Days after her fabulous Hostelworld advert aired to the world, 48 year-old singer Mariah Carey has revealed she suffers from Bipolar II disorder.

The ‘Fantasy’ singer revealed to People magazine that she was diagnosed in 2001 after she was hospitalised for a physical and mental breakdown.

For the last 17 years the mother of twins says, 'I didn’t want to believe it... Until recently I lived in denial and isolation and in constant fear someone would expose me. It was too heavy a burden to carry and I simply couldn’t do that anymore. I sought and received treatment.’

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Thankfully, the singer has found respite from her treatment, though it only came after ‘the hardest couple of years I’ve been through.’

She told the publication of her treatment, 'I’m actually taking medication that seems to be pretty good. It’s not making me feel too tired or sluggish or anything like that. Finding the proper balance is what is most important.’

The NHS defines bipolar disorder as a 'condition that affects your moods, which can swing from one extreme to another.’

Symptoms include periods of episodes of depression and mania.

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The difference between bipolar I and II is that bipolar II sufferers won't have experienced a full manic episode.

Of her personal symptoms she told People, ‘For a long time I thought I had a severe sleep disorder... It turns out that I was experiencing a form of mania... I guess my depressive episodes were characterised by having very low energy. I would feel so lonely and sad.’

Hopefully opening up to the world about her struggles with mental health will further aid the icon on her road to health.

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Daisy Murray
Digital Fashion Editor

Daisy Murray is the Digital Fashion Editor at ELLE UK, spotlighting emerging designers, sustainable shopping, and celebrity style. Since joining in 2016 as an editorial intern, Daisy has run the gamut of fashion journalism - interviewing Molly Goddard backstage at London Fashion Week, investigating the power of androgynous dressing and celebrating the joys of vintage shopping.