TW: Mental illness, substance abuse, eating disorders
Happy Wednesday! For this week’s #WCW, we decided to focus on Demi Lovato.
Demi Lovato is undoubtedly one of the hugest faces of the 2000s kids’ generation. We all grew up watching her on Camp Rock, Sonny With a Chance, and watched her evolve from a child actress into a strong woman. Her face is consistently in the media – since her Disney years, she has become an incredible advocate for eating disorders, LGBTQ+ rights, and substance abuse. After personal struggles with mental illness and a very public substance abuse battle, Lovato has shown us how to be resilient and strong.
In 2010, Demi Lovato left the Jonas Brothers tour to check into rehab for the very first time. After leaving rehab, Lovato spoke out about being diagnosed with bulimia as well as bipolar disorder. With that, she also said that she had begun self-medicating with drugs and alcohol. Because self-medicating is a problem that many teens and adults face, watching Lovato struggle and triumph gave many hope. As the years went by, Demi Lovato was very public with her recovery and became an advocate for mental health.
In 2018, Demi Lovato released the song called Sober. This song detailed her sobriety and was meant to spread awareness toward substance abuse. A month after this song was released, news broke that Lovato overdosed on fentanyl and was in fatal condition. This event was highly publicized, and was met with much discussion on social media. After Lovato’s recovery, she again spoke publicly about sobriety and overdose, with an extra touch as she had just survived a dangerous situation. Since her overdose, she is working extra toward ending the stigma behind addiction, substance abuse, and mental health. Sober is a raw and powerful tribute to sobriety and is incredibly important to listen to. It means much more to hear knowing the ins and outs of substance abuse, especially in Demi Lovato’s life.
Demi Lovato is a beacon of hope for those struggling with substance abuse and mental health issues, and she has shown us that we are not alone. Watching Demi Lovato’s life play out before our eyes – from Disney to public struggles – has been nothing short of inspiring.