If you grew up listening to the song Leave as you remember that your crush doesn’t like you, then you probably have an idea of how popular JoJo was more than a decade ago. But while she was recognized as the youngest artist whose hit had reached the number one spot, that success wasn’t enough to shield her from depression.
It wasn’t simply because of the stress, pressure, and the external environment that greatly affected her, but the singer believes that she was predisposed to having a mental health problem. A decade ago, JoJo found that she has a major depressive disorder, also called clinical depression.
Since she was 18 – she is now 29 – she had been helping herself by taking antidepressants and talking to a professional. Unlike others who are afraid or ashamed to seek help, JoJo didn’t have that predicament because there had been others within her family that had suffered the same illness as well.
The singer, whose real name is Joanna Levesque, went on to say that people like them, or those who are inclined to a chemical imbalance or depression, simply need help. Now, she is using her voice to open up and inspire others going through the same path through her most recent album, Good to Know.
At a young age, JoJo lived the life: she had multiple chart-topping hits, almost every teen looked up to her, played different roles in films, and became more popular than ever. But behind the smiley face and the sweet personality of the pop star, she witnessed her father Joel spiral down to substance abuse.
Then she was forced to adhere to a 500-calorie diet as a teen because she believed that her former record label wanted her to look skinny as a role model to young girls. On top of that, JoJo’s appetite was curbed because of injections.
She thought that if she lost weight, the company would finally release an album. Things had gotten worse to the point that the Baby It’s You hitmaker turned to alcohol to cope with her problems.
There were days when she would consume too much alcohol and would black out in clubs. Two years later, she woke up in her house unsure of how she got home – it was the wakeup call she needed.
The outspoken artist began focusing on herself and learning ways to deal with depression. Apart from medicines and therapy, JoJo journals, exercises, and practices yoga.