Kesha Talks Bullying And Eating Disorders At SXSW

(Radio.com) Kesha participated in a Refinery 29 discussion about "Reclaiming the Internet" at SXSW, and the dialogue wandered through Kesha's experience with bullying, online harassment, and self-esteem issues. She kicked off her remarks with one fundamental thesis:

'I think that the world should be a safe place, I think that America should be a safe place, and I think that the internet should be a safe place," she said. 'I feel nervous for [young people]. I got bullied at school, but I got to go home and write songs."

Kesha says that the trap teens fall into is ascribing too much value to the people who bully them. 'You're making people you don't know your higher power," she said. "I was making trolls, I was making bullies, I was making people I had never met before � who were projecting their insecurities on me, on the internet -- I was making them the truth, the higher power."

The pop star described how those experiences plagued her self-esteem and contributing to an eating disorder that nearly killed her. 'If you feel a certain way about yourself, your body -- it can kill you," she said. 'I almost died. I came closer than I ever knew. By the time I entered rehab, they were surprised I hadn't had a stroke -- because I hadn't consumed enough. I'm not ashamed anymore. It's emotional because it's a deep-rooted disease. It can really affect your self-worth." Read more here.