Celine Dion Didn't Want to Hear Own Name During Stiff-Person Syndrome Battle

Celine Dion's battle with Stiff-Person Syndrome took a toll on her physically and mentally ... with the singer admitting she grew resentful of her own name.

The singer opened up about her health journey for a sit down with "Today" -- explaining the impact her disorder has had on her. While she was hesitant to speak out about her diagnosis, she eventually shared her health news with the world in December 2022 ... telling Hoda she felt like she was "lying to the people who got me where I am today."

She recalled first struggling with the disorder when her late husband, René Angélil, was battling throat cancer -- forcing her to ignore early warning signs as she was focusing on family at the time.

She added ... "It's intimidating for me to say my name because I hear it a lot ... And when you're not well, I did not want to hear my name. I did not know who I was anymore because I'm not the person that I used to be."

Yet, Celine says the show must go on, with Hoda Kotb explaining the singer has undergone physical therapy and vocal rehabilitation to hopefully return to her singing career soon.