Demi Lovato topped CNN 's list of nine mental wellness warriors, which also included Fred Frese, Ted Stanley, Sarah Spitz, Michael Woody, Mia St. John, Leon Evans, Pete Earley, and Creigh Deeds.
Lovato is known for being an advocate of mental health awareness and she is not afraid to discuss her bipolar disorders openly with the public.
"I want to show the world that there is life -- surprising, wonderful and unexpected life -- after diagnosis," she said, as quoted by CNN.
In September 2014, the former Disney star attended the National Alliance on Mental Illness or NAMI's "Call to Action" day, where she told the audience about her advocacy for mental health reform. She also initiated the Mental Health Listening and Engagement Tour, a program which would enable her to meet others who are also struggling with mental health problems, the news outlet noted.
"Those of us here today know that mental illness has no prejudice. It affects people of every race, age, gender, religion and economic status. We need to send the simple message to our nation's leaders: Mental health matters and must be taken seriously," Lovato said, as reported by CNN.
The "Give Your Heart A Break" hitmaker also revealed that having been diagnosed with bipolar disorder was "a relief in so many ways" and that it helped her make sense of her predicaments over the years. According to Lovato, she had "emotionally draining" low periods that she "couldn't find the strength to get out of bed," the news outlet noted.
"Even with access to so much, my journey has not been an easy one," she was quoted by CNN as saying.
In the report, it was also noted how Lovato recovered from the disorders. She saw a therapist and followed proper medication intake and treatment plan. She also decided to be honest with herself, and took better care of her body.
Lovato discussed her struggles about her bipolar and eating disorders in a special feature on ABC's 20/20 which aired on April 22, 2011. She revealed she was "compulsively overeating" when she was 8 years old, and her parents advised her to seek professional medical help when her depression worsened and she began cutting herself at the age of 11.
"It was a way of expressing my own shame, of myself, on my own body," Lovato told Robin Roberts, referring to the self-mutilation. "I was matching the inside to the outside. And there were some times where my emotions were just so built up, I didn't know what to do. The only way that I could get instant gratification was through an immediate release on myself."
Mental health advocates said that reaching America's youth is hard work, but Lovato's celebrity status could help bridge that gap and help the young people also suffering with mental health issues, CNN noted.
