Speaking out in support. Dr. Drew Pinsky is sharing his thoughts about Demi Lovato’s recovery following her drug overdose in July.
“I think Demi Lovato’s prognosis is very, very good,” the former Celebrity Rehab host, who does not treat the singer, told Us on Sunday, September 2, at his charity birthday bash benefiting The Prostate Cancer Foundation.
“I’ve said it from the beginning: When they said it was heroin, I said, ‘Ehh, I don’t think so.’ This is just somebody who had some things going in her sobriety that were not great I guess for her,” Pinsky, 60, added of her relapse. “She got tired of it, and she went out and had to test it on her own. That’s how people learn about sobriety. “
The TV personality continued: “It’s very hard to tell somebody, ‘Hey, for the rest of your life every day, you’re going to have to stay on this problem.’ They feel like they can control it, they always want to test it. There is nothing unusual about that. She went out hard. It’s unfortunate that she had bad consequences. But God bless her, she will be an inspiration as she has always been. I guarantee it.”
This isn’t the first time Pinsky has opened up about the drug overdose that led the 26-year-old “Confident” songstress to be hospitalized in late July after she was found unresponsive in her home. The celebrity doctor expressed his concern to Us just days after Lovato was treated with an emergency medication called Narcan, which is given to treat narcotic overdoses in emergency situations.
Pinsky advised at the time that “the most important thing, which I can’t emphasize enough, is that Demi start going to meetings as soon as possible and surround herself with sober friends.”
An insider told Us in August that Lovato is currently seeking an “aggressive” type of treatment for her substance abuse struggles.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
With reporting by Nicholas White
