Britney Spears suffered a string of meltdowns in 2007 and 2008 before being placed under the conservatorship of her father Jamie

On the face of it, Britney Spears had everything. Good looks, talent and millions in the bank before she’d even turned 20.

But as would become all too apparent, behind closed doors the superstar was battling a slew of personal demons.

During the European leg of her Oops! I Did It Again tour in the winter of 2000, she began having ‘massive anxieties’ in the middle of the night.

“She had trouble sleeping and crying fits. She was restless and agitated. Nights were the only times she was alone and she struggled with that… When nothing was happening, it drove her crazy. Only exhaustion would knock her out,” a source previously told The Mirror.

Britney Spears had the world at her feet when she performed at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards
Such anxiety was not drug-induced. This was Britney’s natural state, but heightened by fame. Her moods started to swing noticeably, high and happy one minute, sad and brooding the next. She just dismissed it as “silly ole me!”

Such was the level of concern that aged 18, Britney was prescribed Prozac but she treated it like headache tablets, taking a pill only on the days she awoke depressed. This seemed to make her more manic.

Then came the series of psychiatric breakdowns in 2007 and 2008 following her split from husband Kevin Federline.

During one erratic meltdown, she shaved her head and attacked photographers with an umbrella. According to Rolling Stone, on another occasion she stayed up for 48 hours straight, fearing her mobile phone charger was taping her thoughts.

Britney had a very public breakdown in 2008 ( Image: X17Online.com)
After several failed rehab stints she lost custody of sons Jayden, 13, and Sean, 14, and barricaded herself in the bathroom with her youngest for three hours before being carried out on a stretcher and detained on a 14-day psychiatric hold for her own safety.

But what sparked the downfall of one of pop’s most promising princesses?

Unsubstantiated rumours of post-natal depression and bipolar disorder flew, with others blaming the pressures of fame and her 2002 split from Justin Timberlake.

The global superstar ended up shaving her own head ( Image: X17Online.com)
But those who know Britney previously told The Mirror her problems stemmed from much closer to home .

Born in the small town of Kentwood, Louisiana to an alcoholic father and a school teacher mother, Britney’s childhood is said to have been deeply traumatic.

The rows and fights she witnessed left her a bundle of nerves that others would mistake for natural excitement or energy.

Her Uncle Willie – Jamie’s brother – bore witness to some of the ugly incidents.

Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake split in 2002 ( Image: Reuters)

He previously said: “One time Jamie was drunk and tried to drive off with Britney in the car. She was no more than five years old.“I tried to stop him. We got right into it there by the car, fighting in front of her.“Britney was jumping up and down, crying. Lynne had to run out to get her inside.“We Spears men are known for fighting. If Britney happened to be there, so be it.

A young Britney pictured with her parents Lynne and Jamie ( Image: Instagram/britneyspears)
“At first, Britney was a scared child and you’d catch her crying but she reached the stage when she just walked off, as if it wasn’t happening. And as she got older, she would scream and curse at her parents, trying to get them to stop fighting.”When yet another row erupted at their modest three-bedroom bungalow, Britney would seek refuge in her aunt Chanda’s trailer, parked nearby.Chanda recalled Britney as sweet but timid. A girl made quiet and withdrawn by all the hollering and verbal abuse – until she had to perform.Britney’s need to perform allowed her to escape the pain and anxiety of home.

Jamie and Lynne Spears finally divorced in 2002 ( Image: REX/Shutterstock)
Although she is prone to over-analysing and appointing self-blame for her past troubles, her parents had their problems long before she was born.In fact, her mother filed for divorce in 1980, a year before Britney was even conceived.Divorce papers were withdrawn in March 1980. But they finally split 20 years later.Jamie’s friends described him as “a man with a big heart, a good soul but a stronger liver”.He and Britney have also had their problems. But after having treatment for alcohol addiction in 2004, Jamie emerged a new man and was determined to be a better father.It was Jamie who rescued his fragile daughter when she was at her lowest point.

Britney starred alongside Ryan Gosling in the All New Mickey Mouse Club in 1994 ( Image: Disney)

Meanwhile, money was always an issue for the Spears family, with some periods so dark and desperate that Britney would go to the fridge and find it bare.Mum Lynne and dad Jamie began their married life in a cramped trailer at Simpson’s Trailer Park in Kentwood.

Her dad would hunt for food in the woods near their home – that meant eating rabbit and squirrel.In 1998, as Britney got a record deal, the family business went bust with debts including £31,000 in unpaid taxes.A family friend says: “Years of working every hour God sent to fund Britney’s dream caught up with them.”