Pop diva Mariah Carey is finally ready to talk about her nervous breakdown, and even though it happened in 2001, she claims her life is still under the influence of what happened then. And it's very surprising to hear Mariah call her public and rather humiliating breakdown " a breakthrough", but I'm sure she knows best what she's talking about.

"I'm far from perfect" she said. I'm still learning. I overworked myself, and I paid the price". Well, yeah that sounds about it. I mean, we all know oh too well about how overwork spells either drugs, booze or eating disorders for most of the stars nowadays, and dear sweet Mariah's not an exception. Remember some of the things she did a while ago? Yeah, the ones she claims she's not proud of. Well, I wouldn't be either if I went on MTV's Total Request live and started handing out Popsicles and then begin a striptease number just to round everything off nicely. But it was at least a sign that Mariah was out of control and she recognized it as such and got into hospital as soon as possible.

It's not that her career's had only good moments in the six years that have gone by - not even close. But Mariah did manage a successful comeback with her album "The Emancipation of Mimi" and she finally seems on the right track to not having her life screwed over anymore. "I consider the breakdown a breakthrough. I needed to hit rock bottom" she said, while also admitting that "I needed to understand the cost of pushing so hard; fighting so hard against the system. But was I out of control at that moment? Yes".

Well, that's quite frank, I have to say. Maybe some of the so-called stars of the younger generation (does anyone know someone called Britney Spears? I need to have a message delivered to her) would do well to pay attention. Not that Mariah Carey holds the perfect recipe to "how to put your life back together again" - there's no such thing. But she sure managed good, and sure managed it without all the publicity and the gossip and the stunts that the younger would-be divas put on. And that's something.