Demi Lovato remains hospitalized as she continues recovering from her apparent overdose.
“She is doing okay, but is still being monitored,” a source tells PEOPLE, adding that it’s now “safe” for Lovato to leave the hospital if she is so inclined. “An overdose is something very serious and can cause organ failure. It’s important for her to make sure her body is recovering.”
“Sometimes this situation is the best possible,” the source says. “And most people using drugs are very confident they will never overdose. It’s easy to continue abusing when you can shrug your shoulders and tell yourself you have everything under control.”
Continuing, the insider remarks: “After an overdose, you can’t claim this anymore. You had an overdose and there is no way to dismiss it. An overdose might need to happen for someone to understand that they REALLY need help.”
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Lovato, 25, was rushed to the hospital Tuesday morning following the incident at her Hollywood Hills home, hours later appearing “alert and stable,” a close source confirmed to PEOPLE at the time. Her publicist released a statement Tuesday evening confirming Lovato “is awake and with her family who want to express thanks to everyone for the love, prayers and support.”
Though reports have indicated the overdose was heroin-related, a source close to Lovato claimed to PEOPLE that it was not.
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The Disney Channel alum has battled addiction, mental illness and disordered eating for years. In 2010, she entered treatment, where she received professional assistance for bipolar disorder, bulimia, self-harm and addiction. She relapsed after she left the treatment center, then entered a sober living facility for a year.
But even after treatment, insiders say she still struggled with her private pain. “Demi was never really clean and sober from all of her demons,” a Lovato source previously told PEOPLE. “She has been fighting depression and anxiety for quite some time — and is still in such a dark place. She was sober for a while, but not completely sober for six years.”
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Lovato, who celebrated six years of sobriety in March, went public about her recent return to substances in June with her confessional new single, “Sober” — a song she performed just two days before her hospitalization. The lyrics are a seemingly regretful account of her drug use.
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A source close to the “Sorry, Not Sorry” singer, speculated to PEOPLE Thursday that Lovato’s history with addiction hints that she will only seek treatment when she’s ready.
“The thing about an addict is that you become so good at hiding it,” the insider said, adding of Lovato, “She’s a really smart girl. When she had work commitments, she could pull it together. But that’s how she’s always been, and this might not be her rock bottom.”
“Demi has to want to get help. She can’t be forced into rehab or treatment,” the source alleged. “It won’t work.”
If you or someone you know is in need of help, please contact the SAMHSA substance abuse helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
