As she proved last week, Demi Lovato never hesitates to speak her mind. After a short-lived hiatus from social media, she returned to Twitter and Instagram, vowing to be more honest than ever. Honesty is a key theme in her recent interview with the airline magazine, American Way. In a conversation about her battles with addiction and other hardships, Lovato explained how her fans aid in the recovery process, by reminding her to stay on the right track and helping her realize her purpose. She said,
"I didn’t go into treatment thinking, 'OK, now I’m going to be an inspiration.' At times I was resentful for having that kind of responsibility, but now, it’s really become a part of my life. It holds me accountable."
During the interview, Lovato gets frank about her struggles with addiction, bipolar disorder, and an eating disorder. She said, "I lived fast and I was going to die young... I didn’t think I would make it to 21." In this case, her honesty is both horrifying, yet blunt. She doesn't mince her words or deny how serious the battle was. It's admirable that she doesn't sugarcoat the truth or hide from her past. And now, she's luckily in a much more positive place — and she's been able to grow from her experience, while helping others in the process.
Lovato talks about meeting fans, who show her their own scars from self-harm and thank her for letting them know recovery is possible. The 23-year-old said, "They’ll tell me, ‘You helped me get through this. Because of you, I stopped self-harming,’ or ‘I got sober.’ Hearing those things gave my life new meaning." Those are such powerful words, which not only show how Lovato helped those fans, but they also keep the "Heart Attack" singer accountable, as she said herself. Sharing her own hardships seems to be a mutually beneficial experience, since it allows her to let others know what they're going through isn't impossible to overcome; meanwhile, the response from her fans helps her stay on the right track. It's a win-win scenario.
While the statements above apply to addiction, she also touched on her mental illness and why she continues being vocal about that. She said,
"The more you talk about mental illness, the less of a taboo it becomes. As a pop star, I can say, 'Hey, I’ve got bipolar disorder — it’s nothing that anyone can be ashamed of.'"
She's right. There shouldn't be such shame or stigma attached to these topics. Whether addiction or eating disorders or mental illnesses, by speaking out, Lovato is letting others know they're not alone. And there's no better type of honesty than that.
