Demi Lovato has set the record straight about some of the common misconceptions surrounding substance abuse.
In an upcoming episode of Diane Guerrero's podcast Yeah No, I'm Not Okay, the singer deals with the misconception that "if people are using drugs or if they are dealing with an eating disorder or self-harm that they want to die."
In the video below, Lovato opens up about her battle with addiction:Lovato, 28, explained that her addictions "stopped me from dying," before adding:
"In the same way it almost killed me, it saved my life at times, because there were times that I dealt with suicidal ideations. And had I gone forward with that in that moment, instead of another destructive coping mechanism, I wouldn't be here to tell my story."
Now, having received treatment for her problems, she believes that she "turned to those coping mechanisms because I genuinely was in so much pain that I didn't want to die and I didn't know what else to do."
She added: "I did the best that I could at times and now that I have other tools and other resources, I know how else to deal and how else to cope so I don't have to resort to those behaviors again."
The singer said that she openly speaks about her struggles with mental health and substance abuse because she wants people to know that "we all struggle."
Lovato said that as a teenager, she had no idea how prevalent mental health issues were.
She recalls: "I would look at people in the media and I would just compare myself, not feel good enough, not feel thin enough, and wonder how it was that these people were living lives that seemed so perfect but yet I was in so much pain.
"And when I got into the spotlight, I was like, 'Oh, it's not perfect here, nobody has a perfect life, it just looks that way.'"
The former Disney Channel star concluded: "If I can break that facade for Hollywood - sorry, Hollywood - someone's gotta do it because we're presenting unrealistic expectations to people by only presenting our best selves at all times."