"Severe exhaustion"

[Dreadful Scathe]

Depression

Depression Is A Treatable Illness

exercise is the best cure for depression there is, they don't mention it on your dodgy site strangely.

[Double Trouble]

Her family and medical people

Spears suffering from ‘bipolar disorder’ - Today Entertainment - MSNBC.com

Yes...in the link you added it says “Sources very close to the family told ‘People’ magazine over the weekend that they believe that Britney has been suffering from bipolar disorder for a very long time, also postpartum depression,” he said. “That may explain this behavior.”


Whenever a celebrity behaves badly, they always try and write it off as Bipolar Disorder, which is really insulting to people who really DO suffer with bipolar disorder.

In Britney's world she has had years and years of people telling her "Yes". Now she has children, the authorities are telling her "No" and she can't take it.

[stewart38]

Whenever a celebrity behaves badly, they always try and write it off as Bipolar Disorder, which is really insulting to people who really DO suffer with bipolar disorder.

In Britney's world she has had years and years of people telling her "Yes". Now she has children, the authorities are telling her "No" and she can't take it.

Take away her money and fame and you would love really

If she was in the UK the judge would still give her custody of the kids

[David Bailey]

Yes...in the link you added it says
“Sources very close to the family told ‘People’ magazine over the weekend that they believe that Britney has been suffering from bipolar disorder for a very long time, also postpartum depression,” he said. “That may explain this behavior.”

Right - "Sources very close to the family" - that's her PR agent, basically.

Who's clearly a qualified psychologist. Actually, thinking about it, they may well be

[Barry Shnikov]

I wasn't quite sure how I felt about Britney until I found out the unctuous and oily Dr Phil had cornered her just as she was trying to leave hospital, so that he could get a Dr Phil Special out of it.

Any parents who would inflict any celebrity twerp on their daughter, rather than approaching a good, solid psychotherapist, are clearly out of touch with what is ailing Britney.

So, now I feel sorry for her.

{Note: the sensible bit of Barry's brain, the one that screams in pain when he idly leafs through OK magazine in a doctor's surgery, denies all prior knowlege of and responsbility for the above post, and is about to apply for a divorce from the other bit of Barry's brain.}

[Barry Shnikov]

I must say, however {Hi! the celeb-watching bit of Barry's brain here!} that I'm looking forward to the first occasion on which Britney's new boyfriend loses his rag and indulges in fisticuffs with the paps who are waiting in the rose beds and hanging off the balcony trying to get photos of the two of them together.

[David Bailey]

{Note: the sensible bit of Barry's brain, the one that screams in pain when he idly leafs through OK magazine in a doctor's surgery, denies all prior knowlege of and responsbility for the above post, and is about to apply for a divorce from the other bit of Barry's brain.}

Maybe we should create a separate forum ID - who gets custody of the original? And which bit is the "raving atheist" function held in?

[Double Trouble]

{Note: the sensible bit of Barry's brain, the one that screams in pain when he idly leafs through OK magazine in a doctor's surgery, denies all prior knowlege of and responsbility for the above post, and is about to apply for a divorce from the other bit of Barry's brain.}

You ain't fooling anyone Bazza...we know you are dying to read all about Katie Prices latest boob job in Hello mag. I'll wager you have a subscription on the go.

[Twirly]

Don’t go down that ‘snap yourself out of it mentality ‘ , pleaseeeeee

Did I say that? Please don't put words in my virtual mouth...

As with any illness, you have to make a decision to get treatment. Alcoholics may go to AA - they have to decide that enough is enough and this is what they need to do (I understand). For mental illness it could be deciding to take appropriate medication or getting therapy, although for some I guess that nothing much is going to make a huge difference sadly.

There is a big difference between ‘feeling down’ and manic depression

Very true, and there is a big difference between clinical depression and manic depression. Don't make assumptions.

[Andy McGregor]

I thought that drug addiction, like alcoholism, was also thought to be an illness?

Is there any sort of aberrant behaviour that is not attributed to mental illness these days - I wonder where that leaves the concept of personal responsibility?

Drug addiction is a medical condition. However, taking the drug for recreational purposes to become an addict is not a medical condition. You created the medical condition of addiction through your own actions - and you also have the solution to your condition, you stop taking the drugs and suffer the withdrawal symptoms or get medical help to manage them.

