Selena Gomez announced on August 30th of this year that she is planning on taking a break from her music for an indefinite amount of time. She says that the cause of this decision is based on the anxiety and depression she is facing as a side effect to her Lupus.
Around this time last year, Gomez came clean with the public and informed everyone that she is battling Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, more commonly known as Lupus. This disease can affect any organ in the body and it is a very confusing disease that is not widely understood. Lupus is an autoimmune disease, meaning that the immune system can’t tell the difference between foreign invaders and the body’s healthy, natural tissues. It is a complicated disease whose symptoms vary between bodies and are subject to change completely over time. Common symptoms of Lupus include: extreme fatigue that won’t go away, even with rest, joint pain, stiffness, swelling in joints, fevers of 100 degrees, muscle pain, hair loss, skin sores and rashes, and sores in the nose and mouth.
A less commonly known side effect of Lupus is anxiety, panic attacks, and depression, which is what Selena Gomez is suffering from. It is not clear how long her break will last, but it is thought to be up to two months.
Gomez is in the middle of her Revival World Tour and will probably have to cancel the rest of the dates on her tour.
During her Stars Dance Tour in 2013, she had to take some time off to receive chemotherapy treatment for her Lupus. A source close to Gomez says that she hasn’t felt like herself for the last couple of months and that this break is the best possible thing she can do for her health.
Certain triggers can cause Lupus to flare up in a patient, and some of those include: infections, stress, lack of sleep, trauma, sun exposure, and other environmental factors.
The best possible treatment for sufferers is to take the stressors out of the equation and focus on themselves and healing. Exercising in programs like yoga help to relieve stress and tone down flares caused by Lupus.
Selena has taken the appropriate steps to focus on her health and wellbeing to ensure that she stays healthy enough to continue her career at some point.
“I want to be proactive and focus on maintaining my health and happiness and have decided that the best way forward is to take some time off. Thank you to all my fans for your support. You know how special you are to me, but I need to face this head on to ensure I am doing everything possible to be my best. I know I am not alone by sharing this, I hope others will be encouraged to address their own issues.”
Sources:
http://www.people.com/article/selena-gomez-time-off-anxiety-panic-attacks-lupus
http://hollywoodlife.com/2016/08/30/selena-gomez-lupus-break-revival-world-tour-postpone/
http://www.lupus.org/answers/entry/what-is-lupus
http://www.gq.com/gallery/meet-selena-gomez-sexy-gq-photos