Demi Lovato Opens Up About Discovering ‘Hope’ After Five In-Patient Mental Health Treatments: ‘I Felt Defeated’
“I think the glimmer of hope was when I started putting in the work,” Demi Lovato remarked at the Center For Youth Mental Health’s annual benefit, explaining that she rediscovered her “light” by focusing on self-improvement.
During a conversation with Dr. Charlie Shaffer, Anna Wintour‘s son, on Monday night at The Center For Youth Mental Health at NewYork-Presbyterian’s annual benefit, the 31-year-old singer openly discussed how her relationship with herself has changed after undergoing five in-patient mental health treatments.
“I’ve been to in-patient treatment five times, and each time I went back, I felt defeated,” Lovato shared at the event hosted by Wintour, Tory Burch, Dr. Steven J. Corwin, and Dr. Zandy Forbes.
“I know that feeling well, but hope appeared when I began to do the work—whether through a program, talking with my treatment team, or building relationships there,” she said. “Hope began to surface when I started to find joy in the little things in life, something that was previously foreign to me because I was so accustomed to not seeing hope.”
Lovato noted that her fifth in-patient treatment felt distinctly different.
“It felt like I had hit rock bottom, and I knew I needed to embrace a life of recovery, something I had resisted for so long,” she admitted. “The right medication was also crucial for me, as it has helped me immensely, just as it has helped many others. I hit another low and wondered what I was doing wrong. I felt defeated, but once all the key pieces fell into place like a perfect puzzle, I began to find the light again.”
Lovato highlighted that treatment helped her understand that her mental health struggles do not define her identity.
“It wasn’t until I went into treatment for the first time that I realized this isn’t who I am. It’s just a part of what makes me me. My struggles have shaped me but don’t define me,” she explained, expressing gratitude for what she has been through and overcome.
