In Oct. 2010, fans were shocked to learn that Demi Lovato had abruptly left the "Jonas Brothers Live In Concert" tour, and in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, the now 21-year-old pop star said that people would likely be surprised to learn just how dark things had gotten for her years ago.
While it took several days for the news of her entering a treatment facility to come out, it was eventually revealed that Lovato had entered rehab to deal with some deeply-rooted issues, including an eating disorder, self-harm and drug and alcohol abuse, though Lovato did not expand upon the latter until much later. After punching one of her back-up dancers on tour, who was a good friend of Lovato's at the time, her parents and the Jonas Brothers management stepped in to get her help.
Since leaving the Timberline Knolls rehab facility in 2011, the star has been very open and forthcoming about her struggles with addiction and bipolar disorder, inspiring thousands of young men and women to seek help themselves for their own issues, and today, acts as a mental health spokesperson and activist.
At the time she entered treatment, Lovato was a Disney teen queen known for her work in the "Camp Rock" films and her show "Sonny With a Chance," her acting and music beloved by many who considered her a role model, which she has admitted was a label that she rejected from the get-go.
"I used to say that [I wasn't a role model]," Lovato told Entertainment Weekly. "That was my excuse to do whatever the f*** I wanted and not give a s*** about what other people thought. Then I ended up going through some stuff. I realized I'm never going to escape the fact that I'm in the public eye, so I might as well do the best I can."
While she's been exceedingly honest about her past so far, having gone into detail about her urges to self-mutilate her wrists, intense anxiety and manic behavior, there are still other problems that Lovato has not touched on in detail. Lovato's new book of inspirational quotes, "Staying Strong: 365 Days a Year" is set to hit stores Nov. 19, and rumor has it her new multi-book deal with Feiwel and Friends, an imprint of Macmillan, also includes a memoir.
"I'm battling with internal thoughts on how honest I should be," she said. "Yes, I've been very honest, but if people really knew how dark and deep my struggles got - not just with my eating disorder but with drugs and alcohol - they'd be really shocked. But I'll most likely end up saying everything. Maybe it'll help other people in the industry who are headed down the wrong path."
