Demi Lovato is currently one of the most famous singers, going all the way back to her Disney Channel days on Camp Rock and Sonny With a Chance. While many young girls idolized her for her witty TV personality and music, it was her inspiration and strength that compelled me to idolize the 25 year old mental health advocate.

Directed by Hannah Lux Davis, Simply Complicated tells the honest journey of Lovato’s battle with drug addiction and eating disorders. Lovato boldly opens the documentary and sets a brutally honest mood of what the next hour and twenty minutes would be.

“I actually had anxiety around this interview…because the last time I did an interview this long, I was on cocaine,” confessed Lovato in an interview for Simply Complicated.

In her first documentary, Demi Lovato: Stay Strong (2012), she discussed her long time battle with anorexia and bulimia. It was through bullying that Lovato’s self esteem was destroyed, letting the eating disorder creep into her life. She discussed when she first checked herself into treatment at age 18, leaving behind the Jonas Brothers and the Camp Rock 2 Tour. Staying Strong mainly focused on Lovato’s journey to recovery from her eating disorders.

As someone who has dealt with insecurities for my entire life, I immediately looked up to Demi Lovato in a way that is unique from other pop stars and their fandoms. At the time that Demi entered treatment, I was in fifth grade and about to enter my teenage years. My friends would talk about Demi as if checking herself into a rehabilitation center was a bad thing. I informed them that it was incredibly brave of her, and amazing that she was facing her problems head on. It disgusts me that there is a stigma on rehabilitation centers, and especially people with mental illness.

Simply Complicated shocked me in a breathtaking way. Going into the film, I was doubtful that Lovato had anything else to talk about, considering she had already released a documentary in 2012 about overcoming and accepting her inner demons. My admiration and genuine love for Lovato has grown more after watching this relatable, candid documentary. In Simply Complicated, Lovato informs her fans about things she purposefully left out of her 2012 documentary.

After getting out of treatment and talking about her battle with depression, anorexia, and bulimia, Lovato was hiding another side of her life. The 18 year old pop star had been addicted to cocaine, while speaking out about how she overcame her other struggles. In front of the cameras she was putting on a smile, wanting to be nothing but strong. Lovato’s worst fear was to disappoint others, especially her fans.

Night after night the 18 year old pop star would do rounds of cocaine and drink with random people in hotel rooms. Lovato had hit rock bottom, and it seemed as if there was nothing else her friends and family could do. Leaving him with no choice, her manager Phil McIntyre threatened to drop her because she had stopped trying. With a willing heart, Lovato handed over her phone, as well as herself, to sobriety.

While she is successfully entering her sixth year of sobriety, her eating disorder is still something she battles with every day. Lovato has discovered helpful activities that help combat her addictions, her favorite being kickboxing. At the end of the day, it is her passion for music that gives her strength, and connects her to those who are also struggling throughout the world.

After seeing the amount of battles Demi Lovato has overcome in Simply Complicated, I was left feeling a sense of inspiration and strength. I believe this is a documentary that everyone should see in order to be educated about mental illness and the importance of self acceptance.