Almost two weeks ago, Demi Lovato was rushed to hospital following a suspected drug overdose. The 25-year-old has had ongoing problems with addiction and mental illness since her teenage years, and has previously spoken out about her struggles with alcoholism to her millions of fans.

Now, in a statement posted to Instagram, the star has expressed her gratitude to all those who have stuck by her during this difficult time, along with her realisation that she needs "time to heal", as "this illness is not something that disappears".

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"I have always been transparent about my journey with addiction," she posted yesterday. What I've learned is that this illness is not something that disappears or fades with time. It is something I must continue to overcome and have not done yet."

She continued:

"I want to thank God for keeping me alive and well. To my fans, I am forever grateful for all of your love and support throughout this past week and beyond. Your positive thoughts and prayers have helped me navigate through this difficult time.

"I want to thank my family, my team, and the staff at Cedars-Sinai who have been by my side this entire time. Without them I wouldn't be here writing this letter to all of you.

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"I now need time to heal and focus on my sobriety and road to recovery. The love you have all shown me will never be forgotten and I look forward to the day where I can say I came out on the other side.

"I will keep fighting."

The comments section of the post is full of supportive messages from fans and wellwishers, many of whom have thanked Lovato for helping them with their own addiction problems.

"We love you Demi you are such an inspiration to me and have helped me through tough times," wrote one person. "You are a strong woman keep fighting and I will do the same you are not alone always remember that."

"You are a warrior, and I know that you’ll never stop fighting," said another. "I know that because you helped me get through everything and whenever I’m feeling down I listen to your music, just to realize how much I love you and all scars are battle wounds. So don’t let this break you down, use it as a motive to go ahead."

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Following this most recent incident - which was initially misreported as a heroin overdose - the star has agreed to check herself into rehab in order to seek further treatment. This was perhaps partly due to some tough love from her friends, family members, and staff who threatened to cut ties with her if she did not seek help.

"The decision [to go to rehab] is ultimately Demi's, and we're told the people closest to her, along with some of the people who work for her, are going to draw a line in the sand - either go to a facility for help, or lose our number," TMZ reported.

It is not yet clear when the star will be checking herself into a rehabilitation facility, nor how long she intends to stay there. What's important at this time is that she is taking steps towards recovery, and we wish her all the best with this.

In July of this year, news broke that Demi Lovato had been rushed to hospital after a suspected overdose. The 26-year-old musician has a long history of addiction problems, and did not have an easy time recovering after the incident.

"She came down with a fever and showed signs of an infection," a source told People at the time of Lovato's hospitalisation. "She is currently being treated for issues that are very common after a drug overdose. She will need to stay in the hospital for a few more days, but is expected to make a full recovery."

When she was released, however, she made the decision to check herself into rehab. Since then, she appears to have been doing much better, and has successfully stayed sober for 90 days - a huge milestone for anyone struggling with addiction.

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In the weeks following her medical emergency, Lovato posted an emotional statement about her experience.

"I have always been transparent about my journey with addiction," she said.

"What I've learned is that this illness is not something that disappears or fades with time. It is something I must continue to overcome and have not done yet.

"I now need time to heal and focus on my sobriety and road to recovery. The love you have all shown me will never be forgotten and I look forward to the day where I can say I came out on the other side.

"I will keep fighting."

Now, a few months down the line, it seems that Lovato is finally ready to step back into the spotlight somewhat, as she's back on Instagram with her first post since July.

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Like millions of other Americans, Lovato took to the polls in order to vote yesterday.

"I am so grateful to be home in time to vote!" she wrote. "One vote can make a difference, so make sure your voice is heard!? ?? now go out and #VOTE!!!!"

And fans were just as grateful to have her back in their lives, with hundreds of them leaving comments for the singer on her post.

"Great news.... life will always be a fight, but never feel you are alone," said one well-wisher. "There are so many who want nothing more than to see you beat this."

"So excited to see you looking so healthy and happy!!! Hoping you continue your recovery!!!" added another.

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"She has 90 days and I couldn't be more thankful or more proud of her because addiction, being a disease, is work. It's very hard and there are no shortcuts," Lovato's mother, Dianna De La Garza, said recently.

"She's happy. She's healthy. She's working on her sobriety, and she's getting the help she needs. That in itself encourages me about her future and about the future of our family," she added.

By the sounds of it, then, the 26-year-old is well on her way to recovery. She may still have a long road ahead of her, but it's amazing to see her starting to look more like her former self again.

Back in July, Demi Lovato's fans were devastated to hear that the singer had been rushed to hospital following a suspected drug overdose. Thankfully, the 26-year-old star survived, reportedly checking herself into a rehab facility shortly after in order to get sober again.

"I have always been transparent about my journey with addiction. What I've learned is that this illness is not something that disappears or fades with time. It is something I must continue to overcome and have not done yet," the Sorry Not Sorry songstress wrote in a statement.

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However, rather than focusing on her recovery, some fans have been speculating about who exactly encouraged Demi to return to drug-taking. Allegedly, one person who was pinpointed was the singer's close friend and backup dancer Dani Vitale, who was accused of supplying Demi with drugs before her apparent overdose.

However, last week the backup dancer took to social media to fiercely deny these rumours, claiming that she does not do drugs and would never have supplied them to "anyone I love".

In an emotional post on Instagram, Dani began by describing her 28th birthday party. "After a fun, healthy night of laughter, dancing and enjoyed one another's company I went home, newly 28 and with the biggest smile and memories anyone could ever ask for," she stated.

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The next morning, however, tragedy struck when Dani heard of her friend's alleged overdose and was consequently accused by the media of giving Demi drugs. "The next morning, I woke up to a call needing and wanting to be there for someone. In the midst of everything, my whole being was ridden with sadness, confusion, love and hopelessness," she wrote.

