Miley Cyrus had to have therapy over the criticism she received as a child star.

The 30-year-old singer achieved global fame in her early teens when she landed the title role of Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana – which followed the adventures of a schoolgirl living a double life as a famous pop star – but it is only in recent years that she has dealt with the “painful memories” that early stardom left her with.

Pictured are Billy Ray Cyrus, Jason Earles, Miley Cyrus (centre), Mitchel Musso and Emily Osment in the Disney show Hannah Montana.

She is quoted by The Sun on Sunday newspaper’s Bizarre column as saying: “When I look back at the criticism I received as a child, it has only been these last few years that I have understood just how wrong that was. I am a great believer in therapy to help heal painful memories and I am in a good place – but the reality is, it should never have happened!”

The Used to be Young songstress – whose sitcom ran from 2006 until 2011 – infamously shed her child star image with a sexually-charged performance of Blurred Lines with Robin Thicke at the 2013 VMAs on the same day she released her raunchy Wrecking Ball video, but insisted that the career move was nothing to do with attention and more that she had to “prove” that she was her “own person” away from the character she had played.

She added: “I am not an attention-seeking person but I had a point to prove that I was my own person and not a character I had been playing. I wouldn’t erase any part of my story or my transition – I always think it an interesting life makes for interesting storytelling.

”I was honest with my fans about struggling with depression, and I know that has encouraged some of them to get help with the issues that they may be facing. That gave me a real purpose, a reason to get up in the morning. When you are open and honest, that becomes a part of who you are – and organically that is going to be reflected in your songwriting.“

Asked to give advice to others in showbusiness, the Jaded hitmaker insisted that it is never a good idea for her industry peers to search themselves online as she likened the dangers of the Internet to that of addictive substances.

”Don’t Google yourself – I am being totally serious, don’t Google yourself! People are so ready to talk about the dangers of drink and drugs for your people in the industry – but there isn’t enough warning about the internet. It can be a truly toxic place!”