Illustration by Lusco y Fusco
Demi Lovato is a bipolar pop star with four top ten singles on the Billboard Hot 100, six studio albums under her belt, five successful tours, and a wealth of appearances in TV and film, including movies for the Disney Channel, and on television shows Glee, Project Runway,and RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Some would say Lovato’s got it all. But really for anyone who is an alcoholic or an addict, all that really matters is sobriety. If you don’t have sobriety, you don’t have anything. And Lovato relapsed last week, reportedly overdosing on opioids.
The embattled pop star was hospitalized this past Tuesday morning, and a spokesperson for her issued the following statement:
“Demi is awake and with her family who want to express thanks to everyone for the love, prayers and support.“
Building herself up as a celebrity spokeswoman for mental health and addiction recovery, Lovato is being called out as a hypocrite this week because she stumbled.
However, we all stumble sometimes. Everyone. Not just bipolar addicts. But it’s true, many have looked up to Lovato as a bipolar addict success story — someone who has become stable and sober and gone on to tell her tale and help others.
Lovato’s recent relapse is a case of art imitating life. Her song “Sober” was just released last month, and it’s a ballad apology to her fans, to her parents, to everyone who looked up to her. “I’m so sorry I’m not sober anymore,” she sings in a hush voice. “I wanna be a role model, but I’m only human.” She also talks about “dying inside,” and the withdrawal symptoms that go along with detoxing.
It’s not the first time she’s written lyrics about her struggle with addiction. “Tell Me That You Love Me” is about loving alcohol and drugs so much, which Lovato explained in a CBS interview.
“People think it’s a breakup song,” she told CBS, “but it’s actually kind of a breakup song with myself and my bad habits.”
Narcan was administered to revive the singer at home, before an ambulance rushed her to the ER.
Thursday was her second day in the hospital, and she has now been cleared to be discharged. According to Entertainment Tonight, Lovato will undergo another treatment at rehab following her release from the hospital.
Lovato celebrated six years sober in March, and had the following to say from the stage at the Barclays Center in New York: ““Six years ago, I was drinking vodka out of a Sprite bottle at nine in the morning, throwing up in the car,” Lovato said. “So, I took a look at my life and I said, ‘Something has to change, I’ve got to get sober.’ So, I did.”
Lovato is a believer in the power of therapy, and on her recent tour, she offered group therapy to fans.
And recently on CBS Sunday Morning, Lovato reflected on her sobriety.
“Because of that, I’m now sitting here right now, alive and more successful than I’ve ever been,” she told CBS. “Like yes, it’s cool that I’m successful, but the most successful thing that I’ve done is being able to beat my addiction — and that I’m sitting alive in front of you today.”
Lovato has a history of mental health and addiction treatment. She first sought help in 2010 at the age of 18, acquiring treatment for her bipolar, bulimia, self-harm, and addiction. She relapsed soon after and found herself in a sober living facility for the period of a year.
Tuesday morning was a close call. But Demi is a “Warrior.” And as that song’s lyrics say: she is “bruised” but not “broken.”Demi Lovato will undoubtedly pull through.
