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Senator Cornyn sends prayers to Demi Lovato: 'I know this is something she’s been struggling with for a long time'

The Texas senator met Lovato nearly three years ago when the musician traveled to Washington D.C as a part of a congressional visit by mental health advocates.

After a difficult recovery following her overdose, Sen. John Cornyn said in a call with reporters on Thursday that he sends his prayers to Demi Lovato and her family.

"I know this is something she's been struggling with for a long time and I've admired her courage in talking about this publicly. And of course in her profession, almost everything you do is public, and it must make things especially difficult," he said.

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Cornyn met Lovato nearly three years ago when the musician traveled to Washington D.C as a part of a congressional visit by mental health advocates. The Dallas musician opened up to the senator about her own struggles with bipolar disorder and advocated for better resources for those in need.

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"I was very impressed by Miss Lovato. I don't necessarily follow her music very closely but I did Google her and pulled up a YouTube video of some of her performances," Cornyn said at the time. "She's had an incredible story."

Lovato, who overdosed on July 24, has been in the hospital dealing with complications like extreme nausea and high fever. According to TMZ, the musician may get released this week. The publication also reported that people around her are encouraging her to seek rehab.

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Cornyn said in the call with reporters that he hopes the senate will write another piece of opioid legislation at the end of August.

"The opioid crisis is real -- it's not something you can experience once and walk away from, because the addiction lasts. People need not only the medication to wean themselves -- they need counseling and wrap around services. We also know that many people who self medicate have underlying problems, mental health problems," he said.

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Correction on Aug. 2, 4:19 p.m.: A previous version of this story stated Cornyn expected to write legislation at the end of August. He meant the Senate, not him personally.

Reporter Camille Caldera contributed to this report from Washington D.C.