Demi Lovato opens up about the gloomy and painful realities of addiction suffering and mental health conditions. In a trailer for her new series of docs on YouTube, released on Wednesday, Lovato revealed that the overdose she experienced in 2018 caused her to have three strokes and a heart attack.
“We’ve had so much to say in the last two years, wanting to set a record for what happened,” the actress and singer said at the beginning of the trailer.
The four-part documentary, “Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil”, focuses on Lovato’s personal and professional life until and after the overdose she experienced in July 2018.
“I had three strokes. I had a heart attack,” Lovato said. “My doctors said I had five to 10 minutes left.”
Many of Lovato’s family, friends and other celebrities, including Elton John and Christina Aguilera, are seen in the trailer. Some of those present said they were not sure if they would survive the overdose.
“I’ve had a lot of lives, just like my cat. I’m in my ninth life,” Lovato said. “I’m ready to go back to doing what I love, which is making music.”
During a virtual panel for the Association of Television Critics on Wednesday, Lovato told reporters that he continues to suffer from brain injuries caused by the incident that affects his daily skills, according to The Associated Press.
“I was left with brain damage and I’m dealing with the effects today,” she said. “I don’t drive a car because I have blind spots in my vision. I read very hard for a long time. It was a big problem when I could read a book, which was like two months later, because my vision was so blurred. . “
The 28-year-old singer and actress has been sincere for years about her struggle with mental health and addiction. Some of her songs discuss these battles, and in her 2017 YouTube documentary “Simply Complicated,” Lovato revealed that she first tried cocaine when she was 17 and worked for Disney Channel. A few years later, she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
Mental health and addiction are both common problems around the world and each of these problems can exacerbate the other, research shows. Surveys show that about half of people in the United States who suffer from mental health illnesses also experience substance abuse disorders, according to studies cited by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Lovato told Glitter Magazine on Wednesday that he finally hopes the documentary will “help people who have been on the same path as me.”
“What I’ve learned is that it’s much more than mental health, you know?” My life is now about spiritual growth and how I can help everyone, even people without mental illness, how we can help lift everyone’s vibrations so we can live on a more positive planet, “Lovato told the Magazine.” This is how I navigate my day; how will my choices today affect those around me in a positive way? How will I improve today? So hopefully people can see that in the document as well. “
The YouTube documentary will premiere on March 23.