The day after she opened her own production company, Demi announced the launch of her new foundation Be Vocal: Speak Up for Mental Health. This organization advocates to get those with mental disorders to speak up for themselves and for their communities. You can even find hotlines on the site if you need someone to talk to immediately.
Demi knows all about speaking up about her mental disorder. She's promoted awareness for her bipolar disorder ever since she made her first public appearance after coming out of rehab in January 2011.
That's the reason why I decided I wanted to speak up about my own borderline personality disorder. But I didn't just want to speak to anyone about it, I wanted to talk to Demi because she's the one who inspired me.
Remember when she was on X-Factor? Her second year there, in 2013, auditions came to New Orleans. Two two-hour car rides, four days in a strange city with just my sister, dozens of hours in long lines, and nerves up the wazoo later, I auditioned just for the chance to meet Demi.
Even though it was all for Demi, it was a great experience, and I'd love to thank her for it some day. I met some great people and even met up with some friends there. I also got a chance to spend some time with some really cute boys, and really, who can pass that up? But the best part of the experience came from the confidence I got when I made it through three rounds of judging and got to sing on camera.
I will admit that I never got the call for that final audition in front of the celebrity judges, but that didn't stop me from going to watch the live auditions and seeing Demi at work. That was an even greater experience.
We got to sit right up front, exactly parallel to the judges' table. Simon, Paulina and Kelly Rowland all waved at my sister and me. And Demi was brilliant. She was beautiful and professional, and she laughed at a joke I made.
I didn't get to hug Demi or tell her my name or even my story. But I will never forget that moment two years ago, June 11, 2013, when Demi said hello to me, and I will never forget the confidence she gave to me.
That's why I will always speak up for my #mentalhealth.