Teen Mom Leah Messer Says Rehab Helped 'Unwind Toxic Patterns' She Was 'Passing Down' to Daughters (Exclusive)

"Teen Mom 2" star Leah Messer's breast cancer scare in the upcoming season of the MTV show became the latest example of her lifelong resiliency against tremendous hardships.

Fans of the 29-year-old reality star have followed her struggle with relationship dramas, a daughter's diagnosis of a rare form of muscular dystrophy, custody battles and a drug addiction which led her to seek treatment at a rehabilitation center.

TooFab caught up with Leah recently to discuss how the recent health concerns affected herself, her family and her outlook for the future.

What went through your mind when you first realized you had to make the appointment with your gynecologist?

"I was definitely concerned and never before had felt a lump. I mean anywhere. And it was concerning. But I feel like I remained optimistic through it. I wasn't gonna speak anything into existence and just attend the appointment. Whatever the doctor's guidelines were -- whatever he recommended is what I had done."

How did you deal with the fear of the unknown?

"I mean, I feel like that's my life in general. Really. Anything that's happened has been like, 'Oh, how am I going to get through this.' It's just being resilient and keeping my chin up and remaining optimistic. And that's what I did. I'm not going to say I wasn't scared because I definitely had emotions arise. Or my anxiety was like, 'What could it be? Could it be this, could it be that?' But I was like, 'No, we're not going to do that. Until we know it's a no.' If that makes any sense. Again, I remained optimistic and went to my doctor's appointment and I continue to go. I continue to keep up with my exams and that's all I can do right now."

In a sneak peek of "Teen Mom 2," you speak to your twin daughters Aliannah and Aleeah about the breast cancer exam. Were you anxious about it?

"When it comes to women's health or girl's health, it is not uncomfortable for me to talk about because I think that's something that is so important. I wish it would have been expressed to me -- the importance of it -- way more. And I don't want them to ever feel ashamed. I don't want them to ever feel like they can't openly talk about it. Like over the years I've definitely changed my entire life around as far as health and wellness and with three daughters that look up to me every single day. So when it comes to our health and wellness or anything revolving around women's health, it's not uncomfortable for me to talk about with my daughters."

How has raising your three daughters differed from how you were raised?

"As I grew into the woman that I wanted to be and the way I wanted to raise my children, that completely shifted my mindset. Honestly, being addicted to the pain medication that I was on and going to the treatment facility in Arizona; That was the best thing that could've ever happened to me  -- going to the treatment facility -- because that's where I really started to unwind these really toxic patterns that I was, in return, passing down to my kids unintentionally. I wanted to break this cycle that we grew up in -- in poverty and my mom being a single mom and all, but it really didn't hit me until I went to the treatment facility and really started recognizing and working with different therapists. And when I came home in 2015, I believe that's when I was like, 'Nah, it's time to change our entire life around, kind of cut out even family members for a while.' That's probably what changed my perspective and really changed how I wanted to raise my daughters."

Even though it must have been difficult cutting family members out, do you feel a new sense of freedom in your recovery?

"I do. I absolutely do. It's so liberating. It's not only been liberating for me, but I feel like my entire family look up to me now Iike, 'How are you doing it?' Even my grandma. My grandma has some heart to heart conversations and it's definitely changed the entire dynamic of our family. They respect our boundaries now more so than they ever did, I would say that much."

How is your relationship now with Corey, the father of Aliannah and Aleeah, and Jeremy, the father of Adalynn?

"My relationship with both of them are great. We parent -- when it comes to the kids, nothing more, nothing less. At the end of the day, we want our children to be successful and be healthy. So that's our focus."

Has Corey and Jeremy's relationship evolved at all since last season?

"Hmmm... I have no idea. They do their thing. I do my thing. And at the end of the day, that's how we parent. If there's something that comes up with the kids, that's when we communicate really."

Where do you see yourself in the future with Teen Mom?

"I see myself as always being branded with 'Teen Mom' on my forehead but I think honestly -- I'm just focusing on other business avenues that I can take and I have some things coming up. So I hope that everyone stays tuned on all my social media accounts because I'm really excited for the next chapter -- the next book!"