Demi Lovato: Clean, Sober And Learning Lessons About Life And Love
Demi Lovato was thrust into the limelight and launched a hugely successful acting and music career at an age when most kids are more worried about whether to wear their Nike or Reebok shoes. Lovato is hardly unique amongst child stars in finding out that the pressures of living your life in the glare of publicity can be punishing in the extreme. Like many before her, Demi Lovato sought solace in alcohol, drugs, and a wide range of damaging and destructive behavior.
Demi Lovato’s struggles with depression, bipolar disorder, self-harming, and bulimia are well publicized and not unusual among those who shared her experiences. Numerous studies have shown that there is a very strong link between mental illness and creativity. This BBC report highlights how creative people like Demi Lovato suffer higher incidences of mental illness and are twice as likely to commit suicide.
Happily for Demi Lovato and her fans, the 22-yer-old star recognized that she was ill and took action by booking into rehab. Once again, Lovato is hardly unique in that respect. The list of stars who have spent time in rehab clinics is virtually endless.
What is perhaps unusual, though by no means unique, about Demi Lovato is that she has found a way to stay clean and sober. The Daily Mail reported recently that Demi has just celebrated three years sober. Lovato thanked her family, friends, and fans for helping her to live a sober life, commenting that she “never knew sobriety was possible for me.”
According to ABC News, Lovato also thanked long-term boyfriend Wilmer Valderrama, saying that she wouldn’t be alive if not for him.
Over the course of the past few days, there have been more signs that Demi Lovato has a strong grip on her life and is maturing as a result of her experiences. The Daily Mail reports that Demi had a tattoo of pursed lips (said to look like a vagina) on her wrist covered with a much more tasteful rose.
Perhaps the clearest sign that Demi Lovato is in control of her life came on Friday when MTV reported an a series of twitter messages Demi shared with her 28 million followers.
Just met a man named Sonny. 7 months sober and homeless yet he's doing everything not to drink regardless of his living situation.. It made
— Demi Lovato (@ddlovato) April 10, 2015
me sad to listen to him talk about people judging him for being homeless and it made me want to tell you guys.. Never judge others..
— Demi Lovato (@ddlovato) April 10, 2015
Demi continued by asking her fans to remember that they “have no idea what they are going through and a single smile can change someone’s future. Spread love not hate and #prayforsonny.”
It seems that Demi Lovato has learned from the experiences of others as well as her own experiences and is now using those experiences to help other to do the same. When you add Lovato’s philanthropic and charitable efforts into the equation it seems that Demi Lovato is a great example of how adversity can be turned to hope.
What do Inquisitr readers think? Has Demi Lovato turned he life around for good?
[Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images]
