Demi Lovato seems to be in a good place now as a judge on “The X Factor,” but things have not always been so rosy. The former Disney star is finally revealing why she would commit self-harm like cutting and the havoc an eating disorder had on her body.

In an interview with Self magazine for their August issue, Lovato reveals that anxiety and a lack of control in her life led to her troubles.

"There were times I felt so anxious, almost like I was crawling out of my skin, that if I didn't do something physical to match the way I felt inside, I would explode,” she revealed to the magazine. “I cut myself to take my mind off that. I just didn't care what happened. I had no fear."

The self-harm, coupled with an eating disorder, led her to seek treatment in 2010. The starlet defends her decision to come out about her issues, saying that young girls need to see the reality of what constant body anxiety can cause.

"When I was younger, stick-figure thin was in and nobody was talking about eating disorders. I want girls to know that it's Okay when they grow up and their body changes,” she explains in the Self interview. “I want them to be aware that certain things they might do to lose weight can be dangerous -- life-threatening, even."

Read more: Lovato takes stand against bullies

Lovato also reveals that her problems have not simply gone away -- it is something she must contend with everyday.

"I've spent the past two years getting over an eating disorder and issues like self-harming and bipolar disorder. Unlike a person who doesn't have these problems, I have to work on this stuff every day. I'm reminded of that whenever I eat or feel down."