Is Selena Gomez playing the victim card in her new documentary "My mind & Me"?

Source: Rolling Stone

Selena Gomez talks about one of her childhood fears and how she overcame them. So basically Selena used to be terrified of thunderstorms, So her mother got her books about thunderstorms. If you are not seeing a connection then let me tell you the goal behind this exercise was to know more about thunderstorms, when you know more about something you are less afraid of it.   

Personally, I found the reasoning to be very logical, and I held fast to see Selena Gomez’s recovery unfold before my eyes and also to learn about bipolar disorder. And this is exactly where the film let me down. The film did cover Selena Gomez at her worst and then showed her revival but I still don’t know what happened in between. And what happens when we know more about something we are less afraid of? I don’t know anything about bipolar disorder. 

The documentary really let me down on different levels. And it felt like Selena was playing the victim card. I was really hoping to see her journey of her recovery but the film kinda jumped over that part and I never got to know how this disorder affected me. And some shots felt like she was performing for the camera. Like when the thoughts get overbearing and she starts to weep or when staring out of the window with a blank expression and the camera is right there. Honestly speaking midway through I was trying to figure out what is real and what was shot for the camera.

Bipolar disorder is a very complex illness and a very serious condition. So I was a bit taken aback when I did not see any expert or mental health professional talk about her condition or her treatment onscreen. Adding to it, I recalled Selena Gomez mentioning she is going with dialectical behavioral therapy and her treatment plan. But she does not explain that either in the film. I would not say Selena Gomez was playing at some other end goal but somewhere it felt like she was doing all this just to get attention. 

But there are some standout scenes as well, Selena shows compassion towards those who have suffered. I truly believe if you are going to watch the documentary then you should have the right expectations. If you think you get an insight into the disease and how to go about the road to recovery then you might be let down. What Selena Gomez is offering in her documentary is the assurance that you are not alone. If you have suffered you are not alone in your pain. So if you do decide to watch the documentary make sure you have the right expectations. And if you have already watched it then comment down below what you thought of “My Mind & Me”.