Welcome to Deep Dives, a new Health video series where inspiring people talk about a health topic that’s meaningful to them and share relatable stories around health and wellness. Watch LeAnn Rimes’s Deep Dive above!
Country music singer-songwriter LeAnn Rimes, 38, is no stranger to hard work: In her first three years in the music industry, she performed 500 shows. But the work eventually caught up with her, Rimes tells Health. “It was exhilarating and exciting and everything I had always dreamt of since I was a kid, but there was so much pressure to live up to this kind of ‘wholesome little girl with the big voice’ image that everybody placed upon me,” Rimes explains.
The effort she put into her music career would have been overwhelming for an adult, let alone an 11-year-old girl who had just signed her first record deal. “I was constantly working, so I don’t think there was ever a moment to stop and feel. Years and years of work—and never really stopping and asking myself, ‘How am I? How do I feel? What do I need?’” Rimes says.
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Living at such a fast pace eventually affected her mental health. Luckily, she sought help when she started noticing problems. “The day after my 30th birthday, I checked myself into a treatment center for anxiety and depression,” Rimes says. “I started a lot of talk therapy, which was very helpful in understanding what was going on inside.”
Now, while she still works hard in her career, Rimes makes it a point to prioritize her mental health. She has a message for anyone else struggling to make it a priority: “Know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.”
Watch the rest of Rimes's deep dive in the video above.
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