Demi Lovato recently admitted in an interview for 20/20 that she used to cut herself.
According to Lovato, 18, she began cutting herself at the age of 11 as "a way of expressing my own shame, of myself, on my own body."
Lovato added, "I was matching the inside to the outside. And there were some times where my emotions were just so built up, I didn't know what to do. The only way that I could get instant gratification was through an immediate release on myself."
Lovato sought professional treatment in October for "physical and emotional issues" after she attacked one of her tour backup dancers.
Lovato says she takes "100 percent, full responsibility" for the incident and says, "I feel horrible, [She] was my friend."
During her treatment, Lovato received help for her cutting, bulimia, and other emotional issues.
And now that she is out of treatment, Lovato says that she is moving on to the next phase of her life. And that includes leaving her hit Disney Channel show Sonny With a Chance to devote more of her time to her music career.
"It made sense for me to go ahead and leave the show to focus on my music," Lovato told People magazine. "It's kind of sad for me that a chapter of my life has ended but there couldn't be a better time for me to move on."
But her decison to leave Sonny is not only about creating more time to focus on her music. Lovato says that being involved with the show would not be good for her continuing recovery.
"I don't think going back to Sonny would be healthy for my recovery," said Lovato. "Being in front of a camera would make me nervous."
A representative for the Disney Channel said in a statement, "We respect Demi's decision to focus fulltime on her music and not immediately return to her acting career. She is a talented young woman and our hearts are with her as she continues to take action to improve her health and bounce back from adversity."
Lovato hopes that her story can help to inspire and "open up the eyes of so many young girls" who are struggling with similar issues.
(Sources: TMZ.com, People.com)
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