Becoming mentally ill is something over which you have no control.

[Gav]

Alcoholism was recognized as an illness since 1950s

I wonder when smoking will be recognised as an illness?
Or maybe MacDonaldism?

[Double Trouble]

Or maybe MacDonaldism?

I think I've got that one. I think I might also have forumism. Maybe the Dr will sign me off work for a year so I can have a chance to get over my illnesses.

[Astro]

Becoming mentally ill is something over which you have no control.

Who decides though what mentally ill is?

Does it vary from country to country?

Albert Einstein and many other famous people were originally thought to be mentally ill.

And I think there is still a Flat Earth Society.

[Double Trouble]

Who decides though what mentally ill is?

I don't know the answer to this question, but I do know that bipolar disorder can be diagnosed by an expert in less than ten minutes, so if there is a suggestion that Britney is bipolar, it could be confirmed very easily...none of this "we suspect she might have it" nonsense.

[Barry Shnikov]

Maybe we should create a separate forum ID - who gets custody of the original? And which bit is the "raving atheist" function held in?

Neither brain part ever 'raves', thank you muchly.

[Barry Shnikov]

As with any illness, you have to make a decision to get treatment. Alcoholics may go to AA - they have to decide that enough is enough and this is what they need to do (I understand). For mental illness it could be deciding to take appropriate medication or getting therapy, although for some I guess that nothing much is going to make a huge difference sadly.

[Barry Shnikov]

Albert Einstein ... originally thought to be mentally ill.

No he wasn't! Good grief.

Where did you get that from?

His parents thought he was chronically lazy (a fact I used to point out to my own parents when I was younger, for obvious reasons; I don't think they're expecting my Nobel prize anytime soon. But then, I haven't told them about the contact lens force (C) yet).

[Andy McGregor]

Who decides though what mentally ill is?

Trained and qualified mental health professionals make this decision - sometimes this quiz is too easy

[Whitebeard]

Trained and qualified mental health professionals make this decision - sometimes this quiz is too easy

But, this cynic wonders, so far as it can ascertained, should mental problems be deemed (diagnosed seems too precise a term to me) to be a condition or an illness.

Illness, to me, suggests some outside force adversely affecting a previously healthy state of being.

A condition I would see as an inherent quality leading to an unhealthy being, an almost preordained state of imbalance, due to genetic inheritance.

Seldom, I guess, is it quite so straightforward as black and white shade into many tones of grey. So much so that 'mental health professionals' appear to get it completely wrong quite often, as yet another murderer or rapist is let loose to reoffend against the community.

[Andy McGregor]

But, this cynic wonders, so far as it can ascertained, should mental problems be deemed (diagnosed seems too precise a term to me) to be a condition or an illness.

Illness, to me, suggests some outside force adversely affecting a previously healthy state of being.

A condition I would see as an inherent quality leading to an unhealthy being, an almost preordained state of imbalance, due to genetic inheritance.

This is, like many things on this Forum, a semantic debate. And, the whole nature/nurture thing is something that medical resarchers keep changing. There are some conditions that are both - you might have inherited a condition that makes your bones brittle - but it is the fall down the stairs, an "outside force", that creates your injury.

Seldom, I guess, is it quite so straightforward as black and white shade into many tones of grey. So much so that 'mental health professionals' appear to get it completely wrong quite often, as yet another murderer or rapist is let loose to reoffend against the community.

You need to look at the bigger picture when considering outcomes of therapy. Amongst many other things medical professionals need to consider such things as NNT, "Number Needed to Treat" and NNH, "Number Needed to Harm". They also need to consider the likely outcome if they do not treat.

And arguing from the particular to the general is always wrong. To imply that some mental health professionals get it wrong therefore you should not use them is patently mad - maybe Whitebeard should see someone

As I said earlier, it up to those close to people suffering from mental illness to help as the nature of the condition means that the sufferer doesn't seek help on their own. I think that a celebrity has many forces acting on them and many people surrounding them who do not have their best interests at heart. Many of the people surrounding Britney are there for what they can get out of it. They probably see Britney as a vehicle to fame or riches for themselves. In those circumstances you might run your vehicle into the ground rather than take it off the road for a few months.