“My Mind & Me” — When Chronic Illness Affects Mental Health
My Selena Gomez-Inspired Chronic Illness Blog Series
There’s a lyric in “My Mind & Me” that doesn’t try to be poetic — and maybe that’s why it cuts so deep:
“My mind and me / We don’t get along sometimes.”
When I first heard Selena sing those words, I felt an instant lump in my throat.
Because this isn’t just a song about mental illness.
It’s about the battle inside your own head — one that doesn’t care how strong you are on the outside.
For me, this lyric became something I couldn’t stop thinking about.
Because living with fibromyalgia hasn’t only taken a toll on my body.
It’s taken a toll on my mind, too.
The Mental Weight of Chronic Pain
They don’t tell you this when you get diagnosed.
They give you pamphlets, maybe a referral.
They explain the symptoms: pain, fatigue, brain fog.
But they rarely talk about the emotional grief that comes with it.
The depression.
The anxiety.
The loneliness of living in a body that doesn’t feel like yours anymore.
There are days I lie in bed and wonder if this is it — if this is just how life will always be now.
There are days I can’t trust my memory, can’t find my words, can’t stop the tears.
Not because I’m weak.
But because fighting pain every day is exhausting — mentally, physically, spiritually.
The Loop of Guilt & Silence
Selena sings:
“It’s hard to talk and feel heard when you always feel like a burden.”
That line broke me.
Because I’ve felt it — the guilt of canceling plans.
The shame of needing help.
The fear of being “too much” or “not enough” for the people around me.
I’ve silenced myself, minimized my pain, laughed off the fog in my brain — because I didn’t want to bring anyone else down.
But silence only made the sadness louder.
What Selena Taught Me About Owning My Story
Watching Selena open up about her struggles — with lupus, anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder — gave me permission to speak mine.
She reminded me that being vulnerable isn’t weakness.
It’s power.
She reminded me that saying “I’m not okay” is not a failure — it’s a first step toward healing.
And that I can have bad days… and still deserve good things.
Because mental health isn’t separate from chronic illness.
It’s part of the package.
And it deserves just as much compassion.
You’re Not Alone (Even When It Feels Like It)
If you’re reading this and you feel like your mind is your enemy…
If fibromyalgia has made you question your worth, your future, your self…
Please hear me:
You’re not alone.
You’re not crazy.
And you’re not broken.
Your struggle is real.
Your pain is valid.
And your mind — even on the hardest days — is still yours, and still worth loving.
“My mind and me / We don’t get along sometimes / And it gets hard to breathe…”
Me too, Selena.
Me too.
But we’re still here.
And that matters more than anything.
Final Thoughts
This blog series began as a way to honor Selena Gomez’s music — but it became a way to honor myself, too.
Each song reminded me that illness doesn’t erase identity.
That pain doesn’t erase beauty.
And that our stories — no matter how quiet or complicated — deserve to be told.
Thank you for reading mine.
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