Demi Lovato, 32, reveals the ‘involuntary experience’ she has in common with other former child stars like Drew Barrymore, 49

Demi Lovato has something in common with other former child stars like Drew Barrymore, Kenan Thompson, Raven-Symoné and JoJo Siwa.

The star, who made her debut as a child on the TV show Barney & Friends, said she suffered from the “dissociation” that comes with fame.

Lovato, 32, made the comments about Good morning America on Wednesday while promoting her directorial debut, Child Star.

It’s a documentary about growing up in the entertainment industry.

“I think there were a lot of common themes, but what I found most fascinating about this journey was discovering that so many of us used the same coping skill of dissociation. I think it was a response to the trauma of fame at such a young age,” she revealed.

The star – who got her start as a child on the TV show Barney & Friends – said they suffered from the “dissociation” that comes with fame; seen on GMA

Dissociation is a mental process that can cause a person to feel disconnected from their thoughts, feelings, memories, sense of identity, or actions. It can range from mild to severe and can be a normal response to stress or trauma, according to WebMD.

It is also called an ‘involuntary experience’.

“There were just chunks of time and memories and projects that we didn’t work on, and I found that really fascinating,” she continued, showing off a gray Loewe suit.

“I guess I didn’t understand the intensity of fame and how it really affects your brain and your chemistry.”

Lovato, an award-winning singer, said she wanted to participate in the project out of “curiosity.”

She said she had wondered for years “why people get into this industry at such a young age” and “how that affects us.”

She wanted to look at the history of child stars, ‘going back to Shirley Temple and Jackie Coogan.’

Lovato also told young people that “it’s okay to take breaks.”

When asked what the next step was, she replied, “I don’t know what the future holds for me,” she said, adding that this project in particular was “so personal” to her and therefore “so natural.” “I hope I can do that more often, yes.”

“Child Star,” which Lovato co-directed with Nicola Marsh, is now streaming on Hulu. Lovato also produced the documentary with Michael D. Ratner, Scott Ratner, Miranda Sherman and Kfir Goldberg for OBB Pictures.

Disney is the parent company of Hulu, ABC News, and Good Morning America.

Lovato, 32, made the comments on Good Morning America on Wednesday to promote her directorial debut, Child Star

Barrymore, seen here on September 9 in NYC, also appears in the film

(L-R) Alyson Stoner, JoJo Siwa, Lovato and Raven-Symone attend the Los Angeles premiere of Hulu’s Child Star on September 12 in Hollywood

It’s a documentary about growing up in the entertainment industry. “I think there were a lot of common themes, but one that really fascinated me on this journey was discovering that so many of us – we used the same coping skill of dissociation, which I think was a… response to the trauma of fame at such a young age,” she revealed.

“There were just chunks of time and memories and projects that we didn’t work on, and I found that really fascinating,” she continued.

She previously admitted that she experiences a sense of “existential dread” as she gets older.

The singer, who switched from using the pronouns “they”/”their” back to “she”/”her” last year, turned 32 last month and explained that she’s not “worried” about the changes in her appearance as she gets older, but that she still feels “anxious” about the process.

This comes just hours after her film Child Star debuted on Hulu, which marks her directorial debut and tells stories close to her heart after rising to fame in Barney and Friends and Camp Rock.

She told People magazine on Tuesday: ‘Getting older is something that, if I think about it too much, I can get anxious about. Not because I’m worried about how I look or the changes in my body or face, but because of that existential dread.

“I like to stay in the present. When we think about things that are in our past or things that are in our future, we are not present, and presence is the greatest gift we can give ourselves.”

Looking ahead to the year ahead, the New Mexico native acknowledged that people “always want what we can’t have,” meaning “sometimes we put pressure on ourselves” just because we’re not as young as we once were.

Seen in a photo with Selena Gomez while talking to GMA

According to an official press release, Child Star “explores the highs and lows of growing up in the spotlight through the lens of some of the world’s most famous former child stars”; Demi seen in Camp Rock 2 in 2009

She noted that “someday,” hopefully in the distant future, people will regret wasting time “worrying about their age” when the world is at their feet.

She said, ‘You’re 80, 90 years old and you look back and you say, ‘Why did I waste my time in my 30s worrying about my age when I had so much to look forward to and so much time on my hands? ‘

“I try not to focus on how much time we have left, but on how much life experience we can still gain if we’re lucky.”

She also talked about her new documentary, Child Star.

She explained, “This was just a story I’ve wanted to tell for a while.

“I’ve always thought about researching the history of child stars and looking at different points of view and perspectives on what it’s like to be a child star in today’s world.”

The documentary is available to stream on Hulu and features exclusive interviews with Demi and former child actors Drew Barrymore, Kenan Thompson, Christina Ricci, Raven-Symoné, JoJo Siwa and Alyson Stoner.

According to an official press release‘Child Star’ explores the highs and lows of growing up in the spotlight, from the perspectives of some of the world’s most famous former child stars.

‘Through celebrity interviews, verité scenes and archival footage, this film deconstructs the stages of former fame and looks at the entertainment system of the past century.’

Demi released her new documentary Child Star on Tuesday, her directorial debut; set to air in December 2013

Demi will be working with author Nicola Marsh, who will direct the film production alongside OBB Pictures, SB Films and DLG.

The former Disney Channel employee was involved in the production, along with Michael D. Ratner, Scott Ratner, Miranda Sherman and Kfir Goldberg.

Child Star was produced by Nicola B. Marsh, SB’s Scooter Braun, Scott Manson, Jen MeDaniels, and James Shin. Glenn Stickley served as co-executive producer.