Demi Lovato says she was suicidal at age 7 when on "Barney".

Demi Lovato, 20 has long been plagued by mental health issues besides being suicidal. Lovato has been surprisingly candid about her struggles with cutting and eating disorders.  

Now, the "Skyscraper" singer has revealed that the problems seem to go back a long time-to her days on "Barney & Friends."

"At the time, I was just so grateful to be on TV, but I was also really struggling," Lovato says in the August issue of Cosmopolitan.

"Looking back, there was a connection - probably between any kid who's ever sang that song to Barney - a little place in a child's heart, a void, that could be filled. And maybe Barney fills it. Even before Barney, I was suicidal. I was 7. With Barney, I guess subliminally, I did have a relationship with this figure that was saving my life in a way... I've talked about being bullied and the years of being a teenager, but I went through things when I was younger that I've never talked about that probably caused me to turn out the way I ended up turning out."

Lovato entered rehab for her eating disorder and self medication with drugs in 2011. She has since cut two albums, including the recently-released "Demi", and joined "The X Factor" as a judge.

In the candid new interview, Demi Lovato also revealed she didn't approve of hard-partying musicians and stars. "If you're spending your entire early 20s chasing the next party, what are you running away from? That's not a badass," she continued. "What's a badass is when you can sit through your problems and feel emotions when you don't want to have them.

Lovato continued, "There have been nights where I've had to sit on my hands, because I want to act out, because I physically can't sit still in the pain I'm dealing with, from looking back and being bullied or other things that happened. And now, as hard as it may be, I will do that. That's what makes me a badass. Being a badass is handling your sh--."

Lovato seems to have a maturity and wisdom beyond her 20 years. She's been through hard times, too-her father, Patrick Lovato, from whom she was estranged, recently passed away. She Tweeted to thank her fans, dubbed Lovatics, for their support, saying it was the "hardest thing" she'd ever done.

Lovato also recently announced a treatment scholarship called Lovato Treatment Scholarship to help cover treatment expenses for those struggling with mental health or addiction issues.