The singer gets candid about what she's learned about herself in quarantine as she approaches two years since her overdose.
Demi Lovato isn't taking one day for granted.
The 27-year-old singer, who suffered a traumatic overdose that landed her in the hospital in 2018, exclaimed via Instagram on Tuesday that she is "grateful for every day I have on this earth."
"This year hasn't been easy for any of us," she said, seemingly referencing all the time we've spent at home due to the coronavirus pandemic and the continued fight for racial equality. "It's been a time to reflect, to heal, to grow, to educate, and to spread love."
The post also featured a series of pics from Lovato's new cover shoot for Bustle. In her accompanying interview with the online magazine, the Albuquerque, New Mexico, native opened up about everything from what she's learned about herself in quarantine to why she keeps her circle smaller these days.
"Before quarantine, it was very difficult for me to cry. I had programmed the thought into my head when I was 16 that I'm only going to cry if people pay me to," she admitted. "I started doing all this work, allowing myself to feel the pains of all the losses that I've had or the adversities or traumas that I've faced. I think my ability to be vulnerable and be more intimate with people has really heightened."
"It's very common for people to only really work on themselves when crisis happens or when they notice that they're slipping into old patterns or behaviors," she continued. “So to be able to walk into this experience without a personal crisis and just be like, 'I can do the work on myself now because I have the time,' it was a beautiful thing."
Lovato added that the people she surrounds herself now, like new boyfriend Max Ehrich, are those she feels "very connected with" and can trust.
"I can be totally vulnerable, transparent, and honest. And if I'm having a panic attack in the middle of a photo shoot or something that I can sit in the dressing room with whomever is there, and they can help me with it," she explained.
Earlier this year, Lovato made her highly anticipated return to the spotlight by performing her emotional hit, "Anyone," at the 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards in Los Angeles. Just one week later, she sang the national anthem at Super Bowl LIV inside the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. They were her first public events since completing treatment for substance abuse issues in November 2018.
"Demi will be releasing new music this year, and it will be extremely raw but very real," a source teased to ET at the time, prior to the pandemic. "The album will be like a rebirth for Demi."
"She's spent a lot of time in the studio last year writing and recording and is ready to share her journey with the world," the source added. "Demi is nervous to be sharing such intimate details, but also knows her story can save lives."
Hear more in the video below.
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