Honest: Justin Bieber has reflected on having suicidal thoughts and his fears he would ‘suffer forever’ during his mental health battle

‘It was so consistent, the pain was so consistent. I was just suffering, right? So, I’m just like, man, I would rather not feel this than feel this.’

And now he is in a better place, the star wants to help others and is encouraging his friends to speak out, admitting he could have ‘avoided a lot of pain’ if he’d done the same.

He added: ‘I want to be the type of person and leader who can tell people, ‘You don’t have to put on a front. You don’t have to act a certain way. Who you are is enough.’

Candid: The Holy hitmaker, 26, admitted there were times when he struggled with the ‘consistent’ pain and feared it would never go away unless he did something about it

‘I feel so just at peace for the first time in my life … I just would encourage people, like, ‘Hey, if you’re feeling lonely, talk about it. Say it out loud.’ There’s a freedom in that. I could have avoided a lot of pain.’

After the documentary aired on Friday, Justin took to social media to insist he was doing better now and has managed to ‘grow’ a lot in the past eight months.

He told his followers: ‘The last 8 months have been a time for growth. Happy and healthy.’

Justin revealed he has been using ‘prayer and meditation’ to help him through quarantine.

Open: Speaking in his YouTube Originals documentary Justin Bieber: Next Chapter he said: ‘There were times where I was really, really suicidal’

The I Don’t Care hitmaker said: ‘Prayer and meditation. What’s helped me is that I work out a lot, stay physical and stay active.

‘I pray and meditate, things like that. I write music, listen to music. Music is very powerful; it can really help you when you’re feeling low.’

Last year Justin was very transparent with his fans about seeking help for depression and anxiety.

In April he offered his social media followers a glimpse into one of the ways he worked on getting better, as he snapped a selfie from inside his therapist’s office as he told fans ‘It’s cool to have a healthy mind and healthy emotions’.

An update: After the documentary aired on Friday, Justin took to social media to insist he was doing better now and has managed to ‘grow’ a lot in the past eight months

Back in February it was revealed Bieber was seeking treatment for depression as sources close to the star reported he’d been ‘struggling a bit’.

‘It has nothing to do with Hailey—he is very happy being married to her,’ a source said.

‘It’s just something else that he struggles with mentally. He has good help around him and is receiving some treatment. He seems confident he will feel better soon.’

A source told People: ‘He’s emotional and struggles a lot with the idea of fame—being followed, having his every move stalked by fans, cameras in his face,

‘It all sets him off and he often feels like everyone is out to get him.’

Coping: Justin revealed he has been using ‘prayer and meditation’ to help him through quarantine