Most parents see their children as perfect, but no matter how supportive your home environment may be, it's hard to block out the expectations and pressures that exist outside your walls. Though eating disorders are too complex to be blamed on bullying or magazine covers alone, these factors can definitely aggravate existing insecurities, driving too many men and women to extreme lengths to meet a certain mold.

Earlier this year, the Billboard sensation Ke$ha announced that she would be seeking treatment for an eating disorder. This week, her mother, Pebe Sebert, broke her silence on the singer's struggles in an interview with PEOPLE.

"I've watched my beautiful, self-confident, brilliant daughter be berated and ridiculed for her looks and weight to the point that she almost died," Sebert told the source. "The doctors told me her blood pressure and sodium levels were so low, they'd never seen it that low except with someone who'd had a heart attack or stroke."

Ke$ha will reportedly be seeking treatment for 30 days, and her mother says that the star's goal is simply to be healthy and happy in herself, whether or not her professional career continues.

While celebrities are definitely held to a higher degree of physical scrutiny than most, the truth is that stories like this take place every day among men and women of various ages, backgrounds and weights. Eating disorders are complex and potentially fatal medical issues that can take a toll on the whole family. At our eating disorder treatment center in Clearwater, Florida, we take a comprehensive approach that includes family counseling. Contact Fairwinds Treatment Center today to learn more.