Relapsing from drug addiction is when you go back to using drugs after being sober. On July 24th, Demi Lovato got sent to the hospital for drug overdose. Before Demi Lovato overdosed, she released her song “Sober” which is about the struggles of relapsing and that that sobriety is not an easy journey.

“Sober” is a big apology to her friends, family, and fans who have stood by her. The beginning of the song talks about how she has no excuses for her relapse and that she feels like she is dying inside. She can feel the shaking and cold sweat which is a sign of unbearable withdrawal symptoms. How she wants her addiction to be over so that she can “reappear.” This shows how hard relapse is. You cannot label an excuse for why you slipped back as recovery is hard work and a brain disease. Lovato was sober for six years and relapsed so it shows that you can be in recovery for years and still need more treatment.

The chorus says that she does not know why she relapsed but she uses drugs when she is feeling lonely. This shows that she is aware of her triggers but it is still not enough for her to be clean. There are times when she does not want to fight this addiction but she knows that she has to and needs support. We can feel Lovato’s vulnerability and that she is aware that she has a problem while she is questioning why she relapsed. The next couple of verses she apologizes to her parents and her fans for not being sober anymore. This is her admitting that she made a mistake and would like to make amends. The most important line in the song is “I wanna be a role model, but I’m only human.” That even role models make mistakes but that should not stop us from looking up to them.

The last verse stands out in that Lovato is singing, “I’m sorry that I’m here again, I promise I’ll get help, It wasn’t my intention, I’m sorry to myself.” While it is normal to be disappointed when someone relapses, we need to remember that recovery is a long and hard journey that requires not only treatment but support and encouragement to keep going. Lovato’s ability to speak about her struggles should inspire others to do the same.

Located in Tacoma, Washington, Bayview Center’s mission is to offer clinically-driven programs and services to treat a number of substance abuse disorders along with anxiety and depression using cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, trauma therapy, yoga therapy, and more for a successful recovery. For more information, please call us 888 570 7154 at as we are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.