Mariah Carey had low self-esteem when growing up

The 39-year-old singer admits she has struggled with confidence issues her whole life and especially when she was a teenager who wanted to be liked.

She told Paper magazine: "I have had very low self-esteem my whole life. When I was 12 or 13, I remember walking up the driveway, and this guy who was 20 – which may have been highly inappropriate – said to me, 'I like your pants,' and I was like, 'Oh, that looks good? Oh, OK, I will wear tight pants now.' "

Mariah – who is married to TV presenter Nick Cannon – admits she struggled to get over her breakdown in 2001 following her critical and commercial flop film 'Glitter' and album of the same name and complaints of being "overworked".

The pop diva claims people lost perspective and became intensely interested in her life, which is why she felt the need to step back from the public spotlight to recharge.

Mariah – who checked into hospital in 2001 - explained: "I didn't have the right support system around me. It was after September 11. A lot of people taking shots at me had no place to go. We are friggin' ADD, this country (America)."