Demi Lovato Explained How Her Past Drug Use Was A “Coping Mechanism” That “Saved Her Life”

“It saved my life at times, because there were times that I dealt with suicidal ideations.”

Demi Lovato is opening up about her history with drug misuse, explaining in a candid interview on Diane Guerrero’s Yeah No, I’m Not OK podcast that she believes her past drug misuse “saved her life.”

According to a preview from E! News, in an upcoming episode of the podcast, the 28-year-old will address common misconceptions about addiction — namely that “if people are using drugs, or if they are dealing with an eating disorder or self-harm, that they want to die.”

“I turned to those coping mechanisms because I genuinely was in so much pain that I didn’t want to die,” the musician said. “And I didn’t know what else to do.”

Lovato went on to say that her decision to be so open about her mental health journey comes from a lack of visibility of similar issues in the media when she was young.

The “Sorry Not Sorry” singer is set to explore her past drug use and overdose in a new YouTube documentary, Dancing With the Devil, which will premiere on March 23.

In the trailer for the four-part series, Lovato revealed her overdose resulted in “three strokes and a heart attack,” and said her doctors had told her she had “five to ten more minutes.”

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. Other international suicide helplines can be found at befrienders.org.

If you or someone you know is struggling with drug use, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

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