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December 6, 2018

The Treacherous Cycle that is Addiction: The Demi Lovato Story

At the tender age of twenty-five, Demetria “Demi” Lovato has gone through more than most people will in their entire life. Many people face their fair share of difficulties, but Demi is different. She has not had a break since she was five years old. Her father was an addict and he left the family before Demi was five. At five, Demi was diagnosed with depression and it is something she has never been able to fully shake.1 Demi found an outlet for her aching heart in music. Her family realized quickly that she was talented beyond belief, and that she could really be someone. At seven, Demi landed a part in the children’s television series Barney and Friends, and the rest is history.2

“Joe Jonas and Demi Lovato in the Jonas Brothers Live in Concert” | 1 September 2010 | Paige Kaitlyn Concerts | Wikimedia Commons

She did not stop at Barney and Friends. She knew she was destined for more, and she worked every single day to ensure she got that. The Disney Channel proved to be her next big break, and it was Disney that really ignited a fire that never stopped. From her first show, “As the Bell Rings,” to the “Camp Rock” phenomena, and finally, to “Sonny with a Chance,” The Disney Channel seemingly brought Demi nothing but success.3 However, when you look below the surface, her Disney successes may have been the same thing that sent her spiraling downward. It was at seventeen, the peak of her time at Disney, that she first tried cocaine, a highly addictive narcotic, for the first time with friends.4 She shared being terrified at first, but she quickly came to love the feeling.5 She was hooked. She began hiding drugs from her family and her team, and she began indulging whenever she found the time. She did shows while intoxicated, and lived the majority of her young life under the influence. Her moods changed, and she was irritated and angry, and she slept all the time. At first, everyone thought she was just experiencing normal teenage mood swings; it took time before those around her understood the depth of what was going on.6

American Disney Channel Logo | 2002 | The Disney Channel Company | Wikimedia Commons

Demi felt immense pressure from a very young age. She felt the need to please everyone around her while becoming everything she wanted to be. It is not uncommon for young people to have come in to fame to lose themselves along the way. In fact, Demi is far from the only young Disney star to do so. Shake It Up’s Bella Thorne has no shame in showing some, or all of her skin, Jessie’s Debby Ryan was slapped with a DUI, and Lab Rats’ Kelli Berglund was caught with a fake ID.7 While to some, these all sound like typical growing up things. The issue at hand is that it is a recurring pattern in Disney Stars. Walt Disney, the man who can be described as nothing but “guts and goodness,” created the Disney company with nothing but pure intentions and hope for a better future.8 As the issue has become more and more prominent, it has been decided within the company that something had to be done. Disney teaches its young starlets life skills, like how to deal with the brutal world that is social media. These classes are held by pediatricians and child-development experts.7 While no one can pinpoint the exact reason Demi began the path that became addiction, we do know that it had to have something to do with the difficult life she was living due to the fame. She was too young to be ready for all she was enduring and too naïve to know better. Although the Disney Channel cannot be held to blame, it can be said that the company knows it is doing some harm along with the good, as they are now taking protective measures.

Addiction. A nine-letter word that we use lightly every day. We say things like “I’m addicted to chocolate” or “she’s addicted to her phone.” We tend to not realize the gravity of addiction or how life-threatening it can be. Addictions are diseases; they are dependencies on something, requiring that something to live, or at least one believes it is that needed. Addiction ran through Demi’s veins. Some say she was destined to fall into it because of her father’s own additions; others still blamed it on the life she lived. Regardless of why, addiction consumed her. It wasn’t just drugs and alcohol; it was body image as well. Demi was stuck on the idea that thin meant beauty, that skinny was a requirement of fame. So, she developed an eating disorder, Bulimia.  Bulimia Nervosa is an eating disorder that is defined by “repeated, uncontrollable episodes of overeating followed by induced vomiting or laxative abuse to eliminate the undigested food.”10 It was after she was discovered to have Bulimia that the people around her decided it was time that she got treatment. Demi’s behavior was all over the place: “some days she was sweet and enthusiastic, and some days she seemed to brood in darkness.”11 She was sent in for treatment at a rehab center and had to continue with that treatment even when she was able to leave.

Runway Models | goodfreephotos

It is not uncommon to have an obsession with body image in our society. We live in a world where social media is prominent and “skinny is in.” We see runway models and actresses on TV and on the cover of magazines and we cannot help but compare ourselves to them. Today, close to 30 million people in the US are diagnosed with an eating disorder and every 62 seconds one of them dies.12 The disorders range from Bulimia to Anorexia and Binge Eating Disorder. They become a chemical imbalance in someone’s mind that take more than just will power to be lessened.

Demi Lovato is still a part of that 30 million, and it is something she has to deal with every day. She fights her urges with different things, like working out. Anything that can take her mind off of her problems, she says, is a blessing.13 The stability of having a specific gym with specific trainers has helped her a lot, and she is working her way up to a black belt in jiu-jitsu.

