Demi Lovato on July 14, 2023.Photo:Santiago Felipe/Getty
Santiago Felipe/Getty
Demi Lovatois opening up about the lasting effects ofher 2018 overdose, which left her with brain damage and impairment to her vision and hearing.
The “Wouldn’t Change a Thing” singer, 30 spoke candidly about her health challenges on SiriusXM’sAndy Cohen LiveWednesday.
“Well, I wouldn’t change my path because I don’t have any regrets,” they shared. “The closest thing that I get to a regret is when I overdosed and I wish somebody had told me, one, that I was beautiful, because I didn’t believe it. And two, I wish that someone would’ve told me that if you just sit with the pain, it passes.”
Demi Lovato on July 14, 2023.Santiago Felipe/Getty
“I have vision impairment and hearing impairment to this day,” Lovato told hostAndy Cohen, noting that she doesn’t drive due to her disabilities.
“It’s a daily constant reminder," they continued. “Anytime I look at something — like, I have blind spots in my vision when I look at your face. And so it’s a constant reminder to stay on the right path, because I never want that to happen again.”
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Demi Lovato and Andy Cohen on July 14, 2023.Santiago Felipe/Getty
Lovato previously spoke with PEOPLE about her near-fatal drug overdose while debuting the trailer for herDemi Lovato: Dancing with the Devildocuseries.
“Everything had to happen in order for me to learn the lessons that I learned,” said the “Cool for the Summer” hitmaker. “It was a painful journey, and I look back and sometimes I get sad when I think of the pain that I had to endure to overcome what I have, but I don’t regret anything.”
Demi Lovato on July 14, 2023.Santiago Felipe/Getty Images
Santiago Felipe/Getty Images
With her overdose and road to sobriety, the singer said she wanted to “set the record straight” about her life.
“I wanted to reveal it all for my fans and say this is who I am and this is where I’m at today and this is the journey that got me here, and if it helps you, then I hope that it can because that was ultimately my purpose in putting this out,” they told reporters.
“I was left with brain damage, and I still deal with the effects of that today. I don’t drive a car, because I have blind spots on my vision,” Lovato said. “And I also for a long time had a really hard time reading. It was a big deal when I was able to read out of a book, which was like two months later because my vision was so blurry.”
She went on to explain, “I dealt with a lot of the repercussions and I feel like they are still there to remind me of what could happen if Iever get into a dark placeagain.”
“I’m grateful for those reminders, but I’m so grateful that I was someone that didn’t have to do a lot of rehabbing. The rehabbing came on the emotional side,” Lovato continued.
She added, “I’m so grateful that I was able to have the opportunity to share my story through this documentary, but I’m even more grateful to be able to have done it with a friend who also just happens to be so talented.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, please contact the SAMHSA substance abuse helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
source: people.com
