LeAnn Rimes Gets Candid About Mental Health Struggles In Interview

LeAnn Rimes got candid in an interview with People as part of the Let’s Talk About It, a mental health initiative.

In the interview, Rimes opened up about battling depression since she was a young teen and shared that eight years ago, the day after her 30th birthday she underwent a 30-day stay in a mental health facility to face her depression and anxiety, which led her to find the peace she needed to live a happy life.

Rimes revealed to People, “At first I didn’t want to face my pain, because I thought I would get lost in it, but I didn’t. People are so ashamed to talk about it and ask for help. But taking away the shame is so important.”

Rimes attributes her early struggles with depression and anxiety to her fame at such a young age. The song “Blue” made her an overnight success at just 14 in 1996. Her parents’ divorce and the very public failure of her first marriage to Dean Sheremet in 2009 just piled on to the struggles she had already been dealing with.

Rimes shared, “At one point, there was such a weight on my marriage, Eddie and my friends and those close to me experienced pain through my eyes. They weren’t exempt from it.”

A part of what made Rimes realize that she needed to get professional help was realizing how co-dependent she was on her husband, Eddie Cibrian, who she married in 2011.

“When we’re in our own world and in our depression and anxiety, it can be very isolating, and a very self-absorbed situation, I had a lot of co-dependency. My first night in treatment was the first night I’d ever been alone. There was a lot of healing to do.”

After learning how to cope with her depression and anxiety, Rimes enjoys her alone time and focuses on her self-care routine, which includes Yin Yoga, breath work with an expert, and a prescribed medication regimen to help keep her centered and in a good place.

“I know who I am now and I try to keep things in perspective. The need for other’s approval has changed big-time. Self-worth is key,” says Rimes.

When times get tough, and if she feels herself slipping back into a dark place, she knows how to help herself get to a better place. Ultimately, she is thankful for all the trials and tribulations she has experienced in life.

“I know I can get myself out of it, everything I have gone through has made me who I am, and I wouldn’t trade that, at all.”

As part of the Let’s Talk About It initiative, People is partnering with the Crisis Text Line, which offers free, 24/7 support from trained crisis counselors. If you or someone you know needs help, text STRENGTH to 741741. Or contact the National Alliance on Mental Illness, nami.org.

Watch LeAnn Rimes talk about her mental health in an interview with Katie Couric below.