“I had three strokes. I had a heart attack. My doctors said I had 5 to 10 more minutes,” pop star Demi Lovato revealed in the trailer of her new tell-all youtube documentary, Demi Lovato: Dancing With the Devil.
The documentary features personal accounts of Lovato and her friends and family, opening up about her 2018 overdose and the way in which it has affected her health and quality of life.
Speaking to reporters at the Television Critics Association panel, on Wednesday, 17 February, she said, "I was left with brain damage, and I still deal with the effects of that today. I don't drive a car, because I have blind spots on my vision."
“And I also for a long time had a really hard time reading. It was a big deal when I was able to read out of a book, which was like two months later because my vision was so blurry.”Demi Lovato
The former Disney star has in the past grappled with an eating disorder drug abuse, and self-harm for years, and has been vocal about her struggle, keeping her fans posted on her progress. She also suffers from bipolar disorder.
In a previous 2017 YouTube documentary, Simply Complicated,
Lovato spoke about years of substance abuse, eating disorders, and drinking, saying she first started using cocaine when she was 17.
Now 28 and recovering, Lovato feels like she’s in a place where she can put all her cards on the table, having grown out of the person she used to be.
“I dealt with a lot of the repercussions and I feel like they are still there to remind me of what could happen if I ever get into a dark place again.”Demi Lovato
"I'm grateful for those reminders, but I'm so grateful that I was someone that didn't have to do a lot of rehabbing. The rehabbing came on the emotional side," she added.
She also goes on to say that she ‘wouldn’t change a thing’ as everything that she’s been through has led her to learn important lessons. She also goes on to tell reported that talking about it is her way of holding herself responsible.
“I learned a lot from my past. I was sober for six years and I learned so much from that journey. That’s the main thing that I learned was coming forward and talking about my story held me accountable.”Demi Lovato
How Does Substance Abuse Affect Your Cardio Vascular System?
Hard drugs such as cocaine, heroin, and various forms of amphetamine, affect the central nervous system.
In addition to causing addiction, they can also cause drastic changes in body temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure. They can also disrupt the heart’s electric signals, as well as lead to the stiffening and thickening of arteries and blood vessels, all of which can lead to heart attacks.
The sudden increase in the blood pressure, can also cause a weakened blood vessel to burst and bleed, resulting in brain hemorrhage and even a stroke.
According to WebMD, nearly 60% of younger patients whose strokes were not caused by brain injuries had cocaine in their blood.
(If you or someone you know suffers from addiction, please contact the National toll-free drug-deaddiction helpline at 1800-11-003.)
(Written with inputs from People)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)