Celebrity Celebrity Family Celebrity Family Dynamics Britney Spears Says Her Family 'Hurt' Her, but Focusing on Her Accomplishments 'Helped' Her Move On “Last year was growth for me… I still have a ways to go!!!” Britney Spears wrote in a lengthy Instagram post on Monday in which she reflected on her past By Olivia Jakiel Olivia Jakiel Olivia Jakiel is a former associate editor at PEOPLE. She left PEOPLE in 2022. People Editorial Guidelines Published on December 27, 2021 10:43PM EST Britney Spears. Photo: Allen Berezovsky/WireImage Britney Spears is getting candid about her past, and is looking forward to heading into the New Year with a fresh perspective. In a lengthy Instagram post on Monday, the "...Baby One More Time" singer, 40, took a deep dive into some sensitive subjects involving her family, and how the power of prayer and reflecting on her career accomplishments are helping propel her forward. "I had an experience three years ago where I stopped believing in God," Spears wrote in part. "From every angle I was being hurt for no reason and my family was hurting me. I went into a state of shock and the way I coped was being [in] fake denial. It was too much to really face." Britney Spears Says She Was 'Forced' to Do Therapy Against Her Will: '10 Hours a Day, 7 Days a Week' "Honestly my family embarrassed me and hurt me deeply," Spears wrote, adding that "tooting my own horn and seeing my past accomplishments reflecting back at me actually helped" in overcoming her insecurities — appearing to reference how she listed her achievements last week in a separate Instagram post. "Last year was growth for me… I still have a ways to go!!!" the "Gimme More" singer wrote on a separate slide. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "My goal this year is to push myself a bit more and do things that scare me," she continued. "We are just people and I'm not superwoman but I do know what makes me happy and brings me joy and I try to meditate on those places and thoughts that enable me to experience it." RELATED VIDEO: Britney Spears Called the Day Her Conservatorship Ended 'The Best Day of Her Life': Source Last week, Spears called out her family for the way they treated her and wrote about having to be her own cheerleader throughout her music career. In the post's caption, she reminded herself of all she's accomplished after more than two decades in the music business. Britney Spears and Sam Asghari Celebrate a 'Very Merry' Christmas After End of Singer's Conservatorship "I just realized this today guys… after what my family tried to do to me three years ago… I needed to be my own cheerleader !!!!" she wrote alongside a video of herself. "God knows they weren't …so I just read up on my self and this is what I found: Multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning pop icon Britney Spears is one of the most successful and celebrated entertainers in pop history with nearly 100 million records sold worldwide," she continued, noting that she's sold over 70 million albums worldwide and is "one of the most successful and celebrated entertainers in pop history." Spears has previously claimed that she underwent conservatorship abuse. She has repeatedly slammed her family, including her father Jamie, who has maintained he only had his daughter's best interest in mind over the last 13 years. Spears has also taken jabs at her sister Jamie Lynn and mother Lynne, who have also denied any wrongdoing. The pop star and her fitness trainer-actor fiancé, Sam Asghari, recently celebrated their first Christmas since Spears' 13-year conservatorship was terminated last month. "A very Merry Xmas 🎄 @britneyspears ❤️," Asghari captioned a snap on Christmas Eve of him and Spears posing close together.