Demi Lovato explains why she turned to drug use and self-harm

Demi Lovato is offering a different perspective on drug use and self-harm.

E! News reports that during an upcoming appearance on Diane Guerrero’s podcast Yeah No, I’m Not OK, the singer dispels the misconception that “if people are using drugs or if they are dealing with an eating disorder or self-harm that they want to die.”

For her, she says, these things were a “destructive coping mechanism” and at times an alternative to her suicidal thoughts.

“In the same way it almost killed me, it saved my life at times, because there were times that I dealt with suicidal ideations,” Demi explains.  “I turned to those coping mechanisms because I genuinely was in so much pain that I didn’t want to die and I didn’t know what else to do.”

Demi, who survived a near fatal overdose in 2018, says she’s now found healthier ways to deal so she doesn’t resort to those behaviors again.

The 28-year-old will open up even more about her overdose and recovery in the upcoming YouTube documentary Dancing with the Devil, which debuts on March 23.

If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide, or worried about a friend or loved one, help is available. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 [TALK] for free confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Even if it feels like it, you are not alone.