Demi Lovato opened up about what she went through this last year and admit’s she’s “been through a lot” in her first interview since her apparent overdose.
“I think it’s been a very introspective year for me,” the 27-year-old singer shared during the 2019 Teen Vogue Summit in a piece published Sunday. (SLIDESHOW: These Are The Greatest Demi Lovato Photos On The Internet)
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“I’ve learned a lot, been through a lot,” she added, while explaining a lot of this was learning to accept her body as is. (RELATED: Demi Lovato Rushed To The Hospital For Possible Heroin Overdose)
“We hear the term body positivity all the time,” the “Sober” singer shared. “To be honest, I don’t always feel positive about my body. Sometimes I do not like what I see. I don’t sit there and dwell on it. I also don’t lie to myself.”
Lovato continued, “I used to look in the mirror if I was having a bad body image day and say ‘I love my body, you’re beautifully and wonderfully made.’ But I didn’t believe it.”
“I don’t have to lie to myself and tell myself I have an amazing body,” the “Sorry Not Sorry” hitmaker went on. “All I have to say is ‘I’m healthy.’ In that statement, I express gratitude. I am grateful for my strength and things I can do with my body. I am saying I’m healthy and I accept the way my body is today without changing anything.”
At one point, the “Camp Rock” star talked about her long struggle with an eating disorder and how she believed when she wasn’t embracing her “natural body” was what led her down a “darker path.”
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“For so many years I dealt with an eating disorder,” Lovato shared. “What I wasn’t ever open with myself about was, whenever I was in the gym I was doing it to an unhealthy extreme. I think that’s what led me down a darker path — I was still engaging in these behaviors. Embracing my body as it is naturally is why I took the month of October off the gym.”
“Over the past five years I’ve learned life is not worth living unless you’re living for yourself,” she added. “If you’re trying to be someone you’re not, or you’re trying to please other people, it’s not going to work out in the long run. If you want to dye your hair purple, dye your hair purple. If you want to love someone of the same sex, love someone of the same sex. Be yourself and don’t be afraid of what people think.”
As previously reported, the pop star had to be hospitalized for two weeks last July after she nearly died from a drug overdose. She then went straight to a rehab facility. Most recently, reports have surfaced that she is doing extremely well and committed to her sobriety.