In early August, Sinéad O’Connor posted an unsettling video on Facebook in which the emotionally shaken singer spoke about her ongoing battle with mental illness to help destigmatize the discussion surrounding it. On Tuesday, she sat down with Dr. Phil for a highly personal interview, because she was “fed up of being defined as the crazy person.” During the appearance, O’Connor spoke frankly about struggling with imposter syndrome during her early success, being a victim of childhood abuse, her multiple suicide attempts, and recounted the events leading up to the confessional video.

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According to O’Connor, the video was made as an appeal to her family after unsuccessfully writing them letters. “I thought it would be better maybe if my family saw how I’m feeling,” she told Dr. Phil. “They would relate to it. I hoped in my kidney stone madness that my family would see it and go, ‘Oh my God, we didn’t realize it’s that bad. We’ll go get her.’”

The Irish singer attributed her recent struggles to a radical hysterectomy, stating “I lost my mind after that.” She explained, “I was told to leave the hospital two days after the surgery with Tylenol and no hormone replacements and no guidance as to what might happen to me.” I was flung into surgical menopause. So hormones were everywhere and I became very suicidal. I was a basket case.”

Watch clips from the show below.