By Britt LeBoeuf of These Boys of Mine
While everyone else was talking about the nail biting football game and the brilliant halftime show that JLo and Shakira put on (me too), I was in awe of this beautiful soul…
Demi Lovato.
Not only did she give a spine-tingling, bring-a-tear-to-your-eyes performance of our National Anthem, but if you knew her story, then you know it is a pure miracle that this young woman was even able to sing last night.
In case you don’t know, Demi has been open about her struggles with her mental health from the time she was a teenager. At the age of 18, the former Disney darling first opened up about her experiences with depression, self-harming behavior, drug and alcohol addiction, bipolar disorder and bulimia. At the time, no other celebrity her age was talking about that stuff.
Demi has been vocal about her fight to stay sober and stay alive in articles she wrote for Seventeen magazine and in several documentaries and interviews.
Her raw, unabashed honesty has always astonished me for a woman of only 27.
This beautiful, talented young woman, who has had major roles in both television and movies and has also produced multi-platinum records, used her platform to admit that she was struggling.
While other celebrities use their fame to spew their opinions on politics or ways that the average American can make the world a better place (from their golden pedestal), Demi has used hers to open up the conversation about the importance of mental health advocacy.
Her songs, “Skyscraper” and “Anyone” capture the utterly terrible emotions and state of mind of those who battle mental health problems and drug or alcohol recovery every day. I come back to these songs often, especially this time of year when the winter months dig their claws into my brain and my antidepressants just can’t seem to keep up.
For people like me who struggle with both depression and anxiety, this young woman is a true hero. I say this both as a fan and as a person 7 years her senior.
Demi overdosed on oxycodone laced with fentanyl on July 24th, 2018. She was able to be revived and started her battle for sobriety all over again after nearly six years of being clean.
She fought her ass off to come back.
She continues to talk about her struggles.
She is still here and still sharing her story with us.
She still has her voice (and how beautiful it is).
She still has her life.
She is a fighter and an inspiration.
Demi, I hope you know how much you are loved. I hope you know how much we are all rooting for you, and though I’m old enough to be your big sister, I am in awe of you. You made not only our country proud last night, but also everyone who fights a secret battle EVERY SINGLE DAY.
We are many and we see you.
#mentalhealthawareness #demilovato #superbowl #nationalanthem #america #bipolar #depression #sadd #anxiety #bulimia #drugaddiction #alcoholism #suicideawareness #iam1in5
This post was originally published on Facebook / These Boys of Mine.
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About the Author
Britt is a married mother of two from upstate NY. Her background is in human services, but nowadays she spends her days wiping butts and answering hundreds of questions from her kids instead. You can read more of her stuff on her blog theseboysofmine.com or www.facebook.com/theseboysofminebybrittleboeuf.