Los Angeles, Apr 15 (IANS): Singer Demi Lovato says she "really" appreciates the patience the public has given her over the past year and a half to figure out her drug abuse problem.

In an interview with Harper's Bazaar, Lovato opened up about surviving a near-fatal drug overdose in 2018, and recovering from her struggles in the public eye. At the moment, she is working on her seventh studio album, consisting of her self-celebratory single "I love me".

"I would hate for a detail to become the headline when I've worked so hard for my music," she said, adding: "But I will say that I've really appreciated the patience the public has given me over the past year and a half to figure my sh*t out, because I think the mistake I made when I was 18, when I went into treatment, was that I went back to work six months later."

"But at the same time I've also sat back on the sidelines for two years. I've kept my mouth shut, while the tabloids have run wild. And my album is finally the place where I get to set the record straight on everything," she explained.

In 2018, Lovato was rushed to a hospital when she was found unconscious due to drug overdose. She said that she was grateful to get messages of support from her well-wishers.

"It's hard when you're in a moment like that because you don't feel worthy of it. But looking back, I understand that I was just someone going through something, and people were really supportive and were there for me, and it meant everything," she said, adding: "It also kind of made it a little challenging because I did deal with that in the public eye-that was the way some people found out. I had relatives who got alerts on their phones. We didn't even get to call them before they saw what happened."

Lovato says she hopes that her experience might have a destigmatising effect, encouraging others who struggle with addiction to seek help.

"What's important to focus on is the outpouring of love and support. It made it okay for someone they know to ask for help," she said.