Sara Bareilles opens up about taking medication for anxiety and depression: 'I can feel myself again'

Sara Bareilles is getting candid about her mental health struggles.

In a new Instagram post with a photo of a white tablet she shared on Tuesday, the "Brave" singer revealed why taking medication was a game-changer.

"This is my medicine," she wrote. "I wanted to write a little bit about the fact that after 20 years of feeling very strongly that it was not the path I needed to take ... I have tried medication for the first time. For the first time in months I can feel myself again -- my joy, my optimism and my laughter are among some of the precious parts of myself I have rediscovered."

"They sit at my soul's table," she added, "along with my sweet sadness and my tender anxiety ... who, by the way, aren't the only ones talking anymore. It is a profound, holy relief."

Bareilles, who is known for her role in Broadway's "Waitress," said she hoped that by sharing her experience others will gain new understanding of the seriousness of anxiety and depression.

"For the past year, I felt desperate and overwhelmed almost all the time. The amount of energy it took to 'manage' my emotions (I use that term loosely because that makes me seem like I had a handle on anything) would exhaust me so much that my whole sense of myself got distorted. I didn't feel like me anymore," Bareilles revealed. "I needed extra help."

Earlier this month, the singer addressed her recent struggles with mental health, saying she endured a "very low year" and detailed the steps she's taking to heal. Bareilles shared with her followers that she went to go see the Northern Lights on a recent vacation and shared the effect that trip had on her mental health.

"It's been a journey to try and pull up, and I found this year I needed more help," she wrote. "I am relieved and feel more like myself -- and I will find my way again and now it feels possible."

Aside from raising awareness about anxiety and depression, she also encouraged those in her shoes to "keep going" because they are not alone.

Bareilles is further empowering others as one of the headlining performers for the second annual International Women's Day Benefit Concert on March 8. The event raises funds for the nonprofit Girls with Impact, which trains under-resourced young women in business and leadership.