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Those with mental health disorders are much more likely to develop a substance use disorder than the general population. One study found that among those with bipolar disorder, 61% had history of a drug or alcohol use disorder. Among those with schizophrenia, 47% have a serious problem with drugs or alcohol. Using substances to attempt to self-medicate is common for those with mental illness, especially if they do not seek out professional treatment. Due to Lovato’s fathers toxicity in Demi and Demi’s mother’s life, Demi had to create distance from him. This made his death a heartbreaking revelation, when Lovato’s father died alone and his body was not found for a week and a half.
“California sober” is an approach to recovery that includes drinking alcohol and smoking cannabis in moderation. She had arrived at a party several hours later and happened to run into her former drug dealer, which supplied her essentially with anything she wanted. In November 2010, Lovato checked into rehab for her behavioral and addictive issues, which led to a diagnosis of bipolar personality https://soberhome.net/ disorder. Not too long after she had checked out, her addiction habits returned, with her admittedly using cocaine and prescription medications like Xanax at just 18-years old. The stress Demi was under, coupled with her eating disorder and her father’s addiction, weighed heavily on her. Drug addiction is real, and it devours those from all walks of life, including pop stars.
Blind spots made it nearly impossible to see head-on, so she peered at her phone through her peripheral vision and typed using voice notes. Fentanyl is, by far, one of the most dangerous drugs out there today. It is 100 times more potent than morphine, and 50 times more powerful than heroin. Dealers and drug manufacturers today will lace fentanyl into drugs in order to give users a more significant “high.” eco sober house ma Due to its high potency, the smallest amount of fentanyl can leave users dependent and wanting more. Additionally, the smallest amount of fentanyl – about .25mg, or a grain of salt – can be fatal for a user. And now all will be revealed in the first two episodes of the docuseries as Lovato breaks down the moment she relapsed, what led to that night and the frightening aftermath in the hospital.
Ricky Bell and Addiction
While everyone’s path to recovery looks a bit different, there are typically trials and tribulations along the way. Demi Lovato’s journey is full of pain, trauma, pressure, as well as a pressing desire to break free from all of it. Like many people struggling with addiction, she escaped in the form of drugs and alcohol.
Call a friend or go to a support meeting, such as Narcotic Anonymous or Alcoholics Anonymous . “It was that level of control when it came to my food, which just made my eating disorder worse,” she added. According to Variety, at the age of 13, Lovato started experimenting with drugs after being prescribed opiates for injuries she sustained in a car accident.
Demi sings about substance abuse and overdose experience in their new song “Dancing with the Devil.”
“I was left with brain damage, and I still deal with the effects of that today. I don’t drive a car because there are blind spots in my vision. I also for a long time had a really hard time reading,” she said. “I feel like they kind of are still there to remind me of what could happen if I ever get into a dark place again.” “What people don’t realize about that night for me is I didn’t just overdose. I also was taken advantage of,” Demi shared. “I was literally left for dead after he took advantage of me,” she says. “When I woke up in the hospital, they asked if I had had consensual sex.”
This is a common and dangerous misconception, as detox and withdrawal can be dangerous if not closely monitored by a medical professional. If it wasn’t for the relentless and valiant efforts of their doctors and surgeons, Lovato could have died that die in the hospital. Due to these drastic effects on her body, it was later suspected that instead of ingesting heroin, her dealer provider her with Fentanyl instead. Lovato’s overdose left her will some life-changing deficits, including brain damage and blind spots in her vision from the multiple strokes she sustained. She also stated that she suffered brain damage as a result of the overdose. During her emergency hospitalization, her doctor told her she had “5 to 10 more minutes” to live.
- According to theAmerican Journal of Managed Care, more than 50 percent of subjects suffering from bipolar disorder in a national study had a period of addiction to drugs and/or alcohol in their lifetime.
- In the hospital, Demi Lovato was administered Narcan, an emergency antidote for opioid overdose.
- Many of us suffer quietly with drugs and do not admit it because of the stigma surrounding addiction.
- She said she suffered a heart attack, three strokes, and woke up in the hospital legally blind.
Choosing recovery close to home means your support system is just a few miles away. “Dancing With the Devil” will be released as a four-part series on YouTube starting March 23. “Six years is a long time to be told that if you slip up, you’re gonna die. And at some point, enough just becomes enough,” Lovato said in the film, which premiered at SXSW this week. Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts.
The best way to help those with substance use issues like Lovato’s is to provide easy access to compassionate, individualized care—without judgment. “I didn’t just overdose, I also was taken advantage of,” she said, implicating her drug dealer. “When they found me I was naked, I was blue, I was literally left for dead after he took advantage of me.” For Lovato, a chance of normalcy may have been the best remedy for her well-being. Being forced into fame at such an early age put her in a life few can reasonably understand, and the pandemic allowed her to simplify her routine, staying home and being around only close friends and family. And while her relationship with her former fiance did not last, she was able to find a temporal state that works best for her immediate needs.
