Demi Lovato (Photo : Reuters)

A beachy-blonde Demi Lovato covers the August issue of Self magazine and she opens up about her body issues, history with cutting, and even her faded friendship with Selena Gomez.

Lovato has recently become an advocate for young girls to love their bodies. She as openly expressed her own body issues revealing that she used to have an eating disorder. "I've spent the past two years getting over an eating disorder and issues like self-harming and bipolar disorder. Unlike a person who doesn't have these problems, I have to work on this stuff every day. I'm reminded of that whenever I eat or feel down," she tells the magazine.

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"When I was younger, stick-figure thin was in and nobody was talking about eating disorders. I want girls to know that it's OK when they grow up and their body changes. I want them to be aware that certain things they might do to lose weight can be dangerous-life-threatening, even," she continued.

When asked why she used cutting as a form of dealing with issues, she said "There were times I felt so anxious, almost like I was crawling out of my skin, that if I didn't do something physical to match the way I felt inside, I would explode. I cut myself to take my mind off that. I just didn't care what happened. I had no fear."

When asked about her acceptance of her bipolar disorder she said, "Finding out I had a real emotional disorder helped me put together the pieces of the puzzle. I remember being on my tour bus thinking, my life is so awesome right now, but I'm so depressed. Then, a few days later, I'd be on top of the world. It was really confusing. When I got diagnosed, my life made more sense."

Lovato went to rehab to recover from her eating disorder. Since then, she has gotten her career back on track with her new album "Unbroken", a summer tour, and taken on the role as a judge on "The X-Factor". She is also preparing to host the Teen Choice Awards on July 22.

The 19-year-old starlet keeps herself in positive spirits by choosing to be happy.  "You can choose to work toward happiness or not. I used to expect it to come to me, but it takes more than seeing a therapist once a week. I make time for myself and meditate."

She also says she likes to surround herself with good friends who aren't negative influences.  "My friends and I look out for each other [...]" however, former Disney BFF Selena Gomez may not be part of Lovato's close-knit friendship circle. "Selena [right] and I aren't as close as we used to be, but she'll always have a place in my heart," the star confessed.

The recovering and newly happy young star is enjoying her role on "X-Factor". "It's so much fun! I root for everyone. I mean, it's not the best feeling when you're watching someone and cringing."

She's also found a friendship with fellow castmate, Britney Spears, "Britney is such a sweet girl! We've gone through a lot of the same things, so we have a connection."

The issue reveals more of Lovato's personal thoughts and feelings. She has gained much more confidence than she has had in years. "I used to feel most beautiful on the red carpet, but now I'm most confident on the beach, with no makeup and no worries about my hair."