'I just didn't like myself very much': Nicole Scherzinger discusses battling eating disorders, saying she wishes she could tell her younger self she's 'precious' and 'enough' just as she is
- The 40-year-old said in a candid new video that she used to suffer from body dysmorphia, which led to her battling different eating disorders
- She said she struggled with self-esteem issues and insecurities
- The former Pussycat Dolls singer said that she would tell her younger self to realize her challenges were preparing her for something more important
- She added that she would tell herself that she is 'enough' and that she is 'worth it'
- Nicole 's video is part of Child Mind Institute's #MyYoungerSelf mental health awareness campaign
Nicole Scherzinger spoke about her struggles with body dysmorphia and eating disorders in a candid new video, saying that she wishes she could tell her younger self that all of her hardships were preparing her for something bigger.
The 40-year-old singer and dancer revealed in the short clip that she had major body image and self-esteem issues while growing up and didn't realize there was so much more in store for her.
'Growing up I really struggled with feeling like I fit in. I even had a hard time feeling like I fit into my own skin,' she said in a new video for the Child Mind Institute's #MyYoungerSelf mental health awareness campaign.
Candid: Nicole Scherzinger opened up about her struggle with eating disorders and shared her advice for her younger self in a video for the Child Mind Institute
Honest: Nicole revealed she suffered with body dysmorphia, which led to her battling eating disorders growing up
'Growing up I really struggled with feeling like I fit in. I even had a hard time feeling like I fit into my own skin,' she said.
'I was just really hard on myself, I had a lot of struggles with self-esteem and a lot of insecurities and later on that resulted in me having eating disorders because of my body dysmorphia.
Struggle: The Honolulu native, pictured when she was in the Pussycat Dolls, said she was 'really hard' on herself, as she said she struggled with 'a lot of insecurities'
'I was just really hard on myself growing up and I just didn't like myself very much,' she added.
The singer rose to fame in her 20s when she appeared in pop girl group The Pussycat Dolls, which was formed in 2003 and lasted seven years before splitting in 2010.
She went on to be part of the judging panel on the X Factor, and also appeared on the West End revival of the musical Cats.
Nicole said that if she could give advice to her younger self, she'd tell her that the challenges she was facing were preparing her for something important.
She also said she would tell herself to understand that she is 'enough' and that she is 'worth it'.
'I would tell my younger self that you are perfect just the way that God made you. You are precious and you have purpose,' she said.
'You're going to go through a lot of pain and struggles in life but there is purpose in that pain and there's a bigger plan.
'And when you go through those struggles and challenges it's going to be preparing you and protecting you, Nicole.
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Hard: 'I was just really hard on myself growing up and I just didn't like myself very much,' Nicole, pictured when she was in The Pussycat Dolls, said
Advice: Sharing the advice she would give to her younger self, Nicole (second left) said: 'I would tell my younger self that you are perfect just the way that God made you'
'And even though you feel like you don't fit in it's because you're not meant to fit in, you're meant to stand out,' she added.
'Just hold on, don't give up. Don't let anyone else, not even yourself, get in the way of who you are and who you were created to be.'
Wisdom: 'Even though you feel like you don't fit in it's because you're not meant to fit in, you're meant to stand out,' Nicole, pictured in 2009, added
Nicole added that she would tell her younger self 'that you are enough.'
'That you are worth it. And that you're perfect just the way God made you,' she added.
'You have great purpose in this world. Just wait and see,' she added as the concluded the heartfelt video.
It isn't the first time the singer has opened up about her personal struggles. She spoke to Cosmopolitan UK in June of 2014 and discussed her struggle with bulimia.
'It's sad to see how I wasted my life. I had such a great life on the outside, the Dolls were on top of the world but I was miserable on the inside. I'm never letting that happen again,' she told the publication.
'It is such a horrible, paralyzing disease and it was such a dark time for me. I didn't think anyone knew in my group or in my family because I hid it that well, I was so ashamed.
'I knew it wasn't normal or healthy because I was hurting myself through this cycle of disordered eating. It was my drug, my addiction. It's an endless vicious cycle,' she added.
Kind: Nicole, seen in 2012, added that she would tell her younger self 'that you are enough.' 'That you are worth it. And that you're perfect just the way God made you,' she added.
Real: Nicole (pictured recently) has previously opened up about her struggle with bulimia, revealing that her struggle with the disorder was 'such a dark time' for her
The #MyYoungerSelf mental health awareness campaign has seen dozens of A-list celebrities and well-known faces speaking out about their personal struggles.
Queer Eye's food and wine expert Antoni Porowski, 35, spoke about his struggle with anxiety attacks. He said: 'I was really ashamed…now it's actually become something that I'm kind of proud of because it's part of me and it makes me different.'
He advises those similarly struggling to seek help.
'I guarantee everyone has someone in their life who can help them. You just have to ask for it,' he added.
Fifty-year-old actress Gillian Anderson opened up about how she struggled with anxiety, depression and panic attacks for years.
'Just because you have anxiety or you have panic attacks doesn't mean your life has to get any smaller…you can live a very full, beautiful, and even peaceful life regardless of the anxiety,' she said.
Others who have spoken for the campaign include Ray Romano, Elsie Fisher, Alyson Stoner, and Heather Matarazzo.
