Demi Lovato says eating disorder relapse led to near-fatal drug overdose

In 2018, Demi Lovato almost died after being found unconscious in her Hollywood home. Now she’s revealed what led to her downward spiral.

Demi Lovato didn’t realise her recovery from an eating disorder was actually a relapse, and that led to her downward spiral and near-fatal overdose in 2018.

“I’m tired of running myself into the ground with workouts and extreme dieting,” she said on Ashley Graham’s Pretty Big Deal podcast.

“I thought the past few years was recovery from an eating disorder, when it actually was just completely falling into it. And I just realised that, like, maybe my symptoms weren’t as obvious as before, but it was definitely an eating issue.”

The star almost died in 2018. Picture: Andreas Rentz/Getty Images for MTV

Lovato, who suffered a near-fatal overdose in July 2018, said her toxic environment and eating issues led to her drug relapse.

“I think when you have certain people around you that are telling you certain things, that you should look a certain way, it makes it harder,” Lovato, 27, said.

“I was in that situation, and I was just running myself into the ground. And I honestly think that’s kind of what led to everything happening over the past year. (It) was just, like, me thinking I found recovery when I didn’t, and then living this kind of lie and trying to tell the world I was happy with myself when I really wasn’t.”

She’s been open about her struggles with substance abuse. Picture: C Flanigan/Getty Images

The Anyone singer has been open about her struggles with alcohol, cocaine and OxyContin in addition to bulimia. Following her overdose, the former Disney Channel starlet spent two weeks in hospital before entering a long-term treatment centre.

She launched her comeback with a live performance at the 2020 Grammys and followed it up with the national anthem at the Super Bowl.

This article originally appeared in the NY Post and was reproduced with permission