The following article is a thank you letter to Demi Lovato. Demi Lovato is not only a singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman, she is also a mental health advocate. After conquering her demons, she decided to use her voice and what she had been through to help others. Little did she (or I) know that after 2010, this would spark conversations about getting real about mental health. Little did I know that by her being brave enough to share her story, I would be able to try and face my similar demons. Little did she know that her story would help me save my own life.

To Demi Lovato:

I know you do not know me, but I just want to say: Thank you. I want to thank you for your voice. I want to thank you for just being you. I want to thank you for being an advocate for mental health.

First, I want to thank you for your voice. There have been plenty of times in my life that I didn’t speak up for myself when I should have. There have been times when I should’ve spoken up and I didn’t. It was scary to think that no one really cared about what I had to say and that what I had to say didn’t matter. When you decided to use your voice, no matter what anyone had to say, it made me think that if I just stand up for myself at least once, it will be worth it. With your voice, thank you for your inspiring music.

Second, I want to thank you for just being you. I want to thank you for changing in the “la, la land machine” after all. Without the change, you wouldn’t be the strong person that you are now. Without the growth, you wouldn’t know that your story would help someone like me. Thank you for being outspoken and being real about your struggles.

Lastly, I want to thank you for being an advocate for mental health. Mental health isn’t talked about a lot. Mental health issues like depression, suicidal thoughts, bipolar and countless others are still taboo topics in today’s society. Yet, I believe that there are more conversations being had because you used your voice and your experiences to speak up. Mental health should not be a taboo topic. Because of your choice to be an advocate, you give others the courage to speak up about the state of their mental health.

So Demi, once again, I know that you do not know me. I am just a young woman who is a big fan of your music. Your song, Skyscraper, helped save me from committing suicide one night. Your advocacy makes me believe that mental health will not be such a taboo topic in the future. Some of your quotes like, “love is louder than the pressure to be perfect” encourage me to believe that I am enough just as I am. Demi, thank you for just being you and remember to stay strong.