Demi Lovato Recalls Addiction And Eating Disorder Battles: ‘I Was Going To Die Young’

Demi Lovato has opened up about her past struggles – in particular how she dealt with her addictions and having an eating disorder.

The singer, who entered into rehab at the age of 18, admitted that she didn’t even think that she would make it to the age of 21.

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Demi, now 23, recalled how she used to self-medicate with a dangerous concoction of alcohol, cocaine and OxyContin.

“I lived fast and I was going to die young,” the pop star told American Airlines’ inflight magazine American Way. “I didn’t think I would make it to 21.”

Lovato’s body image battle began at around toddler age, long before she was officially diagnosed with an eating disorder.

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Demi’s relationship with dad Patrick was strained, as he suffered his own battle with substance abuse and bipolar disorder; and her mother, Dianna Lee Hart – a former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader - had struggled with bulimia.

She explained: “Even though I was two or three years old, being around somebody who was 80 pounds and had an active eating disorder… it’s hard not to grow up like that.”

Demi began binge eating at the age of nine and later started binging and purging as she gained weight with age and compared herself to skinny models.

Speaking of competing in beauty pageants, the Confident singer added: “My body-image awareness started way before that. But I do attribute a little of my insecurities to being on stage and judged for my beauty.”

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In 2010, she checked into rehab for three months, where she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and also treated for bulimia.

“So now I’m in rehab, and I thought, ‘Oh great, now the world thinks I’m just another stereotype,’” she explained.

“I thought, ‘I’m not in treatment for a drug or alcohol problem.’ But once I started eating again, the other issues got worse. It was like a whack-a-mole.”

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Demi decided to check herself into a sober house for a year, where she was finally able to combat her addictions.

She had her last drink in 2012 and, since then, has become a mental health advocate as one of the most outspoken celebrities about her experiences.

“I didn’t go into treatment thinking, ‘OK, now I’m going to be an inspiration.’ At times I was resentful for having that kind of responsibility, but now, it’s really become a part of my life. It holds me accountable,” she revealed.

Similarly to other people that have suffered addiction in the past, Demi continues to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, and celebrated her fourth year of sobriety this past March.