'I'm not ashamed anymore': Bebe Rexha reveals she has bipolar disorder

American singer Bebe Rexha, 29, has revealed she suffers from bipolar disorder in a series of posts on her Twitter account, admitting her diagnosis had got in the way of her work in the past.

"For the longest time, I didn't understand why I felt so sick," she wrote to her more than 1.3 million followers. "Why I felt lows that made me not want to leave my house or be around people and why I felt highs that wouldn't let me sleep, wouldn't let me stop working or creating music. Now I know why."

She continued in a second Tweet: "I'm bipolar and I'm not ashamed anymore. That is all. (Crying my eyes out.)"

Yesterday, she also posted a video on her Instagram account, saying it's too easy to get caught up with "the number on the weighing scale", how much money you have, and which chart position you're in. "I don't want to be caught in my life like that," she said in the video, while captioning the post with: "Just wanted to say thank you. Just because."

In these new reveals, the Last Hurrah singer also added that her next album is her favourite "because I'm not holding anything back". She said: "I love you all very much. And I hope you accept me as I am. I don't want you to feel sorry for me. I just want you to accept me. That's all. Love you."

She's currently working on her second album, after her debut, Expectations, in 2018, which got mixed reviews. Rolling Stone said it was "an impressive debut album full of nostalgic heartache", while The Guardian's Laura Snapes dubbed it " fiercely trite pop", criticising its use of Auto-Tune and the singer's "desperate search of an identity", while giving it just one star (out of five).

What is bipolar disorder?

Formerly known as manic depression, this mental health illness causes sufferers to experience extreme shifts in mood and energy levels. People with bipolar disorder can either experience episodes of depression or mania; with the former, they will have low energy and low mood, while with the latter they feel hyperactive and 'high'. These episodes can last several weeks, and can be as damaging to a person's life as each other. Sufferers in a manic state may also experience psychosis, when they see or hear things that aren't there, or believe things that aren't true.

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