Demi Lovato diagnosed as having bipolar disorder while in rehab

(HMG Celebrity News) – Lately we have been hearing more about bipolar disorder after Catherine Zeta-Jones sought  treatment last week at a mental health treatment center.  It’s a serious illness and it reportedly derailed Britney Spears‘ career until she had a meltdown and got help. After leaving a residential treatment center three months ago, Disney teen star Demi Lovato is bravely opening up about her private struggles – admitting not only to cutting, anorexia and bulimia, as far back as elementary school, but she also has bipolar disorder. Bipolar also referred to as manic-depressive, can bring severe changes in mood and energy that can result in manic episodes where the sufferer remains excitable state (see Charlie Sheen?) – or depressive episodes of heightened sadness.  Lovato knew she was “depressed from a very young age,” but didn’t know the name for some of her problems until suffering a breakdown last fall forcing her to seek medical help.  Demi tells People magazine:

“I never found out until I went into treatment that I was bipolar.”

“Looking back it makes sense,” the 18-year-old said. “There were times when I was so manic, I was writing seven songs in one night and I’d be up until 5:30 in the morning.”

Now knowing first-hand the effects of bipolar, Demi was quick to show her support for Catherine Zeta-Jones, last week when she  tweeted: “I don’t know Catherine Zeta-Jones personally but what she has decided to do it SO brave [sic]. And SO difficult but worth it.”