Will Young would "thoroughly recommend" having a breakdown in "many ways".
Will Young
The 'Leave Right Now' singer admitted he learned "a lot" about himself when he hit rock bottom, but it was such an "awful" time and he ended up undergoing treatment numerous time.
He said: "I felt I had achieved everything I possibly could have imagined. but it hadn't made me happy.
"[What did I do?] I had a breakdown, of course! In many ways, I'd thoroughly recommend one - you do learn a lot about yourself - but it was awful: lots of complicated neurology, so many emotions to work through. I had to go into treatment three times."
During his tough time - which lasted three years - Will continued to work but admitted he shouldn't have gone ahead with his three-week stint on 'Strictly Come Dancing'.
He said: "I shouldn't have [done the show.
"I went into shutdown mode. I got depersonalisation, complete disassociation. You don't recognise yourself in the mirror; you can't contextualise anything. It lasted three years, a horrible, horrible time."
The 'Jealousy' hitmaker is thankful he had a "strong desire to live" but also appreciates his privileged position helped him come back from the brink.
He told the i newspaper: "I had enough funds to pay privately to find the best therapy that worked for me. I also found I had a strong constitution and, ultimately, a strong desire to live."
While Will acknowledges he's now in a much better place, he admitted it is still a struggle to get through the day.
He said: "In many ways, I don't think I could be in a better place than I am right now - with family, work, romance, spirituality - but I still have to work really hard to get through a day. It's never easy."
Turning 40 was liberating for the star and he now enjoys getting the opportunity to tell people to "F**k off".
He said: "At 40, my new thing is: oh, f**k off. It's my new saying, I love it. If I don't want to do something: 'Oh f**k off!' It's brilliant. I know that I'm in a privileged position - I don't have any kids, no one to support. It means I can do things my way. It works."
Tagged in Will Young