Demi Lovato Opens Up About Mental Illness

Demi Lovato has spoken with Elle.com after her inspirational speech at the National Council of Behavioral Health's Hill Day.

She is no stranger to speaking out and standing up for what she believes in and as a result she's become a role model for millions of people.

 “You know, entering rehab while you're on the Disney Channel...It's quite the headline. And I couldn't get around it. So I thought, you know, I can use this to help others. And that's what I did.”

Elle.com sat down with the “Confident” singer where Demi revealed that she knew she had a problem as early as seven years old, and things slowly snowballed year by year.

Lovato has admitted to experiencing suicidal thoughts as early as seven years old. As a teen, she struggled with eating disorders, self-harm, a cocaine addiction, and alcohol abuse.

“When I was bulimic, I knew it was a problem. When I was anorexic, I knew it was a problem. But I wasn't in a place where I could quit by myself,” Lovato said.

In 2010, Demi was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. "So when I was diagnosed, I went back and told my manager and my parents and my closest friends. I was like, 'Hey, so I'm bipolar …that's why….'" The ability to get this diagnosis and level of care is what motivates Lovato in her work as a mental health advocate. "Four out of ten people with mental illness get help," she says. "You have to wonder about the other six."

Demi is working on maintaining stability and being as transparent about it as she can. For her, recovery is a “day by day, sometimes hour by hour” thing; “There’s no day off in recovery.”

Lovato is a true example of strength through adversity, and has taught us things will always get better if you take the right steps. Good on you Demi!

Source.