In a world which can't help but pass judgement on the female experience, it's hard to find a celebrity who is as celebrated for her fame as she is for her off-stage endeavours. While Kylie Jenner is primarily known for her lip implants, and Selena Gomez for her on-again-off-again relationship with Justin Bieber, Demi Lovato has closely aligned herself with the body positivity and mental health awareness movements - after becoming increasingly outspoken about her own personal struggle in these regards.
As the pop-singer performed on Friday night at the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn, New York, she told her audience that March the 15th was a special day for her. Opening up about her battle with addiction and mental health, the 25-year-old revealed that she was celebrating her sixth year of sobriety.
"I know that there are people here tonight that need to ask for help," the erstwhile Disney star revealed, before speaking about her experiences with alcoholism, and the journey that the past six years has been.
"Yesterday, six years ago, I was drinking vodka out of a Sprite bottle at 9 in the morning, throwing up in the car."
Addressing the topic of her late father, who she has said was abusive and struggled with mental health issues, Demi continued "And I just remember thinking, 'This is no longer cute. This is no longer fun. And I’m just like my dad.' So I took a look at my life and I said, ‘Something has to change, I’ve got to get sober’ — so I did."
"I made changes in my life, and the reason I became so open about my story is because I know that there are people here tonight that need to ask for help, and I want you to know that that’s okay.
"Mental health is something that we all need to talk about, and we need to take the stigma away from it. So let’s raise the awareness. Let’s let everybody know it’s okay to have a mental illness, it’s okay to have an addiction problem. I’m bipolar — like, whatever! I take care of myself. And I can never say ‘Thank you’ enough to you guys for the support that you’ve given me over the years, and you’ve forgiven me for my mistakes.
"Thank you for being a part of saving my life. I love you guys."
Since 2015, Lovato has been a spokesperson for Be Vocal - an initiative which helps promote positive stories about mental health on the internet and social media. She has been increasingly outspoken about her struggles with bulimia nervosa and addiction, as well as the realities of living with bipolar disorder - the subject of her 2017 YouTube documentary.
It's no surprise that the pop star's fans and fellow celebrities were moved by her courageous announcement. Tour-mate DJ Khaled duly took the stage to praise Lovato as she began to tear up. "What you’ve overcome through trials and tribulations, through dark clouds, you found the sunshine, and now the sun is shining on you forever...Every night you come light up the stage and you represent your fans, and that’s so amazing," he asserted, before adding "you inspire me".
Well, it's evident that Lovato is using her sizeable platform to draw attention to something that far too many young men and women struggle with: mental health. Her fans are certainly lucky to have a role-model who is committed to speaking about the issue, which affects over 42.5 million people in the United States, in such a frank, and intimate manner.
