The sudden death of Philip Seymour Hoffman due to a heroin overdose impacted many, including several celebrities, but really hit close to the heart for Demi Lovato.

Lovato, a former addict, has been very open about her past drug addiction since going to rehab in 2010. She hopes that others will see the seriousness of addiction and raise awareness.

According to The Huffington Post, she wrote on her Twitter page, “Addiction IS a disease. Please spread the word so we can take the taboo out of discussing this illness and raising awareness to people of all ages. RIP Philip Seymour Hoffman.. An INCREDIBLE artist who lost his life to this horrible disease.. May you rest peacefully and in complete serenity now that your pain is gone. God Bless..”

Lovato’s drug addiction had the potential to ruin her career if she didn’t have an intervention from family members and time in rehab. She has since been clean and happy.

In an interview with Extra, Lovato said, “Being a former addict, looking at it as I had a choice, because at some point in my disease I didn’t, I physically and emotionally couldn’t live without it, that was my medicine to my pain.”

Image courtesy of NBC