For a long time, Gomez has been candid about her struggles with Mental Health. In a conversation with Katherine Langford, Gomez opened up about her depression and anxiety. “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.”
On an Instagram Live with Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez opened up about having bipolar disorder. She spoke about how, rather than limiting her, the diagnosis has given her strength.
In her recent documentary ‘My Mind And Me, she talked about her mental health journey. In the documentary, we can see snippets of Gomez taking therapy. Being a household name in the industry, she has gone through a lot. She talks about how she is learning to love herself and coping with everything. As an advocate of Mental Health, she has started funds, and charities, that ensure mental health facilities are accessible to everyone. She has also been a spokesperson at many events, including the ‘White House Conversation On Youth Mental Health’. She spoke along with the POTUS and US First Lady about her mental health journey.
In her documentary, she says “I don’t want to be, like, super famous, but I do know that if I’m here I have to use that for good.” She’s using her millions of followers across all her social media platforms to create awareness about mental health and end the stigma surrounding it. Being candid about her own struggles, Gomez hopes to encourage other people to come out and seek the help they need.
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