I was impressed by all the compassion for Britney and others that are caught in the perfect storm of addiction and mental illness on the combox of my post “Britney: Is Addiction More Acceptable Than Mental Illness?” I especially loved this response from Beyond Blue reader Cathy:
The hard part for all of us who suffer from depression and other mental differences is that sometimes we can't do what we're expected to do. Part of me has been enraged recently by articles about her blowing off court-dates. How could she do that?!? But, on some important levels, she can't control it. She has no sense of herself in the world anymore.All I want for Britney is for her to finally find the arms of someone gentle, supportive, and intelligent so that she can melt down into that safe knowing and come back into her own life and rebuild it again.
Talking about mental illness or substance abuse or whatever is moot at this point. So many parts of the world have failed this young woman. A decent society would support her as he rebuilds her relationship with herself and her family -- whatever the cause for the break.
And this one by Beyond Blue reader Barbara, a therapist’s perspective:
I ditto to the comments of E.L. and have blogged it many times on the various websites that I frequent. Alcohol/drug addiction is acceptable; mental illness is not. A carryover from centuries.My mother suffered from depression, and died with it...she was always told by the doctors that it was her "nerves," and none of the family was a part of her treatment. I called her my "horizontal mom because she was always laying down, knocked out by the pills for her "nerves." It breaks my heart, after becoming a therapist, to see that my mother could have had a quality life, if someone, ANYONE would have cared and not hidden behind the stigma of mental illness.
I'm sorry, Mom, and I'm sorry for all others who are still being laughed at, scorned, ridiculed and sensationalized by the media. Britney Spears can be the poster child for a new America, if only someone will care.
I just heard that Dr. Phil is doing a program on her on his Thursday program. This is the saddest part of my profession...having these media 'experts' try to become more popular and raise their viewers statistics/rates by jumping on these bandwagons. There has to be a special Heaven for these quacks.
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All that has been said here is correct. May I add the young sports stars to her group? Coddled, spoiled, and thought for. They burst on the scene with exceptional talent, and then when they fail to produce as expected; are trashed in the media causing many to react humanly with emotion, only to be trashed more. It is after all this we read about their drug/alcohol abuse, or mental breakdowns in which we trash them more for not being tough. This is all about us using others for our shortfalls and under achievements, and identities to get by in our puny little lives. We should all look up, and with in. Acknowledge Greatness knowing it only comes from past failures.
Everytime I hear or see another Britney story, my heart aches. As a chaplain, I just pray for her continually. I pray that she can somehow find the physical, mental, and spiritual help she so obviously needs. We are looking at young woman who had two children in a short period of time. Possibly there is some post partem depression going on. There is the pain of divorce, and the pain of finding out that the man she loved is a user and a creep, and didn't love her at all, only her wallet. The drug and alcohol use are just a means of blocking the tremendous pain she must be feeling. But sadly, they also seem to be triggering a bi-polar condition. She does not know what she is doing. She probably doesnt even know what day it is.
She is ill and confused. I pray for her recovery. And I pray that those Britney bashers get what they deserve. Shame on them. Exploiting, judging, and slamming a sick person in need of help. Get well soon Britney.
Margaret:
For the record, there is some sense among reasonable, non-racist law enforcement types in New Jersey that Hurricane Carter may have actually been guilty of those three murders in Paterson in 1966 -- and also that police committed gross misconduct in tampering with evidence to "prove" their case.
Kind of like O.J. Simpson, now that you mention it. (Too much schadenfreude of me, I realize, but you have to think of Al Capone's tax evasion conviction when you think this bizarre Las Vegas incident might finally be the thing that gets him hard time in the pen.)
Here's some sobering news, literally and figuratively: (HTTP://)
www.usmagazine.com/exclusive_associated_press_has_written_britney_spears_obituary
I hope it is for Britney. But I doubt it :-(
I believe that her world of such fast-paced,dog eat dog career,where your lively hood and ratings determine whether you make it in the music business.One day on top,the next week at the bottom.Lord forbid if you fail and fall through as Brittany has because of stress and depression. Trying to keep up with her career because of her fallen ratings combined with the gossip in a world where,if your on top your great but when you fall you fall alone?Isn't that how some people judge you?I can only try to imagine what it must be like for her with career stress combined with how she loves her children,knowing she is loosing them into someone elses care.Being in a place where you feel you are loosing everything,so disconnected from yourself and the world around you and trying to make sense of one thing when nothing makes sense to you.It's like fighting to survive,holding your head above water and feeling that you are being pulled under in spite of your efforts not to drown. Depression drowns the spirit of those in it,it numbs them to a world that seems to hurtful to them at that moment.Waking,going through the motions,but not feeling them.We have to quit thinking of depression as a dirty word and people who suffer from mental illness,less than those who don't.We are all different within this world and open acceptance with compassion that not everyone is cut from the same cloth,our patterns are different.My mother had,"bad nerves,"and as a young child
watching her swallow the pills that were suppose to help her,actually masked her thoughts and feelings because she wasn't allowed to talk openly about her feelings.They gave her pills but never asked her,"How do you feel?"or"What's bothering you?"I just remember her crying a lot,then taking more pills.Thankfully she is now well and through years of talking and knowing who she is,that she has rights,is valued,valuing herself....she is fine.I wish this for the young woman that Brittany is
and i give her my compassion.
irishwings.
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