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Demi Lovato Shares Inspiring Instagram Message On Addiction

By Lindsay McCane
Published on: 17:37 PST, Dec 23, 2015

Demi Lovato knows first hand how tough battling an addiction can be, which is why she is an advocate for those who have suffered, or are currently suffering, from the disease.

On Wednesday, December 23, Lovato shared an inspiring message on her Instagram page, urging her followers to stop ignoring one of the biggest problems society is currently facing… addiction.

“I am one of the 1 in 7 people who has faced addiction, and I am grateful to be in recovery today,” Demi wrote. “It’s time for us all to reflect, and start@facingaddiction. Let’s stop ignoring the biggest problem in our country we often don’t want to look at. We all are connected to this issue one way or another and we all need to be part of the solution. Together we can replace shame with support, hope, and healing.”

Demi Lovato penned the message in an effort to bring awareness to the non-profit organization Facing Addiction, which is “dedicated to finding solutions to the addiction crisis by unifying the voice of the over 45 million Americans and their families directly impacted by addiction,” according to their website. The organization’s vision is to “bring together the best resources in the field in order to reduce the human and social costs of addiction, every year, until this public health crisis is eliminated.”

Demi first decided to seek treatment for her addictions in 2010 at the age of 18 years old. At the time, her rep confirmed that she had cancelled the remainder of her tour, and entered a rehab facility to be treated for the “emotional and physical issues she has dealt with for some time.” While her rep didn’t reveal what she was being treated for, it was later reported that she had been struggling with drug abuse, eating disorders and cutting.

In May, Lovato spoke to People Magazine about her struggles with addiction and her bipolar diagnosis, revealing that she is actually very happy now and functioning like anyone else would.

“I’m living well with my mental illness – I am actually functioning like a very happy person would,” Lovato told the magazine. “I couldn’t be happier today. Life is really, really great. I have a brand-new puppy and I’m able to not only take care of myself but take care of him as well. I’m living my dream. Life is pretty amazing.”

Since being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, Demi Lovato has become an advocate for mental health issues, speaking publicly about her battle and even starting a treatment scholarship fund in honor of her late father Patrick who died in 2013, and also suffered from mental illness.

“My father had schizophrenia and bipolar disorder as well, and I watched him live a very unfortunate life because of the lack of access to treatment,” Lovato said. “So it’s very personal to me.I just think mental illness is something people need to learn more about and the stigma needs to be taken away from.”

Lovato has also had a very special person to help her along her road to recovery… her longtime boyfriend, That 70’s Show star Wilmer Valderrama, 35.

“I wish I could put into words how grateful I am for this man right here,” she wrote in a March Instagram post celebrating her third year of sobriety. “But my love has grown to a level that words could never possibly express how much this man completes me. He’s loved me the way I never thought I deserved to be loved and with this day marking my 3rd year sober … After sharing my ups, putting up with my downs and supporting my recovery … he still never takes credit and I want the world to know how incredible his soul is.”

[Photo by Owen Sweeney/Invision/AP]

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