Trigger warning: this piece and the documentary contain content related to sexual assault, addiction and eating disorders.
Demi Lovato has not shied away from being honest and sharing her story with the world, however as we know addiction and mental health are tricky topics to navigate which has been shown through Demi’s journey. Being completely honest with her fans is something she takes pride in but it is not easy when you are in the midst of struggling day to day with challenging thoughts, urges and feelings.
Within her recently released Youtube documentary, Dancing With The Devil, Demi sat down to show audiences just how hard the struggle has been for her. As she grows in her personal and professional life challenges with staying sober, finding out what sober means to her, keeping positive mental health routines and dealing with her past traumas have been increasingly hard for her.
Demi’s Not-So-Honest Past
Demi Lovato has spoken out about her struggles with mental health in the past but her fight in dealing with her “devils” has not been as honest as fans thought. About nine years ago Demi was forced to become sober by her team and family. There was even a point where Demi was no longer allowed to see her younger sister if she continued to use hard drugs and drink uncontrollably. When someone with addiction is forced to become sober for others and not their self it ends up being an even more slippery slope. This force from outside sources made Demi an advocate for addiction recovery.
Demi continued to go back and forth from using and being sober which is a common struggle within addiction. Being forced to become sober at such a young age made the temptation harder for Demi which led to her overdose back in 2018. That night she was given drugs that were laced with things she did not even know,her addiction was taken to an entirely new level.
Demi Comes Forward
Celebrities find it harder to be honest because most of their lives are being broadcast to the world, making it even harder to deal with trauma and pain when there is scrutiny involved. Demi decided that within this documentary she needed to reveal some very traumatic experiences in order to work through her trauma.
Demi revealed that the night she overdosed in 2018 her drug dealer sexually assaulted her. This is something that came to a shock to most making that night even more traumatizing for Demi. Not being able to process this event, Demi then turned to drugs again even after her overdose to cope with the pain. This is not the only time this has happened to Demi. She also revealed that within her days of making Camp Rock she was assaulted by a former co-star. When she brought this up to people it was pushed down and hidden. This happens way too often within the film industry and needs to change. Demi found that coming forward on her own terms was best for her at this time.
Demi’s Struggle With Mental Health
Demi has always been honest about her struggle with mental health but she continues to open up within this documentary about how she is working on her mental health more than ever. Working on this aspect of her life helps her move forward within her struggles with addiction. Demi has revealed that she was misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder. This misdiagnosis has shown her that some of the circumstances in her life were just her being a young and naive kid not the result of bipolar disorder.
Coming out as queer has also helped lift a weight off of Demi’s shoulders in terms of her mental health. Though she is not currently labeling herself and still exploring her sexuality, it has given her the freedom to finally accept who she has always been despite what others will say about her.
The Reviews Are In
Famous friends of Demi have come out through twitter to support her. Sam Smith tweeted, “I love you @ddlovato this album is so beautiful.” Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin also took the time to send her flowers to congratulate her on the album and outstanding series.
While the Dancing With The Devil documentary might not be for everyone due to the subject matters it’s clear that it’s a necessary watch for anyone who can handle it. Demi’s honesty within this documentary feels very different than one’s in the past. She does not make any promises or say she feels she will be sober for the rest of her life. She focuses on explaining what she is focusing on now and that she even still continues to moderately use marijuanna and drink alcohol, to see if that fits her best instead of being completely sober. I recommend that anyone watch this documentary to further understand what people go through when they struggle with mental health and addiction.
Demi beautifully shows how her life is changing and how she hopes to grow within her music career.