Demi Lovato Opens Up About Her Suicidal Thoughts

Demi Lovato appears on Dr. Phil today, opening up about her experiences with suicidal thoughts and addiction in her youthbut her afflictions began much earlier than you might think.

“The very first time I was suicidal was when I was seven. I had this fascination with death,” the 25-year old singer says. “I have experienced things that I have not talked about, and I don’t know if I ever will talk about. But at seven, I knew that if I were to take my own life, that the pain would end.”

Lovato released a revealing documentary Simply Complicated in October of last year in which she divulged on her struggle with addiction, depression, and mental illness, as well as coming out as bisexual. She has been a strong voice in advocating for mental health reform, even meeting with legislators on Capitol Hill to discuss such in 2015.

In today’s illuminating interview, Lovato tells Dr. Phil, “It came back several times when I was struggling with depression, my bipolar disorder. And there was a while there when my mom was afraid to wake me up in the mornings because she didn’t know if she opened the door if I would be alive or not.”

She continues, “Because every time I cut, it got deeper and deeper.”

The singer also opened up about her battle with an eating disorder and how addiction played into it.

“I think the everlasting addiction in my life has been food. My eating disorder started when I was very young. That’s something that I deal with on a daily basis. It’s kind of the last thing to go,” she says. “I feel like I’ve conquered my addiction and alcoholism, where I don’t even think about it anymore. But my struggles with my food issues are something that I still deal with. But I’m growing, and I’m in a really good place today.”

Studies have shown that bisexual people are at a higher risk of experiencing mental health issues, with approximately 40 percent of bisexual people having considered suicide and almost double the rate of depression and binge drinking as heterosexual adults.

Check your local listings to catch Demi’s full interview on Dr. Phil.