Former Disney star and singer Demi Lovato has stressed the importance of having a strong mind in a new interview.

Speaking to Fabulous magazine, the 'Skyscraper' songstress explained that the people who bullied her got under her skin and made her believe that she "didn't have friends because I was too fat":

"They called me a whore and told me I was fat and ugly. I shouldn't have listened, but I took it to heart and it hurt. I thought maybe I didn't have friends because I was too fat."

Lovato then developed bulima and revealed the extents she would go to in order to purge food from her body: "I'd make myself sick up to six times a day. My mum was worried, but because I was going through puberty I was having growth spurts so she assumed that was why I was thinner."

She has since spoken out extensively about her experiences and revealed that it's important to be honest if you're going through a hard time:

"It started with my wrists. People saw that, so I cut in places they couldn't see. You do it because you feel so bad inside. You don't know how to take it out other than on yourself."

Her stint in rehab was especially tough, and Lovato added that if it wasn't for the support of her family she would have been tempted to leave prematurely:

"It was really, really hard and scary. I was homesick and lonely and several times I thought f**k it, I'm leaving. But my mum told me I would regret it. This was my only chance. I had 14 hours of therapy a day. I listened to music and learned to knit. When I finally left, it was like being let out of prison."

Watch her powerful music video for 'Skyscraper' below: