Jade Thirlwall opened up about a heartbreaking time in her teenage years in Little Mix's new book, Our World. In an excerpt from the band's autobiography, the singer shared that during a very dark time when she was about 13 years old, she battled anorexia.
She shared that her life was on the line as her health deteriorated from her eating disorder.
"My periods stopped and things were getting out of control but I don’t think I really cared what was happening to me. I felt so depressed at the time that I just wanted to waste away and disappear," Jade writes, sharing she was also going through the death of a loved one, bullying, and issues at home at the same time.
"Anorexia is a self-destructive thing and you become stubborn, so when people are trying to tell you something you get it into your head that they’re against you and you’re not going to listen."
She added that it took working closely with a specialist at the hospital for her to realize how serious her condition was – and be able to actively work on her recovery.
“It took going to [the] hospital to make me realize that it wasn’t a game, it was something really serious. They sat me down in the clinic and were quite tough at first, spelling it out: ‘You’re destroying your body and if you keep doing this you will die.’"
It's not easy to open up about depression or any range of health problems, really, in such a public way like a book, so we're extra proud of Jade for sharing her story for others who may be inspired by her journey.
Are you proud of Jade for opening up about this personal struggle? Leave us your thoughts in the comments section below.
If you or a friend need help finding treatment for an eating disorder, there are tons of helpful resources out there. A great place to start is nationaleatingdisorders.org.
This post was written by Kristine Hope Kowalski. For more fashion, beauty, and lifestyle news, check out our sister site, Twist magazine.
Love J-14? Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for fun, exclusive videos with your favorite stars.
