Depression a tenacious, scary condition: Janet Jackson on mental health struggles

Singer Janet Jackson opened up about battling depression, saying the "tenacious" condition had her in its grip from her childhood.

The 52-year-old Grammy winner said low self-esteem, issues of racism and sexism add to the toxic mix of mental health struggles.

In an open letter for Essence magazine, Jackson writes, "I struggled with depression. The struggle was intense... Low self-esteem might be rooted in childhood feelings of inferiority. It could relate to failing to meet impossibly high standards. And of course there are always the societal issues of racism and sexism.

"Put it all together and depression is a tenacious and scary condition. Thankfully, I found my way through it."
"I was happy when my brothers came home from performing on the road. I was happy when my mother lavished me with love. But I wasn't happy with the way I looked"
"In my forties: Like millions of women in the world, I still heard voices inside my head berating me, voices questioning my value. Happiness was elusive. A reunion with old friends might make me happy. A call from a colleague might make me happy. But because sometimes I saw my failed relationships as my fault, I easily fell into despair."