On July 24, 2018, pop singer Demi Lovato suffered an overdose. Demi Lovato’s struggle with addiction shows addiction can happen to anyone. It has been reported that when emergency services arrived at Lovato’s home, she had to be revived by Narcan. Narcan is a drug, also known as naloxone, that helps in cases of overdose.
Demi Lovato’s addiction issues have not been publicly shared in full detail, but she has admitted to using cocaine, marijuana, and Adderall in the past. After her overdose, she stayed in the hospital for 12 days; it came to light she may have overdosed on heroin. After this relapse, Lovato decided to enter inpatient rehab.
Demi Lovato Addiction Takeaways
Addiction can happen to anyone. It is essential to seek help if you or a loved one are suffering from an addiction.
The Symptoms Shown in the Demi Lovato Addiction Situation
Unfortunately, relapse is a normal part of recovery. If you are familiar with the signs of addiction, such as those that occurred in Demi Lovato’s case, you may recognize a relapse and prevent a potential overdose.
Signs of relapse include:
- Anger
- Mood swings
- Anxiety
- Odd eating and sleeping habits
- Lying
- Stealing
- Failing to attend support groups
- Return of withdrawal symptoms
The brain’s chemistry is changed by addiction. This means that, eventually, you or your loved one’s cravings may make you lose control of your behavior. It is vital you do not allow your addiction treatment to end once your initial program concludes. If you also have a co-occurring mental issue, like Demi Lovato may have experienced, regular therapy can help to maintain sobriety.
Why Does Relapse Occur?
There are a few main reasons a relapse, like the one that happened in Demi Lovato’s case, may occur. Relapses can be brought on by withdrawal symptoms, such as anxiety, nausea, or physical weakness. These symptoms make the drug user seek the comforts of drug use. They can also be brought on by poor self-care, bad stress management, or sleeping habits.
In addition, if you see old friends who still use drugs and alcohol or hang around places where you used or procured drugs before, you may be tempted to relapse.
Stressful relationships, isolation, or thinking you do not have a drug problem can also push you to use again. One of the most critical aspects of recovery is to learn how to prevent relapse.
How to Prevent Relapse
Avoiding triggers is an effective way to prevent relapse.
There are also other methods you can use to deal with cravings, such as:
- Think about how you would control yourself if you could. Think about using drugs in your head.
- Tell someone you have the urge to use. Call a friend, a family member, or someone else who is in recovery, such as a sponsor. This allows you to talk about how you’re feeling to help your urges lessen or go away.
- Distract yourself. If you begin thinking about using drugs, start doing something else. Call a friend or go to a support meeting, such as Narcotic Anonymous (NA) or Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).
- Wait for 30 minutes. By the time 30 minutes is over, you may feel better and no longer want to use drugs.
- Take it one day at a time. Do not think about being sober forever. Instead, stay in the moment and think about how you are doing great today.
- Make relaxation part of your recovery daily. When you are tense and stressed, it is easier to repeat negative mistakes.
Demi Lovato Addiction Treatment and Mental Illness
Demi Lovato is a Disney channel alumni and has been in the entertainment industry for almost two decades. Although she has long advocated for mental health awareness, she has battles of her own as well. She has admitted that she suffers from addiction issues, mental health disorders, and eating disorders.
Having a co-occurring disorder means you have another diagnosed disorder at the same time as your substance use disorder. This is known as a dual diagnosis. If you are suffering from anxiety or depression at the same time as a substance use disorder, you are not alone.
Demi Lovato Addiction Treatment
There are various forms of addiction treatment. Two common forms are inpatient rehab and outpatient rehab. Inpatient treatment requires you to stay at a rehab facility for a duration of time depending on your specific needs and level of addiction. You will have your meals there and be treated with around-the-clock care. Outpatient treatment consists of sleeping at your home and traveling each day or three times per week to a treatment facility for an average of three to five hours per session.
Within inpatient and outpatient treatment, there are six well-known forms of treatment, including:
Detoxification:
A medically-assisted detox allows you to get rid of the substances in your body. This is typically a necessary step when it comes to various drug and alcohol addictions. The importance of detox is to ease the withdrawal symptoms when coming off of a substance you’ve been using for some time.
Withdrawal symptoms can be life-threatening, which is why it’s vital to detox in a safe environment that is monitored by physicians.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a great resource that helps you understand how and why you developed an addiction. It also helps you understand unhealthy behavioral patterns, identifies your triggers, and learn positive coping skills.
Contingency Management:
Typically used as a method to treat addiction, Contingency Management is a strategy where small rewards, such as cash or prizes, are used to reinforce positive behavior. In treatment, you are rewarded for sobriety.
12-Step Programs:
12-Step programs are a form of group therapy that helps you understand the consequences of addiction. The first part of this therapy is acceptance. After acceptance, these programs move through various stages, including surrendering oneself to a higher power. This therapy involves attending group meetings. Narcotics Anonymous (NA) or Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) are beneficial options for 12-Step meetings.
Medication-Assisted Treatment:
Although it may seem strange, medication-assisted treatment can play a crucial role in recovery when combined with proper behavioral therapies. Some medications help to reduce cravings, improve moods, and decrease addictive behaviors.
Get Help for Your Addiction Today
If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, you do not need to fight this battle on your own.
There are many treatment programs available to help you overcome your addiction.
Contact BriteLife Recovery to learn about our free insurance verification for treatment.
We can help you beat your addiction today.