Nineteen was her year. Demi’s nineteenth year of life was her first year sober. It seemed as though all the rehab and all the struggle had paid off. Her life was taking a turn for the better, she was a judge on X Factor, broke up with her long-term boyfriend to “conquer issues she couldn’t conquer if she was relying on someone else,” and had found her sound.14 Her music career was booming, and her team couldn’t be happier with the progress. Everything was falling into place.

At twenty-five, her six years of sobriety had come to a screeching halt. On July 28, 2018, paramedics rushed to the young singer’s house. The night before, she had gone out to celebrate a backup dancer’s birthday, and the next morning she was found lying unconscious in her house. 15

About a month before the overdose, Demi Lovato had come out with a new song, “Sober.”16 Her music had always been emotional and honest. She had talked about her issues before, and about her love life, but this was different. In “Sober,” Demi admitted to having relapsed from her six-year sobriety. Upsetting and tragic, but to many, not surprising. Everyone hoped for the best for her, but feared the worst as they heard the news of her unconsciousness.

While sad, a relapse in addiction is not extremely uncommon. Recently, there has been a lot of research done on relapses in order to better understand them. They differ from random slips in strength because they are recurring during a certain period of time. Despite research, relapses are still hard to understand as they vary from person to person. Some people do a better job of controlling their urges than others, some give in quickly, and some can last long periods of times. What they have come to the decision on, however, is that relapses are not a failure of the treatment, but a consequence of the attempts to change a chronic behavior.17 Some people overcome addiction and never turn back, others fall back again and again and never get to live again.

Eventually, she woke up. She refused to cooperate with authorities or reveal exactly what drugs she was on, but she was alive.18 Demi lived through her relapse but is now back at square one. She has to now find a way to deal with her age-old demons and rebuild her life. She went again to rehab, and is working every day to make sure the cycle doesn’t continue.

That’s exactly what is, a cycle, a never-ending cycle. People fall into addiction, go to rehab, become sober, fall back into addiction, go back to rehab, and so on. Some people find ways to break the cycle, others succumb to its brutal turning. The treacherous cycle causes many people to lose hope, to lose their glow, but not Demi. She lives by the motto of “you get what you put out in the world. Put out positivity and you will receive it,” and she will never stop fighting.19

  1. Demi Lovato, Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated – Official Documentary, Phillymack Productions (2017; Los Angeles), Youtube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWTlL_w8cRA.
  2. Demi Lovato, Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated – Official Documentary, Phillymack Productions (2017; Los Angeles), Youtube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWTlL_w8cRA.
  3. Demi Lovato, Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated – Official Documentary, Phillymack Productions (2017; Los Angeles), Youtube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWTlL_w8cRA.
  4.  Salem Press Encyclopedia of Health, 2015, s.v. “Cocaine,” Justin D. Garcia, PhD.
  5. Demi Lovato, Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated – Official Documentary, Phillymack Productions (2017; Los Angeles), Youtube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWTlL_w8cRA.
  6. Demi Lovato, Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated – Official Documentary, Phillymack Productions (2017; Los Angeles), Youtube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWTlL_w8cRA.
  7. “Disney Damsels IN DISTRESS!,” New Weekly Magazine, April 3, 2017, 38-41.
  8. Neal Gabler, Walt Disney, The Triumph of the American Imagination (Vintage Books, 2006), 44.
  9. “Disney Damsels IN DISTRESS!,” New Weekly Magazine, April 3, 2017, 38-41.
  10.  Magill’s Medical Guide, 2013, s.v. “Bulimia,” Alvin K. Benson, PhD and Leanna DeAngelo, PhD.
  11. Dianna de la Garza and Vicky Mckintyre, Falling with Wings: A Mother’s Story (Fewer & Friends, 2018), 247.
  12. “Eating Disorder Statistics,” National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, (2018), accessed November 29, 2018, http://www.anad.org/education-and-awareness/about-eating-disorders/eating-disorders-statistics/.
  13. Demi Lovato, Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated – Official Documentary, Phillymack Productions (2017; Los Angeles), Youtube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWTlL_w8cRA.
  14. Demi Lovato, Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated – Official Documentary, Phillymack Productions (2017; Los Angeles), Youtube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWTlL_w8cRA.
  15. Melody Chiu, et al., “The Fight to Save Demi Lovato,” People, August 13, 2018, 48.
  16. “Demi’s Tragic Relapse: ‘I’m Grateful to Be Alive,’” 2018. New Weekly Magazine 26 (32): 22.
  17.  Salem Press Encyclopedia of Health, 2014, s.v. “Addiction Relapse,” Ruth M. Colwill.
  18. Melody Chiu, et al., “The Fight to Save Demi Lovato,” People, August 13, 2018, 48.
  19. Demi Lovato, Staying Strong: 365 Days a Year (Macmillan Publishers, 2013), 43.