She continued: "While focusing completely and only on one human's survival in every aspect, I put myself aside as we all do for those we love that need us. During that time, the circulation of an UNTRUE story on the internet yanked my life, my reputation, my name and everything I have worked so hard to stand for, out from underneath me. A damaging narrative that demonized me, placed blame on me, and has since cost me so many wonderful moments in life."

The 28-year-old then went into the heartbreaking events that followed this accusation, claiming she did not leave the house for three weeks after and was "ridden with severe depression, fear, anxiety, sadness, anger, disgust, numbness and many more adjectives" over the allegations. In addition, she claimed she couldn't shower, eat sleep, keep food down or engage in anything outside of just staring saying 'why'".

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"For the first time in my life, I was witnessing how disturbingly sick so many people are on the internet," she wrote. "...I have NEVER touched nor even SEEN a drug in my entire life. I DO NOT DO DRUGS, not would I ever encourage, or supply them to anyone I love...People that I thought loved me were no where to be found or heard from, companies stopped replying [to] emails and I was alone. [sic]"

Thankfully, following her struggle, Dani had her love of dance to fall back on, dedicating her first class in LA to Demi, and also insisting that the bullies didn't "win s**t". She finished her post by writing: "Our words have meaning and consequences... 'If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it at all.'"

Well said, Dani.

Last week, Demi Lovato fans feared for her as it was announced that the 25-year-old star had been rushed to hospital following a suspected overdose. The singer is known to have had a long and public battle with drugs and alcohol, as well as a number of mental health problems, but was thought to be on the road to recovery until earlier this year.

Initially, it was reported that Lovato had overdosed on heroin, but these rumours were dispelled when her representatives issued a statement saying that: "Some of the information being reported is incorrect and [Lovato and her family] respectfully ask for privacy and not speculation as her health and recovery is the most important thing right now."

Since then, we have learned that the Sorry Not Sorry artist has suffered complications during her hospital stay. According to the latest reports, however, it appears that Lovato is set to be released from medical care in the imminent future.

According to TMZ, the singer "is doing a lot better and the plan is for her to get out of the hospital this week".

This news comes despite other recent reports that Lovato "wasn't doing well" at first.

One source close to the star told People: "[Lovato] came down with a fever and showed signs of an infection. She is currently being treated for issues that are very common after a drug overdose. She will need to stay in the hospital for a few more days, but is expected to make a full recovery."

Now that she seems to be over the worst of it, though, she is deemed to be fit enough for discharge. However, it is unlikely that she'll go straight home. Instead, her family are hoping that she will check herself into rehab in order to help her with the ongoing treatment she will need for her addictions.

"The decision [to go to rehab] is ultimately Demi's, and we're told the people closest to her, along with some of the people who work for her, are going to draw a line in the sand - either go to a facility for help, or lose our number," TMZ reported.

Lovato has had one stint in rehab before, all the way back in 2010, and has since spoken very publicly about her battles with mental health problems and alcoholism.

In March this year, though, she stopped a gig to give a speech that implied she had finally kicked her self-destructive compulsions.

"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," she said at the time, adding: "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."

When Lovato is eventually discharged, we can only hope she checks herself into rehab for the sake of her own wellbeing.

We all know Demi Lovato as a singer and former Disney star, but she's also a passionate activist for mental health. The 25 year old songwriter has openly discussed her struggles with bipolar disorder, eating disorders and substance abuse - which included sneaking cocaine on airplanes. At the 2016 Democratic National Convention, she gave an emotional speech to raise awareness, saying "I stand here today as proof that you can live a normal and empowered life with mental illness." [[youtubewidget||https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2xTu3zbkik&feature=youtu.be&t=17s]] Last March, Demi celebrated a major milestone: five years of sobriety. "It's been quite the journey," she wrote in an Instagram post. "So many times I wanted to relapse but sat on my hands and begged God to relieve the obsession. I'm so proud of myself but I couldn't have done it without my higher power (God), my family, friends, and everyone else who supported me...Thank you guys for sticking by my side and believing in me." [[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BRrP4ZGlb9V/]] However, Demi still hasn't conquered her food and body image issues. In her new YouTube documentary, Simply Complicated, she opens up about her struggle with binging and purging. While riding in the car with her manager, Phil, she reveals that after breaking up with longtime boyfriend Wilder Valderrama, she had a relapse: "I relapsed with throwing up, binging, and purging a couple nights ago. The less I have to think about food, the easier it is for me to go about having a normal life. I don't want to let anybody down so when I do have moments where I slip up, I feel very ashamed."

"What started the relapse [this time] was missing Wilmer. That's one of the reasons why we broke up — was because I've never been alone. When I was in a relationship with Wilmer, I went three years without purging."

The sparks never faded. But there are issues that I haven't conquered yet that I know I won't conquer if I'm relying on somebody else to take care of the loneliness. I just wasn't ready and there was so much in my life that I hadn't explored yet."

As everyone knows, the road to recovery is not easy. However, the mental health warrior has made a lot of progress, and her fans are very supportive. One of them posted a side-by-side photo, juxtaposing the old Demi Lovato with what she looks like today. Over the past seven years, she's made a dramatic transformation: [[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BaXIWTnBnID/]] Can you believe how much healthier she looks? Congratulations to Demi for seeking help and changing her lifestyle. It might be obvious to us the old Demi looks unhealthy, but it's not obvious to people who suffer from body image issues. The caption reads "More confident," which is perfect. Once you're comfortable with your body, you're a lot happier. Demi shared her fan's photo on her Instagram stories, adding the message "Recovery is possible." Remember to seek help if you have mental health issues. You can check out Simply Complicated below: [[youtubewidget||https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWTlL_w8cRA]]