Aaron Carter going to rehab, stepping away from the spotlight until 2018

Sept. 24 (UPI) -- Musician Aaron Carter has confirmed he is taking a break from performing until 2018 to focus on his health.

"I am strong, that's why I made this decision. No one could've forced me. None of you even know my reasons for this. It's called stress," Carter said in one of many tweets Friday.

"And FYI. MY FAMILY has nothing to do with this. I've actually had to cut them all off unfortunately and it's gonna stay that way," read another post from Carter, who is the brother of recording artist Nick Carter.

In a longer statement, Aaron admitted he felt the need to leave the spotlight "to work on myself," adding he will release a new version of his song "I Want Candy" on Oct. 27, which will be followed by the release of the first single from his new album Love four weeks later.

He also linked to an Entertainment Tonight article in which his representative said he is going to rehab.

"Aaron has decided to enter a facility to improve his health and work on his overall wellness," the publicist said. "He is going to do this privately and focus all his attention on being the best person and performer possible. He is grateful for the support and love from his fans and looks forward to coming back stronger than ever before."