Pattie Mallette, the mother of 18-year-old teen pop sensation Justin Bieber, has opened up about the sexual abuse she endured as a child - and revealed how it caused her life to spiral out of control.

In an interview with the Today Show, Mallette, 36, revealed how she carried shame for years after the abuse, which began when she was only 4-years-old, by a male babysitter and a friend's grandfather.

The traumatising attacks later resulted in drug and alcohol addiction, as well as a suicide attempt, according to Pattie.

''I was full of shame,'' she said. 'I've learned it's normal for anybody who's been through sexual abuse to carry that shame and blame and feel like there's something wrong with you. I definitely carried that.''

Mallette discusses her troubled childhood in her new book, Nowhere But Up, which talk about her drink and drug problem at age 14, losing her virginity at 15, and the horrifying attempt of throwing herself into the path of an oncoming truck to end her life.

Of the book, Mallette added:

''I always wanted to write a book about my story. I wanted to be as vulnerable as I could, so that young girls who have been through similar things could relate.

Added Pattie,

''I pretty much bared my soul. It definitely furthered my healing process.''

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