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Singer and songwriter Mary Lambert shared details of her traumatic youth in an interview published Monday
In addition to be molested by her father she also said she was gang-raped after sneaking into an Army barracks at the age of 16
She found spoken-word YouTube videos which inspired her to turn pain into art
Music became a form of healthy and self-therapy for the singer and songwriter

Published: 02:04 EDT, 17 May 2017 | Updated: 02:29 EDT, 17 May 2017

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Singer and songwriter Mary Lambert shared details of her traumatic youth in an interview published Monday with Cosmopolitan.

The 28-year-old from Seattle, Washington, revealed that she was molested by her father at at young age and gang-raped at 16 by members of the military before coming out as gay to her church one year later.

Her tumultuous formative years also included a suicide attempt, before she stumbled on spoken word poetry YouTube videos at the age of 19 and later went on to be featured on Macklemore's Same Love.

Singer Mary Lambert from Seattle, Washington revealed personal details about her childhood traumas, including sexual assault, in an interview with Cosmopolitan published Monday; Lambert is seen here performing in Los Angeles on April 3

'I found the poetry community in Seattle... and learned how to channel very directly trauma into art,' Lambert said.

In addition, she found music was a way for her to heal, like her own version of self-therapy.

Speaking about enduring the sexual assault by her father, Lambert said, 'You don’t know what’s happening, especially when you’re raised in that environment and your brain is forming. There’s a sense of what normal is.'

Lambert also suffered from untreated bipolar disorder, she said.

'I was really living in extremes where I would have the best day ever and then I would come home and I would want to die,' she said.

'When I was 16, I snuck into an Army barracks and I was gang-raped. You kind of go into survival mode and are like, "OK, how do I navigate this situation?"'

Lambert is seen here performing to promote her latest album, Bold, in New York City on May 5

Lambert said even while she was experiencing suicidal thoughts, she felt she had a purpose she needed to fulfill.

'Real healing is sh**ty. It’s dirty and ugly and not easy,' she said of her journey.

'There are so many of us dying for healing and dying for community and hopefully, in some way, I can help facilitate that with my platform.'

Lambert said she's glad that she didn't die.

'I’m so glad that I’m alive, that I didn’t give in. But it wasn’t easy. I feel like there’s this canned way that we talk about trauma, this canned way that we talk about suicide and that if you just go to Spain and you’re on a boat and you eat tapas, there’s your healing,' she said.

Lambert borrowed from a famous quote to give advice to those who may be dealing with their own traumas.

'It all works out in the end,' she said. 'And if it hasn’t worked out, it’s not the end.'

Lambert, whose lead song, Secrets, off her debut album, Heart On My Sleeve, included references to her weight issues, bipolar disorder and 'dysfunctional' family, has pledged to continue to bring awareness to trauma and acceptance throughout her music career.

Lambert's latest album, Bold, was released May 5.

For confidential support call the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255