Justin Bieber opens up about feeling 'really suicidal' in new YouTube doc

Warning: the following may be triggering for some readers as it discusses mental illness, drug use and trauma.Justin Bieber has opened up about his past mental health battles in his new YouTube documentary special Justin Bieber: Next Chapter. The new doc gives Beliebers a look at the Canadian pop star's life over the last eight months during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.Bieber invited the cameras back into his home for a follow-up special after releasing his docuseries Justin Bieber: Seasons in February, which broke records by becoming the most-watched YouTube Originals series.In the new doc, Bieber shares how he obtained a healthy mental outlook after years of suffering in a dark place. "There were times when I was really, really suicidal," Bieber said in the special. "Really like, 'Man, is this pain ever gonna go away?' It was so consistent. The pain was so consistent. I was just suffering ... like, 'Man, I would rather not feel this than feel this."The 26-year-old singer offered some advice to his fans and said that he would encourage people to talk about what they're feeling, especially if they're feeling lonely. "Say it out loud. There's a freedom in that. I could have avoided a lot of pain," he said. The documentary also gives viewers a look at Bieber watching his music video for "Lonely," starring actor Jacob Tremblay who plays a younger version of the singer. "I was so surrounded. Millions of people in the audience but I still felt lonely. I still felt misunderstood. I still felt hurt," Bieber said, reflecting on his career. He said that he "actually teared up" when he was watching Tremblay's performance in the music video. "I just had no idea what was to come. I had no idea that this life would take me by storm. I had no idea that I would just get sucked up by all of this stuff," Bieber added. He reflected on the criticism he's received over the years and warned his fans that there are a lot of mean people in the world.  The "Holy" singer admitted that when people told him he sucked or that he "looked like a girl" he would try to shake it off but deep down it really bothered him. He admitted that it affected how he acted and how he treated others around him. In other words: hurt people hurt people.Bieber's manager Scooter Braun said that if he could do this whole experience over again he would have had the singer in therapy from day one. Braun added that he was 25-years-old at the time he began managing Bieber so he didn't realize the toll stardom would have on his life. "There's so many tragedies that could have been avoided," Braun added.The "Love Yourself" singer said he had a hard time dealing with the pressure of being a teenage heartthrob and he let his insecurities win. "I felt like everyone wanted to have control over my life. I felt like there were so many people who wanted me to be something so I rebelled against that," he admitted before adding that he feels like he's in "the best place in my whole life right now."

The last 8 months have been a time for growth. Happy and healthy. #JBNextChapter out now on @youtube https://t.co/9ejWpaDY8n pic.twitter.com/3LzVILILXI

— Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) October 30, 2020

This isn't the first time that Bieber has opened up about his battle with depression. During Justin Bieber: Seasons, the singer admitted to "sipping lean, popping pills, doing Molly, ‘shrooms, everything,” and using that as an escape from his own reality. He later admitted that being in the spotlight made him feel pressure to try harder drugs.[video_embed id='6001771143001']RELATED: Justin Bieber is undergoing treatment for depression[/video_embed]In September 2019, the Canadian singer posted a lengthy statement to his Instagram page about his struggles with depression and the use of "heavy drugs."“I felt like I could never turn it around. It’s taken me years to bounce back from all these terrible decisions, fix broken relationships, and change relationship habits,” he wrote, adding that growing up as a child star led him to make “every bad decision you could have thought of” by the time he turned 20-years-old.“Have you noticed the statistics of child stars and the outcome of their life? There is an insane pressure and responsibility put on a child who’s brain, emotions, frontal lobes (decision making) aren’t developed yet," Bieber added. The "Sorry" singer also mentioned that everyone did everything for him during his formative years and he never “learned the fundamentals of responsibility.”

 

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Hope you find time to read this it’s from my heart

A post shared by Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) on Sep 2, 2019 at 2:38pm PDT

Now, Bieber says that in order to grow as a person you must show your weakness, adding that "acknowledging your weakness allows you to grow." That is something we can beliebe in.[video_embed id='2067000']BEFORE YOU GO: Kanye surprised Kim with a hologram of her late father[/video_embed]