Los Angeles, Oct 14 (IANS): Singer-actress Selena Gomez hopes to "give back" to the world after starting her therapy journey.

The 31-year-old superstar had been battling her mental health for years and fell into a dark place. Since starting therapy, however, she has begun to heal.

Gomez opened up about her battle with depression when speaking with The Kit.

"I think what has truly helped me is learning about it. I started learning about Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. And I started to really understand, or at least try to understand, why I was feeling these emotions," she said, reports aceshowbiz.com.

"Then later on, finding out I have a diagnosis of bipolar wasn't scary to me. It felt like I understood what was happening and then I could try to find the right people to help me and guide me through it. So I feel very fortunate, which is why I think it's so important for me to give back."

Gomez also champions the benefits of therapy to her friends, many of whom have tried it.

She said: "When my friends have tried therapy, they'll go for two or three sessions. But that's not going to be even the beginning of understanding and trusting someone. It's also terrifying, so I have compassion for that. I would say it is scary, but if you take time and you're able to see a therapist, that's incredible."

Selena started seeing a therapist after an episode of psychosis in 2018. She is now a major advocate for mental health awareness, particularly in young people.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) 700,000 people tragically take their own lives after struggling with their mental health every year.

Addressing the matter, the singer said, "If people don't understand how important this is to this generation, and don't know the statistics, I would encourage them to look into that. Because I feel like this is something we can truly change."

"And by affecting people and really giving them tools and skills … I mean, it sounds so stupid, but we could change the world. If anything, I just want to make people feel great, and feel seen and heard and loved."