Demi Goes To Rehab

I was thinking about this all day. I am both sad and happy that Demi Lovato is going into rehab to deal with the issues she has with 'cutting' and for her eating disorders.

I always liked her as a performer and a person. She is one of Selena's oldest friends and now is unfortunately an example of the way that Hollywood and the cult of celebrity can be damaging to someone who starts so young in that business.

Like so many other young girls, she has suffered in silence. We all know the way that the media and the fashion industry places such a high premium for perfection on anyone in the limelight. We expect them to be thin and smiling all the time. This external pressure is enough to break anyone.

There is currently a campaign called 'It Gets Better' where gay and straight celebrities are producing video messages as a form of outreach to gay teens who have experienced homophobia and bullying in their lives. I would like to see this mission extended towards reaching young teens, especially young girls.

These girls need to hear the message over and over again that they do not have to make dangerous decisions in their lives just because the world is telling them that they have to thin or hypersexual - that the boys won't like them if they are too smart or outspoken.

That is not the truth. They need to respect themselves enough to block out the negative messages that they will be bombarded with. We need to give them the tools to fight against the hurtful images they see. We need to built them up instead of tearing them down.

Too many girls reach adulthood with many of the same issues they had as teenagers. issues that cripple their ability to move forward and have happy and productive lives.

Demi is in a unique position now. With her fame and popularity among the tweens, she is in a prime position to use her experiences to reach out and teach other about the dangers of trying to live up to impossible standards - that it is OKAY to be who you are no matter what size you happen to be - that they all have something valuable to contribute to the world that has nothing to do with their appearance.

Maybe in the process Demi will find something in herself to love. Maybe then she can quiet the voices in her head that are telling her that she can never be good enough.

If we can build esteem in only one young girl, then the effort will be worth it. I just wish the media would become part of the solution and stop being part of the problem.