Camila Cabello's mental health struggles made her feel 'inadequate'

The 24-year-old pop star experienced "toxic stress for years" and she admits that it had a damaging impact on her mental health.

She shared: "OCD and anxiety was really hard for me. So many times, I was like, 'There must be something wrong with me. I must be inadequate in some way, because just functioning is hard for me right now.'"

Camila shot to fame as a teenager when she joined Fifth Harmony and despite the success she's achieved in the music industry, she still has many unfulfilled ambitions in her sights.

The brunette beauty admitted she'd love to study at New York University (NYU) one day.

She told Bustle magazine: "I love information. I feel I would have had so much fun in college. Maybe I would have also been crushed under homework, but I do love learning. I love reading … I'd love to go to NYU in person and study some cool things."

Camila has been dating fellow pop star Shawn Mendes since 2019, and she admits that he's been a crucial pillar of support.

She said: "Having somebody that's real, that's not ever going to let you get out of line, has been so important to me. I think that's why I never really got lost in the industry. I had challenges with my mental health, but I was never lost."

Meanwhile, Camila recently claimed that "social media can be a good thing" when it comes to spreading positive messages.

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The singer shared a video in which she called out her body-shamers and said she was proud of her figure, "curves and cellulite and stretch marks and fat" and all.

Camila subsequently said that while social media makes it easier for her critics to send her negative comments, it also gives her the chance to hit back and turn it into something positive.

She explained: "I think that social media can be a good thing.

"For me, like posting about that video that I posted about my body and being like, 'I have cellulite and stretch marks and gain weight sometimes and that's normal' - having messages like that feels really liberating."