Janet Devlin first crashed onto the scene at just 16 years old when she appeared on X Factor.
Since then, there have been singles, two albums, a book, many mental health struggles, and a stint in rehab. Earlier this month she released her new album, Emotional Rodeo, to rave reviews.
We sat down with the woman herself for our December issue as she opened up about how “validating” being diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder.
“Seeing the symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder was the most validating thing in my life because it was like, ‘symptoms may include self-harm, anorexia, bulimia, alcoholism, drug addiction’,” she admits.
“I was like, oh my god, it’s like a laundry list because people have made me feel bad at points, like you can’t have all these things, you can’t be an alcoholic and an anorexic and this and that and the other. And I’d be like, ‘Well, I don’t know what to tell you!’
“I’ve been through all these things and then my relapse was because of my BPD and my Bipolar, where I just lost access to my feelings, and I was kind of trying anything just to get my feelings back, and my last resort was to drink. I know that for some getting a diagnosis is hard, but for me, it was a relief. Because at one point it was quite literally ruining my life.”
She admits that her relapse saw her going to rehab, but now she is in a much better place.
We asked her how she keeps on top of her mental health, something we all struggle with.
“I wake up an hour before I have to so that I can just sit in bed and go on eBay or listen to a podcast or whatever. Sometimes I go horse riding, I could be at the horse-share stables at 8 am and then be at the studio at 9.30. And then in the evenings, I take an hour to myself before I go to bed so that I can wind down,” she says.
“But the hour before work is the most important because otherwise, you feel like you’re getting up and your day is owning you. I was in regular therapy weekly for two years and I got to the point where I felt like I got everything off my chest, but now I spend the money I would spend on therapy on horses.”
To read our full interview with Janet Devlin, pick up the December issue of VIP Magazine