After being hospitalized two weeks ago due to a very dangerous substance abuse relapse, Demi Lovato is now speaking out about what she is going through with her fans. And in true Demi fashion, she continues to be an open book.

The star wrote in a statement to her fans on Instagram, “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.”

Demi expressed to followers that without all the support she’s gotten these last two weeks, she wouldn’t be here today.

“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,” she continued. “I want to thank my family, my team, and the staff at Cedars-Sinai who have been by my side the entire time. Without them I wouldn’t be here writing this letter to all of you.”

 

 

“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,” Demi said. “I will keep fighting.”

The Disney Channel alum has struggled with additction for a number of years, and her 2017 documentary Simply Complicated is proof the star does not shy away from speaking out about her struggles in order to help others with theirs. In fact, Demi gave a tearful speech about why she choose to be this open with fans at a concert in March. At the time, it marked six years since she had been sober.

She said, “The reason why I became so open about my story is because I know that there are people here tonight that need to ask for help and I want them to know that it’s OK. Mental health is something that we all need to talk about and we need to take the stigma away from it. So let’s raise the awareness.”

And when Demi relapsed, she was open about that too. Why? Because the reality of additction is that it’s not always smooth sailing. And that’s important to know. So rather than keeping it to herself and just disclosing her situation to her close family members – which she is totally entitled to do, by the way – she decided to release “Sober,” a song that revealed to the world that she was still battling her addiction.

 

 

“Momma, I’m so sorry, I’m not sober anymore. Daddy, please forgive me for the spilled drinks on the floor. The ones who never left me, we’ve been down this road before. I’m so sorry, I’m not sober anymore,” she sings in the song.

We’re sending Demi all the love, as always – and we hope others in need can feel some strength in knowing they are not alone.

If you or someone you know needs help, please call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

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