Demi Lovato Trades in Seat at Met Gala for One in AA Meeting

It’s no secret that Demi Lovato is in recovery for her co-occurring disorders – addiction, bulimia, bipolar disorder, and self-harm issues. She has been on the right path with her sobriety and keeping her other mental health disorders in check for over five years. What we didn’t know about was her mysterious disappearance from the 2016 Met Gala, the annual benefit for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York where everybody who’s anybody is in attendance, showing off their most dramatic red carpet looks.

The Real Scoop

Tensions can be high at events like the Met Gala due to the many larger-than-life personalities gathered in one place. Many rumors had been circulating that Demi had left the fundraising event due to a confrontation with famous singer and rap artist Nicki Minaj, but no one had known where Demi had gone. Gossip blogs ate that news up, blew the entire thing out of proportion, and began to take sides. Although that altercation did contribute to her reason for leaving, she told the real story to Billboard Magazine recently, nearly two years after that night. “I had a terrible experience,” she said, “This one celebrity was a complete bitch to me and was miserable to be around. It was very cliquey.”

When Using and Drinking are No Longer Options

Recovering from co-occurring diseases is an accomplishment in and of itself and a major commitment that requires daily maintenance, such as therapy sessions, psychiatric visits, and mutual support group meetings. Desiring to use when things begin to get tough or symptoms of our disorders that we have no control over begin to flare up again is frightening but very common. Demi felt this way that night, telling Billboard, “I remember being so uncomfortable that I wanted to drink.”

Demi Lovato went to treatment over five years ago, is still in recovery, taking care of her co-occurring disorders, and knows how to utilize her metaphorical tool box. She shot a text over to her manager letting her know that she needed to get to a meeting ASAP tkhen left. She commented about her exit, “I changed my clothes, but I still had my diamonds on – millions of dollars of diamonds on in an AA meeting. And I related more to the homeless people in that meeting who struggled with the same struggles that I deal with than the people at the Met Gala . . .”

Staying Committed to Her Recovery

Demi Lovato uses her celebrity status to help others struggling with co-occurring diseases but also uses it to keep herself sober. She commented in the interview about honesty with her struggles and how it, “holds me accountable. When I started talking about my sobriety – I can never be seen at a club getting wasted. If I relapse, it shows my fans it’s okay to relapse. And I can’t do that!” She continues to be a power of example for anyone seeking recovery. Suffering from co-occurring disorders can feel like an endless cycle of pain and using, but if you take that first step like Demi did, anything is possible and you can overcome substance abuse.

“Now I’m a warrior, now I’ve got thicker skin, I’m a warrior, I’m stronger than I’ve ever been.” -Demi Lovato, Warrior.