Demi Lovato Makes More Candid, Inspiring Comments About Mental Health
Demi Lovato appeared on MSNBC Live With Tamron Hall on Monday to discuss her work with the national initiative Be Vocal: Speak Up For Mental Health, as well as her own struggles with bipolar disorder. As the spokesperson for the cause, Demi is making an urgent plea to lawmakers on Capitol Hill for better mental health treatment in the US this week. The 23-year-old singer and actress spoke to Tamron about her own journey and touched on her recent fully nude photo shoot for Vanity Fair. Keep reading for some of the highlights, then watch the video in full above now.
- On mental health and gun violence: "We've had several instances where mental health has been brought to the attention by the media because of these tragedies. I think it's really important to remember that actually people with mental illness are actually more likely to inflict harm on themselves and become the victim rather than be the perpetrators."
- On her recent Vanity Fair photo shoot: "It was a message to empower women. I think it's really important that we remember that in our natural state we are able to show our confidence more so than ever. And I feel the most beautiful without makeup and no attire. If anything, I'm glad that it made a bigger statement and hopefully inspired people suffering from eating disorders . . . it's very liberating and I just want to inspire people."
- On being diagnosed with bipolar disorder when she was 19: "I suffered from bits of mania and also bipolar depression. That was the main thing that really got me. And I was lonely, I was sad, I was miserable, and I couldn't figure out why, because I was on top of the world it felt like, but yes, I was struggling with it. And I want to do whatever I can to help others."