Demi Lovato Shares Why She Is Vocal About Own Mental Illness
Demi Lovato explains why she is not one to shy away from talking her mental illness and why she believes others should do to. She added that given her stature as a singer actress, she wants to user her voice for more than just singing.
In a new interview with the Huffington Post, Demi Lovato claimed that her decision to be upfront with her mental illness and her treatments was not an easy one to make. She said in the beginning, talking about it was not because of noble reasons such as wanting her fans to know more of her or helping others come into grips with their situations. Instead, she did it because she is a public figure and she “kind of didn’t have a choice.” But she changed her mind later on and felt differently. "Unfortunately, when you're in the public eye, everyone knows your secrets whether you like it or not. I had an opportunity where I could say, 'Yes, I went to treatment but I'm not going to talk about it,' but I felt like I could make a difference," she explained.
She added that she realised it was her “responsibility” and “purpose” to be open regarding her beliefs and experiences since she has the opportunity. She said she wants to use her voice in more ways than just belting out her hit songs.
It comes as no surprise therefore that Demi has partnered with the Jed Foundation and the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Together, they recently pushed a new campaign called “Be Vocal,” which is designed to encourage people who are dealing with mental illnesses of their own to share what they are going through and their experiences so that the stigma often associated with the conditions can vanish. In the promotional video for the campaign, Demi can be heard telling the viewers that they are "worth it."
On March this year, Demi celebrated three years of sobriety and gave credit to her boyfriend Wilmer Valderrama for helping her with the journey. She also gave an earlier report of how her younger sister, former “Desparate Housewives” star, Madison De La Garza made her realize how much she should change and as a result, got her to decide to getting treatments for her drug and alcohol addiction, eating disorder and mental issues, which involves cutting.
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