Daniela Cardona

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87 comments

  • Pablo Medina

    After reading this article I feel like I know more about how strong addiction can be over someone’s life. I didn’t know about Demi Lovato and how deep her addiction really went. Addiction is not taken as serious as it should, it is not seen for what it truly is capable of. I think this article did a good job in explaining this and really giving it the importance it needs.

  • Briana Montes

    I grew up listening to Demi and it wasn’t till recently that I found out she had an addiction. It is so sad that she had to go through something like this. She has so many people to love and care for her and she still felt alone. Its sad also because of her father. I find it hard to believe that she was diagnosed with depression at the age of 5. I feel with more support, this issue will be solved and she will get better with time. Addiction is a very big issue in our world and is very saddening.

  • Azucena Cuevas

    I had heard about Demi Lovato’s drug addiction, but I never read much about it until now. I had no idea she had been diagnosed with depression at the age of five. I couldn’t imagine how terrible and impossible it is to deal with that at such a young age. It is tragic that she turned to heroine, but I cannot seem to understand why drugs are the solution for people. However, it is great to know she had such a strong fan base and her music to turn to.

  • Felipe Macias

    I don’t we should defend people who abuse drugs and blame their environment. In any case, the person chose to do any drugs or substance; no one was abused or forced into a drug habit. This feels more as a publicity stunt rather than a serious event, as heartless as it sounds. Maybe the rich are the helpless and not the other way around how we perceive it.

  • Amanda Uribe

    It is sad to hear about Demi’s backstory with her dad. I would have never known she was diagnosed with depression at the age of five. That is a very young age to deal with such harsh things. I am glad that she used music as an outlet. As a musician myself I understand how comforting music can be very helpful. I remember while growing up that Demi was in a ton of Disney shows and movies. I guess it is hard to understand what it is like to be so famous. Demi’s addiction is heartbreaking and I wish nothing but recovery and happiness for her.

  • Luis Arroyos

    As the article mentioned, addiction is a word that is usually loosely thrown around that we forget the severity of addiction. We forget how serious addiction can be, how it can literally devour someone. I never knew she started doing drugs at such a young age. Demi’s journey is even harder because she is in the spotlight, and there is a lot of negativity that comes with the fame. That’s tough for someone trying to recover, it just shows that encouragement goes a long way to assisting one’s health as well. I think it’s great that Disney has recognized this reoccurring issue with their stars and implemented a system to help with these issues. They could have easily ignored the issues. I really hope Demi is surrounded by positivity and achieves full recovery.

  • Maranda Avina

    Thank you for sharing on this topic, honestly, I feel a lot of things go unsaid and are just looked past. We should be aware of addiction because it is a growing problem and viewing someone such as Demi Lovato gets people to actually want to learn and hear about it because of the influencer she is. I have personal dealt with the struggle of addiction in my family, my father passed away from an addiction he had been struggling with. If only there was more concern and awareness I do believe there could’ve been a different outcome or different ways he could’ve dealt with what he had.

  • Addie Piatz

    I’ve heard Demi’s song sober before and honestly I thought it was more for her fans or for awareness. Realizing it was more of an awareness for herself broke my heart. Personally I think Demi is beautiful so hearing that she doesn’t think so is a tragedy. So many people love her and support her. I loved watching her on Disney and even though people say Disney wasn’t all good, I think with out it she would be in a very different place than she is today. Whether thats good or bad i think she has a huge support system and I hope she continues to get better.

  • Javier Camacho

    Growing up watching Disney Channel, I would always watch Camp Rock with my cousins and this article brought back some warmhearted memories. I remember scrolling through twitter and seeing the news about Demi’s relapse and being confused about what was going on because I never knew that she was ever involved with drugs in the past. This just goes to show that you never really know who is involved in what or what a person is really going through. Like the article said that not even her closest friends or family knew that she was going through what she was going through really helps illustrate how much pain she must have been in. I think it is important to be able to know friends and family well enough to be able to tell when they are hurting and it could possibly even help the person you love stray away from trying drugs as an outlet and eventually becoming addicted.

  • Nelly Perez

    I knew some people could be diagnosed with a disease at a young age, but I didn’t know she was diagnosed with depression at five years old. I watched her on Camp Rock and sometimes on Sonny With A Chance. She tried drugs at a typical age and it wasn’t healthy even though people thought that she was being an average teenager. Addiction is strong and other forces in life caused her to be addicted. There wasn’t much that I knew about her before now. I did hear the news of her going to the hospital last year except I didn’t know about her doing drugs because I thought she was innocent. Then again, not everyone’s perfect and she really strived to be perfect which led to all these factors.

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