Justin Bieber is being open about his emotional problems, and he's asking his legion of fans for help in the process of getting better.
The pop superstar, who has kept a low-profile since the massively successful 2015 release of his last studio album Purpose, took to Instagram to send a message to his followers about how he's doing. His state of mind is "disconnected and weird at the moment," he says, and he asks others to "pray" for him.
"Just wanted to keep you guys updated a little bit hopefully what I'm going through will resonate with you guys," he wrote in the caption of the post over the weekend, displaying a photo of him in a Tupac Shakur t-shirt. "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."
The news doesn't come as a shock to those who have been following Bieber's public life. He got remarkably candid in a recent Vogue cover story about his mental health. I got really depressed on tour, Bieber revealed . I havent talked about this, and Im still processing so much stuff that I havent talked about. I was lonely. I needed some time.
Bieber also discussed a dark period in which he abused Xanax and had what he called a "legitimate problem with sex," adding that he used the drug "because I was so ashamed" of his promiscuity. "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."
The singer married model and actress Hailey Baldwin last September, after undergoing an informal detox in 2014. He and his wife opened up about seeing a marriage counselor.
"Just thinking about music stresses me out," Bieber told Vogue. "Ive been successful since I was 13, so I didnt really have a chance to find who I was apart from what I did. I just needed some time to evaluate myself: who I am, what I want out of my life, my relationships, who I want to be-stuff that when youre so immersed in the music business you kind of lose sight of."