Famous Women in Recovery: Demi Lovato

via wifflegif.com

I find it so inspirational when I see famous people that are open about being in recovery and in the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous. I know some people who aren’t famous and don’t even like people to know they are recovering from drugs and alcohol! Demi Lovato is definitely someone I personally look up to for so openly sharing her journey into recovery with the world.

She first became famous on the Disney channel through her own show and a Disney movie. Now, she is becoming an icon for women and people in recovery everywhere. Not only is she an amazing singer and actress but she is only 21 years old! Lovato checked into rehab for drug addiction, bulimia, bipolar disorder and self-mutilation in October 2010 after suffering a series of breakdowns. She partied using cocaine and alcohol, started her bulimia at age 12 and near the end of her addiction struggles she was cutting. She was teased and made fun of for her weight and believed nobody liked her.

Her story sounds a lot like stories I’ve heard people share about in the meetings I go to. The only difference between her story and mine is that she went through all these difficulties in the spotlight of Hollywood. It was hard enough for me to be open with my addiction problems with my family, let alone telling the whole world about it. When she realized she had a problem, she put her acting career and singing career on hold to do what she needed to do to get sober.

She has since become very open about her struggles with addiction, bi-polar and self-mutilation. She has stated that she is very committed to staying on the right track. After completing a 3 month treatment program, she reportedly entered into a sober living house and stayed there through the duration of being a judge on the X-Factor. It was her choice to stay in the sober house because it was what she felt was best for her recovery. “It’s a daily thing; you don’t get time off from it. And if I feel like myself slipping back into old patterns, I have to ask others for help, which is hard for me to learn, because I really like doing everything on my own,” she told Cosmopolitan in May.

In October 2013, Lovato announced plans to release a book titled Staying Strong: 365 Days a Year on November 19, 2013 (today!). The book is about the past three years since her stay in rehab and how Lovato has become a strong, sober young woman. “One of the things that has helped me with recovery is taking one day at a time,” she said in a video announcement Monday. “I’m a firm believer in starting the day off the right way with inspirational quotes and sort of a morning meditation, so I’ve put together 365 of my favorite quotes and a morning meditation for everybody.”

Demi Lovato wears her recovery with pride, literally. She has even been spotted styling sober clothing lines clothes!  Lovato is a woman that we can all look up to for all she has overcome in her life. She has dealt with her addiction and recovery in way that can be respected and admired. If you or a loved one is struggling with substance abuse or addiction, please call toll free 1-888-672-4435.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demi_Lovato#2007.E2.80.9308:_Camp_Rock_and_Don.27t_Forget

http://radaronline.com/exclusives/2013/09/demi-lovato-recovery-memoir-excerpts/