Mel B’s mother Andrea Brown is "so proud" of her daughter for opening up about her battle with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
The 43-year-old Spice Girl – who got back in touch with her estranged mother in 2017 after they fell out several years ago – has the full support of her parent after she revealed she is planning to check into rehab after reaching "crisis point".
Mel re-tweeted a message from Andrea praising her for facing her "demons head on".
The post read: "I am so proud of my daughter. She has the courage to face her demons head on and deal with them.
"I know what hell she has been through and I know what trauma she suffered and still suffers.
"Do not judge because so many people have PTSD and try and number the pain any way they can.
"I am proud of her honesty and I am proud my daughter speaks out on a subject that affects so many people (sic)"
The ‘America’s Got Talent’ judge – who has children Phoenix, 19, Angel, 11, and six-year-old Madison from previous relationships – is preparing to enter a British facility in the next few weeks to get help after being diagnosed with the condition and admitted she had been drinking heavily following a turbulent period in her life, including the death of her father Martin Brown and her split and subsequent messy divorce battle from Stephen Belafonte, who she accused of being abusive.
She said: "The past six months have been incredibly difficult for me.I’ve been working with a writer on my book, ‘Brutally Honest’, and it has been unbelievably traumatic reliving an emotionally abusive relationship and confronting so many massive issues in my life from the death of my dad to my relationship with men.
"I’ve also been through more than a year of court battles which have left me financially battered and at the mercy of the legal system, which is completely weighted against emotionally abused women because it’s very hard to prove how someone took away all your self-respect and self-worth.
"I am being very honest in my book about drinking to numb my pain but that is just a way a lot of people mask what is really going on.
"Sometimes it is too hard to cope with all the emotions I feel. But the problem has never been about sex or alcohol — it is underneath all that…
"I am fully aware I am at a crisis point. No-one knows myself better than I do. But I am dealing with it.
"I love my three girls more than life itself.I have also made the decision to go into a proper therapy programme in the next few weeks, but it has to be in the UK because I am very, very British and I know that will work best for me."
Mel hopes being candid about her own struggles will help other people.
She added: "I am still struggling. But if I can shine a light on the issue of pain, PTSD and the things men and women do to mask it, I will do.
"I am speaking about this because this is a huge issue for so many people.I’m not perfect, and I have never pretended to be. But I am working on being a better version of myself for my kids, for my family and for all the people who have supported me in my life."
Mel B’s mother Andrea Brown ‘so proud’ of daughter
