Demi Lovato breaks her silence after overdose: "I need time to heal"
Not long ago reports had surfaced about pop star Demi Lovato's sudden hospitalization following a suspected drug overdose on July 24. Almost two weeks later now, the singer herself has opened up, speaking out for the first time about her struggles and vowing to keep "fighting" in a heartfelt Instagram post. “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,” the 25-year-old songstress shared via her social media post on late Sunday.
Expressing her gratitude to her fans, who have been more than vocal during this period of recovery, Lovato continued: "I want to thank God for keeping me alive and well. To my fans, I am forever grateful for all of your love and support throughout this past week and beyond. Your positive thoughts and prayers have helped me navigate through this difficult time."
Demi Lovato was found unconscious at her Hollywood Hills residence earlier, following which the singer was said to have been rushed to the Cedars-Sinai hospital. Later that evening, her publicist addressed the situation in a statement, explaining that the Stone Cold hitmaker “is awake and with her family who want to express thanks to everyone for the love, prayers and support.”
Addressing the incident, however, in her post, Lovato ensured to thank the "staff at Cedars-Sinai who have been by my side this entire time." She added, "Without them I wouldn’t be here writing this letter to all of you." Moving ahead though, the singer, who has been quite vocal about her struggles with sobriety, shared a positive stance stressing on her efforts at recovery.
“I now need time to heal and focus on my sobriety and road to recovery. 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,” she wrote adding, "I will keep fighting."
Her post has met with an outpouring of love and support from her loyal fans and followers on social media. "We're all glad you still with us and we're all praying for your recovery and healing," wrote one user. As a second chimed in, writing, "You are a warrior! You got this!! Prayers for you always!"
"It takes a strong, courageous person to admit that it’s a work in progress. Keep those that love you, that really love you close. You’ve got this," added another.
In days since Lovato's hospitalization, harrowing details of her overdose had come to light with a TMZ report even describing how the singer was found unresponsive by her assistant. As per an insider's recollection, there was blood and vomit everywhere, which led to her assistant fearing the worst as she screamed out "She’s dead! She’s dead!” while Lovato's bodyguard arrived at the situation.
Multiple reports have suspected that it might have been a case of unspecified opioid overdose, because the paramedics, who responded to the scene, reportedly administering naloxone - a drug used to counteract an opioid overdose.