Demi Lovato Shares Major Update About Their Sobriety

Demi Lovato is taking a new approach to sobriety. Lovato, who uses they/them pronouns, suffered a nearly fatal drug overdose in 2018. The harrowing incident caused Lovato to have three strokes and a heart attack; it also left them with brain damage and partial blindness, as they revealed in their "Dancing With The Devil" YouTube documentary (per BuzzFeed). Though Lovato has long been open about their drug addiction — and recognized they nearly died from the 2018 overdose — the "Anyone" singer felt it was best for them to live a "California sober" lifestyle. In other words, Lovato decided to drink alcohol and smoke marijuana in moderation after their overdose, a choice that many — including their fellow celebrities — didn't agree with.

"It's not saying that this works for everybody," Lovato explained of their controversial approach to recovery on The "Zach Sang Show." "It's saying that that other solution isn't a one-size-fits-all solution and there's options." They added, "It's just about identifying what works best for you and going forward with that."

Although the performer stood by their personal decision for months, and even posted videos of themself smoking weed on 4/20, Lovato is now taking a different stance on their sobriety.

In an Instagram story slide shared on December 2, Demi Lovato announced a big change in the way they handle their sobriety. "I no longer support my 'California sober' ways," the singer wrote. They further captioned the slide with a strong message about abstaining from substances entirely: "Sober sober is the only way to be."

Lovato, who has struggled with substance abuse issues since their youth, said the intense control of complete sobriety for years pushed them to lose control ahead of their 2018 overdose. "Anytime that you suppress a part of yourself, it's gonna, like, overflow at some point," they explained, per In Touch. "That's ultimately what happened to me, in a lot of areas of my life."

Lovato has been open about the self-reflective work they have done on their recovery journey in recent years. Lovato, who identifies as non-binary, explained how not coming to terms with their gender identity led to their overdose. On their podcast, "4D with Demi Lovato," the "Sorry Not Sorry" singer explained, "I was suppressing who I really am in order to please stylists or team members or this or that," they said. "Or even fans that wanted me to be the sexy, feminine pop star." Lovato continued, "I thought that was what I was supposed to be and now I just realize that it's so much more important to live your truth than to ever suppress yourself because that [the overdose] is the type of stuff that happens when you do."

If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).