Demi Lovato Speaks Out About Her Overdose For The First Time In Instagram Post, Says She’ll ‘Keep Fighting

For the first time since being hospitalized for an apparent drug overdose on July 24, pop singer Demi Lovato is speaking out. She took to Instagram on Sunday to personally thank fans and others for their support and to share her thoughts on her current situation. The 25-year-old started with “I have always been transparent about my journey with addiction” and continued by explaining that it’s an illness that doesn’t just go away. It’s something she has to keep working at and trying to overcome. The songstress admitted that she has “not done that yet.”

Lovato celebrated six years of sobriety in March, but then released an album in June that included the song “Sober” that seemed to indicate she had relapsed with lyrics like “Momma, I’m not sober anymore,” and “I’m sorry that I’m here again, I promise I’ll get help.”

In her Instagram post, Demi Lovato thanked God for letting her live and her fans for their “positive thoughts and prayers” that helped her “navigate through this difficult time.” She added her thanks to the medical staff at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, saying, “Without them I wouldn’t be here writing this letter to all of you.” Lovato ended her post with a commitment to her recovery.

“I now need time to heal and focus on my sobriety and road to recovery. The love you have all shown me will never be forgotten and I look forward to the day where I can say I came out on the other side. I will keep fighting.”

As reported by Us Weekly, friends administered Narcan to Lovato on July 24 to reverse the effects of a suspected opioid overdose. Her friends called 911 and were described as “hysterical” when paramedics arrived and found her unconscious. Reports later that same day indicated she was awake and surrounded by family. A statement from her rep also indicated that some of the information circulating about what had happened to the singer-songwriter was incorrect, but there was never a clarification about which information the rep was referring to. Demi was in the hospital for over a week as she dealt with physical complications of her overdose like fever, vomiting, and headache.

Prior to her overdose, people close to Lovato had become concerned about her using again, with one source saying she went through cycles of being sober for a few days before relapsing again. There have even been rumors that attempts at an intervention were made not long before her overdose, but that Lovato refused help.