The singer says she had people around her telling her she had to look a certain way, which made things worse.
\"I honestly think that's kind of what led to everything happening over the past year was just me thinking I found recovery when I didn't, and then living this kind of lie and trying to tell the world I was happy with myself when I really wasn't,\" she says. \"I had to work my ass off every day in the gym six days a week to maintain that figure and that led me only one way and I don't want to go down that path again. I'm not willing to destroy my mental health to look a certain way anymore.\"
Lovato, 27, was hospitalized about a year and a half ago due to a suspected drug overdose, and after taking time off to heal, she's making new music again. The \"Confident\" singer told Graham that one song she worked on recently is an anthem about body positivity, which sets the tone for the next chapter in her career.
\"I've always done the sexy route,\" she said. \"I've never really done the whole comfortable in yourself [thing].\"
Graham gushed over Lovato's candidness in an Instagram post Tuesday, writing, \"I am so proud to call @ddlovato a friend and I’m in awe of her strength and openness on today’s episode of @prettybigdealpod.\"
She added, \"Her faith, wisdom, and new found awareness has gotten her to a place where she’s comfortable enough to set boundaries or take a pause to heal; which is something we can all learn from. I’m so excited for this next chapter of her career, it’s going to be the best yet because she finally gets to be true to herself.\"
","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/GMA/Culture/demi-lovato-unresolved-eating-disorder-led-2018-relapse/story?id=69054179","legacySlug":"/culture/story/demi-lovato-unresolved-eating-disorder-led-2018-relapse-69054179","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"21:45","publishDate":"02-18-2020","updatedTime":"21:48","updatedDate":"02-18-2020","socialImage":{"alt":"Recording artist Demi Lovato attends the 2018 Billboard Music Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 20, 2018 in Las Vegas.","credit":"Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic/Getty Images, FILE","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/demi-lovato-gty-ml-191010_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"2/18/2020 21:45:16 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":69054179,"headline":"Demi Lovato says an eating disorder led to relapse","mediaAssetTitle":"DEMI_LOVATO_ASHLEY_GRAHAM_200218","description":"\"I'm not willing to destroy my mental health to look a certain way,\" she said.","duration":"1:05","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2019/09/190906_gma_pop_pod2_0812_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["65638323","65427920","66732003"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"story","date":"September 16, 2019","headline":"Demi Lovato posts another untouched bikini pic: 'No photoshop,' please","section":"culture","slug":"/culture/story/demi-lovato-posts-untouched-bikini-pic-photoshop-65638323","id":65638323,"image":{"alt":"Demi Lovato posts another untouched bikini pic: 'No photoshop,' please","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/demi-lovato-gty-ml-190906_hpMain_4x3t_240.jpg","credit":"Pedro Fiza/NurPhoto via Getty Images, FILE","ratio":"1x1"}},{"contentType":"story","date":"September 6, 2019","headline":"Demi Lovato posts unedited bikini photo: 'Sooooo tired of being ashamed of my body'","section":"culture","slug":"/culture/story/demi-lovato-posts-unedited-bikini-photo-sooooo-tired-65427920","id":65427920,"image":{"alt":"Demi Lovato posts unedited bikini photo: 'Sooooo tired of being ashamed of my body'","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/demi-lovato-gty-ml-190906_hpMain_4x3t_240.jpg","credit":"Pedro Fiza/NurPhoto via Getty Images, FILE","ratio":"1x1"}},{"contentType":"story","date":"November 4, 2019","headline":"Demi Lovato: 'I've been through a lot and I genuinely see a fighter'","section":"culture","slug":"/culture/story/demi-lovato-opens-body-acceptance-1st-interview-drug-66732003","id":66732003,"image":{"alt":"Demi Lovato: 'I've been through a lot and I genuinely see a fighter'","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/demi-1-gty-er-191103_hpMain_4x3t_240.jpg","credit":"Sarah Morris/Getty Images","ratio":"1x1"}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"Demi Lovato says an eating disorder led to relapse","description":"\"I'm not willing to destroy my mental health to look a certain way,\" she said.","duration":"1:05","uploadDate":"02-18-2020","publication":"02-18-2020","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2019/09/190906_gma_pop_pod2_0812_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2019/09/190906_gma_pop_pod2_0812_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/culture/story/demi-lovato-unresolved-eating-disorder-led-2018-relapse-69054179"}},"playlist":[{"id":"133220149","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133179167","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133144373","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133144059","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133143081","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133075455","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133063114","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133063086","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133015093","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132998564","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132998072","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132977374","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132977531","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132962364","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132958371","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132932494","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132927870","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132911868","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132911765","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132880952","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:culture:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"culture","title":"Demi Lovato says an eating disorder led to relapse","pubTime":"16:45","pubDate":"02-18-2020","modTime":"16:48","modDate":"02-18-2020","taxonomyTags":"none","id":69054179,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"Demi Lovato says an eating disorder led to relapse","mediaAssetTitle":"DEMI_LOVATO_ASHLEY_GRAHAM_200218","videoId":69054179,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/culture/story/demi-lovato-unresolved-eating-disorder-led-2018-relapse-69054179"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/69054179","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/69054179","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};
