Sia revealed something deeply personal on Twitter Friday.
The singer wrote she has a neurological disease and is “suffering with chronic pain” due to Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.
“I just wanted to say to those of you suffering from pain, whether physical or emotional, I love you, keep going,” Sia tweeted. “Pain is demoralizing, and you’re not alone.”
The star told Billboard in 2013 she had struggled with addiction in the past. She opened up about her use of “vicodin and oxycodone”—strong pain relievers.
Sia also said she always liked to drink, but she didn’t know she was an alcoholic.
“I was always a drinker, but I didn’t know I was an alcoholic. I was really unhappy being an artist and I was getting sicker and sicker,” Sia told Billboard.
Last year in September 2018, she revealed in a tweet that she was “eight years sober.”
Eight years sober today.
I love you, keep going.
You can do it.— sia (@Sia) September 11, 2018
Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is a group of disorders that affects connective tissues that support the skin, bones, blood vessels and other organs and tissues, according to the National Institute of Health’s Library of Medicine. Many people with the condition have soft, fragile skin and bruise and scar easily.
There are 13 types of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, as of 2017, according to NIH. People with the “classical” form of the condition may experience wounds that leave scars that widen over time, the NIH states.
Most forms of the condition affect at least 1 in 5,000 people worldwide.
NTD staff contributed to this report.
