She has had her ups. She has had her downs. Demi Lovato’s personal life has always been in the spotlight. She was recently in the news being rushed to the hospital for a drug overdose. Demi has always been open about her past drug addiction and road to sobriety. Many of her fans were concerned when they heard she had an overdose. In 2017, in her YouTube documentary, Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated, Demi revealed to her fans she has been sober for about six years. When news broke about Demi’s hospitalization, many wondered what happened to Demi?
To give a backstory into Demi’s life, she became very popular in 2008, after starring in Camp Rock, alongside the Jonas Brothers. It was a year later, in 2009, while on concert, that she tried cocaine with some of her friends for the first time. When the problem of drugs became prominent in her life she entered rehab. Demi has been very candid about her drug addiction, stating that some of the addiction stems from her childhood. She also admits that it has been a long journey with her sobriety, that there have been moments where she was successful as well as moments where she has failed.
No one really knows what happened with Demi except for her. According to many news outlets she had a relapse this July. When it comes to the conversation about relapse, it is not an easy subject. Relapse is more common than people think it is. According to Psychology Today, 70 to 90 percent of people who are sober, have a relapse. The road to sobriety is long because addiction is a disease. Just like any other disease, it needs the utmost care and has specific factors that can affect it, such as lifestyle and habits. These two factors are not easy to change and can cause extreme frustrations with people battling with drug addiction.
At the end of the day, this is Demi’s story, and she is the only person who can tell it. When it comes to drug addiction and recovery, it is a tough battle that only the individual will understand. Relapse is a real thing. It is real because changing a lifestyle and old habits is easier said than done. There will be good days and there will be bad days. We wish Demi all the best of luck on her road to recovery. She was brave when she told the world the truth about her drug addiction and she will continue to be brave.
References:
Sack, David. “Why Relapse Isn’t a Sign of Failure.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 19 Oct. 2012, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/where-science-meets-the-steps/201210/why….
Rosa, Christopher. “Demi Lovato’s Always Been Open About Her History With Substance Abuse and Recovery.” Glamour, Glamour Magazine, 24 July 2018, www.glamour.com/story/demi-lovato-history-with-substance-abuse.
“Addiction as a Disease.” Center on Addiction, 14 Apr. 2017, www.centeronaddiction.org/what-addiction/addiction-disease.