Speaking on CBS Sunday Morning, she said: "If no one had found me, then I wouldn't be here. I'm grateful that I'm sitting here today, yeah."
But Lovato felt she had to "die" in order to make a fresh start.
She said: "For the first time in my life, [I] had to essentially die to wake up."
Despite her battles with addiction, Lovato has taken a "California Sober" approach, meaning she drinks alcohol and smokes marijuana in moderation, but she insisted that what is right for her wouldn't necessarily be right for others with her background.
She said: "I think that the term that I best identify with is 'California Sober.'
"I really don't feel comfortable explaining the perimeters of my recovery with people because I don't want anyone to look at my perimeters of safety and think that's what works for them because it might not.
"I am cautious to say that, just like I feel the complete abstinent method isn't like a one-size-fits-all solution for everybody. I don't think that this journey of moderation is a one-size-fits-all solution for everybody, too."