'Don't Give Up:' 12 Times Justin Bieber Has Been Open and Honest About Mental Health

The 25-year-old pop star often uses Instagram to connect with fans about anxiety and to give them encouragement

On Having a Support System

Justin Bieber Instagram

"It is hard to get out of bed in the morning with the right attitude when you are overwhelmed with your life, your past, job, responsibilities, emotions, your family, finances, your relationships. When it feels like there's trouble after trouble after trouble. You start foreseeing the day though lenses of 'dread' and anticipate another bad day. A cycle of feeling disappointment after disappointment. Sometimes it can even get to the point where you don't want to live anymore. Where you feel like it's never going to change. I can fully sympathize with you. I could not change my mindset. I am fortunate to have people in life that continue to encourage me to keep going."

— in a lengthy Instagram post, September 2019

On His Personal Journey with Anxiety

"Don't stop fighting the battle has already won. Fight for what you love and who you love don't let fear and anxiety win ... God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power, love and of a sound mind!"

— on Instagram, May 2019

On Fighting Through Anxiety

Justin Bieber. Justin Bieber/Instagram

"I'm getting there one day at a time, if you're going through it don't give up."

— on Instagram, May 2019

On Therapy

Justin Bieber/Instagram

"It's cool to have a healthy mind and healthy emotions."

— on Instagram, April 2019

On Support from Fans

MEGA

"Just wanted to keep you guys updated a little bit hopefully what I'm going through will resonate with you guys. Been struggling a lot. Just feeling super disconnected and weird. I always bounce back so I'm not worried just wanted to reach out and ask for your guys to pray for me. God is faithful and ur prayers really work thanks...the most human season I've ever been in facing my stuff head on."

— on Instagram, March 2019

On Whether or Not He'll Make a New Album

Splash News Online

"I've toured my whole teenage life, and early 20s, I realized and as you guys probably saw I was unhappy last tour and I don't deserve that and you don't deserve that. You pay money to come and have a lively, energetic, fun, light concert and I was unable emotionally to give you that near the end of the tour. I have been looking, seeking, trial and error as most of us do, I am now very focused on repairing some of the deep-rooted issues that I have as most of us have, so that I don't fall apart, so that I can sustain my marriage and be the father I want to be. Music is very important to me but Nothing comes before my family and my health. I will come with a kick ass album ASAP."

— on Instagram, March 2019

On Getting Depressed While on Tour

Kevin Mazur/Getty

"I got really depressed on tour. I haven't talked about this, and I'm still processing so much stuff that I haven't talked about. I was lonely. I needed some time."

— to Vogue, February 2019

On Self-Medicating

Justin Bieber/Instagram

"I found myself doing things that I was so ashamed of, being super-promiscuous and stuff, and I think I used Xanax because I was so ashamed. My mom always said to treat women with respect. For me that was always in my head while I was doing it, so I could never enjoy it. Drugs put a screen between me and what I was doing. It got pretty dark. I think there were times when my security was coming in late at night to check my pulse and see if I was still breathing."

— to Vogue, February 2019

On Instagram vs. Reality

Justin Bieber/Instagram

"HEY WORLD THAT GLAMOROUS LIFESTYLE YOU SEE PORTRAYED BY FAMOUS PEOPLE ON INSTAGRAM DON'T BE FOOLING THINKING THEIR LIFE IS BETTER THAN YOURS I CAN PROMISE YOU IT'S NOT."

— on Instagram, May 2018

On Why He Cancelled the Remainder of His World Tour in 2017

James Devaney/GC Images

"I am VERY aware I'm never gonna be perfect, and I'm gonna keep making mistakes but what I'm not gonna do is let my past dictate my future. What I'm not gonna do is be ashamed of my mistakes. I wanna be a man that learns from them and grows from them!!"

"Me taking this time right now is me saying I want to be SUSTAINABLE. I want my career to be sustainable, but I also want my mind heart and soul to be sustainable. So that I can be the man I want to be."

— on Instagram, August 2017

On Feeling Mentally and Emotionally Exhausted

Splash News Online

"I'm going to be canceling my meet and greets. I enjoy meeting such incredible people but I end up feeling so drained and filled with so much of other people's spiritual energy that I end up so drained and unhappy. Want to make people smile and happy but not at my expense and I always leave feeling mentally and emotionally exhausted to the point of depression. The pressure of meeting people's expectations of what I'm supposed to be is so much for me to handle and a lot on my shoulders. Never want to disappoint but I feel I would rather give you guys the show and my albums as promised. Can't tell you how sorry I am, and wish it wasn't so hard on me. And I want to stay in the healthy mindset I'm in to give you the best show you have ever seen ;)"

— on Instagram in March 2016, after canceling meet and greets on his Purpose tour

On Medicating for His Anxiety

Shareif Ziyadat/Getty

"I take Adderall, too...for about a year now, but I think I'm about to get off of it because I feel like it's given me anxiety. Here's the thing. The doctor's been telling me that the reason I haven't been able to concentrate during the day is because I'm not getting … restful sleep, so during the day I need [Adderall] to concentrate."

— to GQ, February 2016