Demi is still dealing with the effects of her overdose.
Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Self, Glamour, and more. She has a master’s degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day. Demi said assistants, a wellness coach, dietitian, nutritionist, and therapist were on duty to help monitor and ensure a relapse didn’t happen. The former Disney Channel star was even drug tested and not allowed to be around anyone who wasn’t sober.
During one of her tours, she threw a hotel room party that got out of hand and resulted in the hotel room getting completely wrecked. The following day, one of her managers approached her about her using adderall at the party. She slyly convinced her manager to tell her who had told him about her drug use, claiming that she wasn’t upset and just wanted to know.
As well, it can be difficult to face those previous traumas without professional care. At DreamLife Recovery, a personally curated path to substance abuse recovery is a paramount part of the recovery process. If you or a loved one may suffering, please reach out and seek the help that can a true difference today. In 2017, Lovato opened up about her history with addiction and her father’s own addiction and substance abuse issues in the YouTube documentary Simply Complicated. Demi Lovato experienced many negative, physical effects during and after her overdose. The fentanyl-heroin combination caused three strokes and a heart attack.
Lovato’s recreational use of heroin soon turned into a compulsive and physical dependence that they couldn’t shake. In her documentary series on YouTube, Lovato explains that one night they attended a party where she used meth, Molly, cocaine, marijuana, OxyContin, and alcohol all in one night. A star since childhood, Lovato quickly shed her squeaky-clean Disney image, transforming into a soulful, husky-voiced, and empowered pop maven.
Demi Lovato Lost Her Childhood To Mental Abuse, Drug Addiction
When childhood trauma involving abuse and drug misuse is left without professional intervention, it oftentimes presents itself as a repeated cycle when the children grow up. Lovato has spoken openly about their own substance abuse and the effects it has had on their life. Lovato started using alcohol as a student and tried Cocaine for the first time at age 17. In Lovato’s new documentary, they explained that they used Cocaine and Xanax together. That combination would eventually escalate to even more dangerous drug use.
- Children of parents who struggle with addiction are at a higher risk of developing an addiction themselves.
- In the new issue of Seventeen Magazine Lovato states, “I think it is way cooler to be above the influence than under the influence.” Words of wisdom from one of our celebrity young adults.
- While they didn’t know it then, this would be the catalyst that started their quick descent down the dangerous path of addiction.
Sometimes it seems as though we’re from two completely different worlds—but are we, really? Lovato’s story begins to meld the two, proving that anyone can struggle with substance use disorders. According to Demi Lovato, her drug overdose was “the darkest time of her life” and the reason why she went to rehab.
Demi Lovato’s Recovery
When the news of Demi Lovato’s overdose broke in July 2018, many people thought “not again.” Some questioned, “Why would she do this to herself? ” Demi Lovato was celebrating her friend’s birthday the night before. Many people blamed her friend for having the get-together and for “letting” Demi relapse. By talking in this way, these people are adding to the stigma of addiction, and ignoring the fact that addiction is a chronic disease.
Life on the road had its challenges for Demi, and they were starting to catch up with them. By the age of 17, Demi was experimenting with cocaine and later progressed to alcohol, Adderall, and Xanax. And while we, as people, so harshly criticize and shame those who have fallen down the hard path of drugs, we forget something very important — addiction doesn’t discriminate. By 2010, at the age of 17, Lovato had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, anorexia and bulimia. Less than a year later, in 2011, she entered rehab for the first time. Taking the first step towards recovery can be daunting, but knowing your options for care is paramount to your success.
The first two episodes of the docuseries break down when Demi relapsed and what happened afterward in the hospital. Lovato hadn’t kept her queerness a secret, but she didn’t make many public pronouncements about it until her 2017 documentary, when she said she was on a dating app for both men and women. In March, she started seeing a male actor, and the relationship progressed quickly in quarantine, resulting in a July engagement. But in September — a month after her birthday — Lovato called it off.
Years after her overdose, Lovato had several career wins, including singing the national anthem at the NFL Championship game in 2020. Demi Lovato’s new documentary series seeks to shed light on the trying time in the singer’s life. It also shows that addiction is a chronic disease, one that requires a lifetime of support to overcome.
Demi was once again caught in a vicious cycle of drinking and abusing cocaine, which only intensified their struggle with bulimia, bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, and suicidal tendencies. This dangerous binge lasted until the spring of 2012, and after a few months of sobriety, she checked themselves into a sober house. From there, Demi worked hard on her recovery and stayed sober for six years. Regardless of one’s life accomplishments, societal roles, and stature, addiction can sink its dangerous claws in just about anyone. Even the fame and success of a Hollywood celebrity doesn’t deter the ability to fall victim to substance abuse. And there’s no one better to attest to that statement than singer, songwriter, and actor Demi Lovato.