Demi Lovato says she suffered a heart attack, strokes and brain damage from an overdose

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Demi Lovato’s drug overdose in 2018 resulted in the singer having three strokes and a heart attack, leaving her with physical limitations that still affect her.

Lovato publicly reveals details of the near-fatal incident for the first time in “Demi Lovato: Dancing With the Devil,” a four-part docuseries debuting on YouTube Originals March 23. In the trailer, Lovato says doctors told her family she had five to 10 minutes to live.

“I had brain damage and I am still dealing with the consequences,” she said in a video call on Wednesday. “I don’t drive because I have blind spots in my sight. For a long time I had a lot of trouble reading. It was a big deal when I could read a book, which was about two months later, because my vision was so blurry. “

Lovato said the lasting effects are “still there to remind me what could happen if I ever end up in a dark place again.”

The 28-year-old singer, who wore pink hair on the phone, has been working since she was ten, when she appeared on the TV series “Barney & Friends”. She first entered rehab at the age of 18, after struggling with bipolar disorder, anorexia, and bullying.

Lovato has shared her personal struggles before, in a 2012 MTV documentary and in a 2017 YouTube document in which she said she was still dealing with alcohol and cocaine addictions after further rehab. She said speaking publicly about those programs gave her the accountability that kept her sober for six years until her relapse in 2018.

“My goal in getting this out is to help people who have been on the same path as I have,” she said. “I wanted to make things right, and I wanted to reveal it all to my fans.”

Lovato’s family, as well as Elton John and Christina Aguilera, are among those interviewed in the documentary that was filmed over a year. In the third segment, Lovato discusses trauma from her life.

Lovato has no relationship with artists who claim to be most creative when they are in a dark place or are on drugs. “I feel like the best work I do is when I am present and when I am aware of what is happening in my life,” she said. Then the truth just flows out of me. As long as I keep telling my truth, I’m going to make music that resonates with people. “

Lovato launched her singing career at the Grammy Awards last year, singing the national anthem at the 2020 Super Bowl before the coronavirus pandemic hit. Last month, Lovato sang on a TV special to mark President Joe Biden’s inauguration.

Despite her near death experience, Lovato wouldn’t change what had happened to her. “Everything had to be done to learn the lessons I had learned,” she said. “I look back and sometimes I get sad when I think about the pain I went through to overcome what I have. I am so proud of the person I am today. One of the main reasons I come forward is that I never have to live that life again. “

If you or someone you know needs assistance, please call 1-800-273-8255 for it National suicide prevention lifeline. You can also text HOME for free to 741-741, 24-hour support from the Crisis Text Line. Outside the US please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention for a database of resources.