Demi Lovato opens up about her mental health struggles

Pop star Demi Lovato detailed her longstanding battles with metal health problems in her cover story for the magazine American Way.
Lovato points to a history of mental health issues within her family. Her father has dealt with both alcoholism and bipolar disorder, and she watched both her mother and grandmother suffer from bulimia.
By the age of nine, the singer was binge-eating and self-harming. She was addicted to multiple substances, including cocaine, by the age of fifteen. She expected to die before she reached 21.
Now 23, Lovato strives to raise awareness about mental health issues. She finds meaning in her life by advocating for young girls and women. She feels particularly encouraged when her fans share their struggles with her.
“When I have meet-and-greets, I can’t tell you the amount of times that girls will show me their arms covered in scars or cuts”, said Lovato. “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”.
Watch Lovato’s cover of Rihanna’s ‘Stay’ below.