PHNOM PENH, May 6, 2015 (Xinhua) -- American pop star Demi Lovato performs in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on May 5, 2015. Demi Lovato performed at the Diamond Island complex in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh for the first time Tuesday night, drawing thousands of her fans. (Xinhua/Phearum/IANS)
Los Angeles, June 27 (IANS) Singer Demi Lovato has opened up about her struggle with drugs and alcohol addiction as well as her bipolar and eating disorders.
In an interview for the July edition of American Way magazine, the "Heart Attack" singer also opened up about how she used to self-medicate with alcohol, cocaine and OxyContin (a synthetic analgesic drug which is similar to morphine in its effects), reports aceshowbiz.com.
Lovato recalled a moment when she didn't think she would make it to her 21st birthday.
"I lived fast and I was going to die young. I didn't think I would make it to 21," Lovato revealed.
The 23-year-old star checked into rehab for three months in 2011 and she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
She was afraid that she would be over-exposed by the media.
"So now I'm in rehab. And I thought, 'Oh great, now the world thinks I'm just another stereotype.' I thought, 'I'm not in treatment for a drug and alcohol problem. But once I started eating again, the other issues got worse. It was like whack-a-mole'," Lovato said.
She also spoke about her eating disorder, which began when she was a child.
Her mother and her grandmother had both struggled with bulimia, an eating disorder usually characterised by periods of binging or excessive overeating.
"Even though I was 2 or 3 years old. Being around somebody who was 80 pounds and had an active eating disorder...it's hard not to grow up like that," Lovato said.
