Following her suspected drug overdose which landed her in he hospital, pop singer Demi Lovato has issued out her first statement. She spoke out on Sunday about her battle with addiction, saying she needed “time to heal and focus on my sobriety”.
She took to her instagram and posted: “I have always been transparent about my journey with addiction.
“What I’ve learned is that this illness is not something that disappears or fades with time. It is something I must continue to overcome and have not done yet.”
In her statement, Lovato thanked her family, team and medic at Cedars-Sinai hospital, Los Angeles, saying “without them I wouldn’t be here writing this letter to all of you.”
Lovato who has previously spoken about her struggle with addiction, bipolar and eating disorders, also thanked her fans, saying their thoughts and prayers had helped her.
“I want to thank God for keeping me alive and well. To my fans, I am forever grateful for all your love and support.
“I now need time to heal and focus on my sobriety and road to recovery,” she said. “The love you have all shown me will never be forgotten and I look forward to the day where I can say I came out on the other side. I will keep fighting.”
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Some of her fans said the Lovato’s battles – often documented in her music – have helped them with their own struggles.
After reports emerged that Lovato had been taken to hospital, the hashtag PrayForDemi started trending on Twitter which gained support of colleagues like Ariana Grande, Cardi B and Nick Jonas.
Lovato was raised in Dallas, Texas. She first came to limelight on the children’s TV series Barney & Friends. She then appeared alongside the Jonas Brothers in the 2008 Disney Channel movie Camp Rock.
Her first album, Don’t Forget was released in 2008. In a YouTube documentary, Simply Complicated, released last October, Lovato revealed her drug use began when she first tried cocaine at the age of 17. She entered rehab at the age of 18 and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.