Demi Lovato Talks About Being ‘Scrutinized’ and Her Road to Recovery

With the release of her new album, 'Unbroken,' Demi Lovato is opening up about her past troubles, being scrutinized and how she's overcome it all.

Fans of the teen star know the story: In 2010, the 19-year-old surprisingly punched a back-up dancer in the face during her tour with the Jonas Brothers. Soon, her body image issues surfaced and Lovato checked into Timberline Knolls near Chicago, Ill., where she was treated for bulimia and bipolar disorder.

It has been nearly one full year since she entered rehab, and now the singer is closely monitored to make sure she's eating and staying on track. "Sometimes, I still think to this day, 'I wish I wasn't so watched,'" she tells the LA Times.

Lovato says she's gained about 30 pounds since leaving rehab, and has been on the receiving end of hurtful comments from the public. Even though she defends her current weight, the scrutiny was one of the reasons she left her successful Disney Channel show, 'Sonny With a Chance.'

"I just felt that being on camera for my first job wasn't the smartest decision," she explains. "On TV, you have wardrobe fittings, you have four cameras on you at all times, and you're worried about your angles and your lighting and your shots."

Today, however, Lovato is much healthier, and specifically chose 'Skyscraper' as her lead single to explain what she's been through. "I wanted to come out of the gate with this song, because a lot of people were expecting me to talk about what I've been through the past year," she adds. "I want my music to do the explaining."