Demi Lovato Revealed They Are No Longer "California Sober" After Facing Criticism Earlier This Year For Their Choice
BuzzFeed
2 min read
Demi Lovato posted on their Instagram story to say that they are no longer supporting their "California sober ways."
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For context, Demi previously revealed that they were "California sober" — i.e. only drinking alcohol and smoking weed in moderation — in their documentary, Dancing with the Devil. They decided not to be totally sober following their near-fatal 2018 overdose and explained, "Telling myself that I can never have a drink or smoke marijuana, I feel like that's setting myself up for failure because I am such a black and white thinker."
"You shouldn't be forced to get sober if you're not ready," they continued in the documentary, emphasizing that this was a personal decision and not an approach to recovery that everyone should necessarily take. "You shouldn't get sober for other people. You have to do it for yourself."
However, their decision was met with criticism — both from people who know Demi personally and from the public. They later added that the scrutiny meant that they weren't going to discuss the details of their recovery publicly, saying, "When I do get into details with people, it just kind of opens myself up for more scrutiny than I need.”
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Fast-forward to today, and Demi posted on their Instagram story, "I no longer support my 'California sober' ways.'"
Demi Lovato / Via Instagram: @ddlovato
"Sober sober is the only way to be," they concluded.
Demi has struggled with addiction since they were a teenager and had been sober for six years before their 2018 overdose that left them with brain damage and lasting vision problems.
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Wishing Demi all the best in their recovery!
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, you can call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) and find more resources here.