Regarding Britney Spears

[Droopy]

I don't know what's wrong with her, but I'm hoping she gets the help she needs. I can see a couple of positive things coming out of her successful treatment besides her well being. The potential for some really great music is there as well as the mental health community gaining a high profile advocate if she chooses to go public with whatever diagnosis she gets.

Things are not looking so great right now, though. She only stayed on the psych ward for the mandatory 3 days. I think it takes longer than that to get someone stabilized. It seems to me that if she were serious about getting treatment, and with the resources that she has, that she would have stayed there longer. I was in the hospital for 7 days last time and while my recovery was dramatic in that period of time I still was not 100% when I left the hospital. I only left after 7 days because my insurance would not cover me for more time.

There is also the trauma of experiencing mental illness for an extended period of time, and she has obviously been unwell for quite some time. I still have problems with flashbacks and self loathing due to all of the crazy shit I did when I was experiencing my symptoms. It's getting better with me putting more distance between my insane period and now, but it's been 4.5 years. It may be something that I never get totally worked out, but I hope not. I think Britney is going to have a real tough time with that one, too, probably more so than me due to the publicity of her melt down.

Anyway, I wish Britney all the best and hope for her speedy recovery. Maybe the hospital was just too uncomfortable due to her notoriety and she is getting the help she needs privately. I certainly hope that is the case.

[hermetic]

1. I agree Droopy.

There is potential there for much that is kept in darkness being brought to light. I have recently begun to see how people with mental health issues are so discriminated against, misunderstood, and have a very tough time getting the real help they need. And the number of people who are suffering from mental disorders is staggering, but no one wants to talk about it. Or fund it.

:hug:

[Droopy]

2. 10-4 on the discrimination, misunderstanding, and funding

Most health insurance policies do not cover outpatient mental health services very well. My current insurance policy only covers 50% of the costs associated with seeing a psychologist and then only up to 26 visits a year after which I'd have to pay 100%. I think that speaks to all three of those issues that you raised.

[fizzgig]

3. i, too, hope she gets the help she needs

but it needs to be wholistic (in my opinion) and address her substance abuse problems as well.

i know from experience, as i think you do, that substance abuse can make mental illness much, much worse. i'd heard she recently looked at a rehab center in a town close to me (don't know how much stock to put in that), but i hope she is starting to realize that she needs medical intervention.

i just hope the still-existing stigma that surrounds mental illness does not prevent her from getting the help that she needs and that she can build a good support network to help her through this.

as you said above, her meltdown has been extremely public and i hope she doesn't balk at treatment because of that