Demi Lovato opened up about her journey with five in-patient mental health treatments during The Center For Youth Mental Health at New York-Presbyterian’s annual benefit on Monday, June 3. “I have been to inpatient treatment five times, and it has someting that every single time I walked back into a treatment center, I felt defeated,” shared the 31-year-old.
“I know that experience first hand, but I think the glimmer of hope was when I started putting in the work and I started to, whether it was work, a program, or talk to my treatment teams and build relationships there,” shared the”Here We Go Again” singer.
The Center For Youth Mental Health is a facility which aids young adults who deal with anxiety and depression and values the importance of guiding them to a positive and healthier lifestyle.
During a discourse, the Disney alum told Dr. Charlie Shaffer – Anna Wintour’s son – “I think the glimmer of hope started to change when I started to find joy and the little things in life. And that was something that was so foreign to me before because I was so used to, so used to not seeing hope.”
Demi has been public about her struggles with addiction, especially when it came to speaking about her 2018 overdose ,which almost cost the singer her life – which she disclosed in her documentary Dancing with the Devil.
Despite having support from her family and friends, she shared during the event, “I felt like I had hit rock bottom and I just knew what I needed to do, which was to live a life in recovery. And that was something that I pushed off for so long.”
“I also needed the right medication. I think for me medication has helped tremendously. It’s helped so many people tremendously,” Demi added. “And I think I had hit another low, and I was like, ‘what am I doing wrong?’ I felt defeated. But then, when all of the key parts started to fit into place like a perfect puzzle, I started to find the light again.”
Though she has faced many lows throughout her life, she described how her past struggles do not define who she is as a person. “It wasn’t until I went into treatment for the first time that I realized this isn’t who I am. It’s just a part of what makes me me, meaning my struggles have shaped me into the pottery that you see today, but it’s never become my identity since then. It’s just become something about me that makes me a little interesting, I guess you could say,” voiced the “Confident” singer.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).