Always an advocate for her fans suffering from mental illness, Demi Lovato is opening up about her bipolar disorder in a new interview. The “Confident” singer has told fans that she is living proof that it is possible to live well with mental illness. The 24-year-old was diagnosed in 2011.
“If you know someone or if you’re dealing with it yourself, just know that it is possible to live well,” Lovato said to People. She went on to describe her everyday life as a “work in progress” and that her success hinges on support from family, friends, and the team of professionals that treat her.
“They’re there for me at any moment of the day and will be there to support me throughout my recovery,” she further said.
Lovato described using distractions like mobile game Zombarazzie Adventure were useful when her disorder acted up. She also finds peace in working with mental health agencies such as Be Vocal: Speak up for Mental Health, which she linked up with in 2015.
“This partnership means a lot to my fans because so many of my fans are dealing with mental illness, whether it’s depression or bipolar disorder or even schizophrenia,” she said to the publication, as well as expressing that she is looking to remove stigmas around mental illness by being vocal about her own.
“I have fans that deal with all sorts of mental illnesses so this is very important to them.”
Lovato has opened up about her issues in the past, and one notable interview was with American Way, where she revealed her issues with bulimia, drug abuse and self harm.
The singer became a binge eater at just 9-years-old and turned to self harm at 12. She also struggled with alcohol, cocaine and OxyContin use. Lovato finally got clean by living in a West Hollywood sober house for a year.
