The pressure of stardom and self-consciousness about her body have plagued Disney starlet Demi Lovato for years, but a fight with a member of her entourage prompted her to seek help.
The 18-year-old beauty took a time out from her tour with the Jonas Brothers and entered a center to deal with what her rep described as longstanding "emotional and physical issues," People reported.
"Demi Lovato left her tour early this weekend in order to seek medical treatment for emotional and physical issues she has dealt with for some time," her rep said in a statement on Tuesday. "Demi has decided to take personal responsibility for her actions and seek help. She is doing just that."
While no one on the record spelled out what kind of treatment Lovato, who rose to fame in the "Camp Rock" movies, needed, a source close to her family told the magazine a fight Lovato had with a female dancer on the tour brought things to a head.
Other sources said Lovato has fought with emotional issues for years.
"She fought through eating disorders and has struggled with cutting," the source told People, referring to the deliberate act of harming one's body. "[She] is taking control by getting help."
"[She doesn't have that same kind of love for life that she at one point had," the source added.
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Lovato's estranged father, Patrick, told RadarOnline he has long worried about the stress of Hollywood stardom getting to her.
"There are a lot of pressures," he said. "That is one of the things I worried about when she signed with Disney."
In the wake of a number of teenage suicides, Lovato, who said she was bullied as a kid, promoted a "Teens Against Bullying" campaign last month, and spoke about her own experiences.
"I actually used all of the bullying as a motivation to succeed," she said. "I think I have actually become a stronger person because of it."
Lovato has been in the limelight since she was 10, when she was cast as Angela on "Barney & Friends." She went on to appear on several other TV shows, the first "Camp Rock" movie in 2008 and the follow-up earlier this year. Last year, she was named the Teen Choice Awards "Breakout Star" and toured with "American Idol" star David Archuleta.
In addition to her busy acting career, Lovato has released a studio album in each of the last three years. She signed on as a special guest with the Jonas Brothers for their world tour, which began Aug. 7 and is set to end Nov. 9. The tour was in Peru when Lovato left.
