Did Dr. Phil step over the line with Spears? - CNN.com

Did Dr. Phil step over the line with Spears? - CNN.com

Edit/ Apparently yes he did, according to her family: 

Britney Spears's family is accusing Dr. Phil McGraw of violating their trust by making public statements about his hospital visit with the troubled pop star and his call for her to receive therapy...

Waiting...

"It's true people sometimes need to be placed under involuntary mental health treatment because they can't take care of themselves," veteran psychiatrist Dr. Jeffrey Sugar said of the 26-year-old Spears. "But there's a difference between being detained involuntarily for psychological treatment and being forced to endure Dr. Phil involuntarily."

 

(my comment follows)

I wonder what Dr. Phil thought he could do to for Britters? Besides her "psychological disease," as a family spokesperson referred to what ails the pop singer, Britney has demonstrated behaviour consistent with borderline and narcissistic personality disorders plus the courts (not to mention the paparazzi) have documented her copious use of drugs and drink. If there ever were a textbook example of a patient with co-existing psychological "diseases" or what in the 21st Century we refer to as disorders, Britney, whose behaviour has been so plenteously documented by the ever-vigilant media, is that sad example.

In scanning some of the reaction (statements by "experts," natch) to Dr. Phil's barging into Brit's psychiatric ward room as she was in the process of being discharged I've seen references to Britney as an "older adolescent." Britney is 26-year's old! If age 26 constitutes being an adolescent than at what age is one allowed to be an adult? Do we ever have to grow up?

I've not ever met Britney Spears so the best I can do is diagnose her from afar which I would never do with an actual client. That doesn't stop myriad entities in the media including Dr. Phil, the biggest self-help self-promoter this side of Oprah, to the armchair experts from documenting and cataloguing her "transgressions."

With his self-serving, highly questionable actions of inserting himself into Britney's life without an invitation is Dr. Phil any better than the paparazzi (that she sometimes courts and sometimes reviles) in their relentless pursuit of finding Britney in yet another compromising position?

I don't follow Britney though she's unavoidable when reading both mainstream and entertainment press but at the most basic level I'm alarmed that she seems to have put her children in situations in which they've been exposed to possible danger. She may not truly be a "bad mother" but acting like one was a sure way, when under unrelenting scrutiny of the media, to have them taken from her and given to her gold-digging, ex-dancer, ex-husband. That's the saddest thing because as "sick" as she is Britney Spears is an adult who can make an adult decision--even if it is her very first--to seek help in managing her behaviour. Because at this point her kids--who are still babies--haven't had much more than three years of life between them and they are already screwed unless someone intervenes for them.

 

Paranoid Schizophrenia (Internet dictionary definition)

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Schizophrenia (SKITS-oh-FREEN-ee-uh)---one of the most damaging of all mental disorders---causes its victims to lose touch with reality. They often begin to hear, see, or feel things that aren't really there (hallucinations) or become convinced of things that simply aren't true (delusions). In the paranoid form of this disorder, they develop delusions of persecution or personal grandeur. The first signs of paranoid schizophrenia usually surface between the ages of 15 and 34. There is no cure, but the disorder can be controlled with medications. Severe attacks may require hospitalization.

Causes
The causes of schizophrenia are still under debate. A chemical imbalance in the brain seems to play a role, but the reason for the imbalance remains unclear. We do know that you're a bit more likely to become schizophrenic if you have a family member with the illness. Stress does not cause schizophrenia, but can make the symptoms worse.

Signs/SymptomsSchizophrenia usually develops gradually, although onset can be sudden. Friends and family often notice the first changes before the victim does. Among the signs are:

Confusion
Inability to make decisions
Hallucinations
Changes in eating or sleeping habits, energy level, or weight
Delusions
Nervousness
Strange statements or behavior
Withdrawal from friends, work, or school
Neglect of personal hygiene
Anger
Indifference to the opinions of others
A tendency to argue
A conviction that you are better than others, or that people are out to get you

Care
Drugs such as Thorazine, Haldol, and Risperdal combat symptoms in 4 out of 5 patients. An acute attack usually can be cleared up in 4 to 8 weeks. Counseling and group therapy help recovering patients to understand the disease and to function effectively.

Risks
Without medication and therapy, most paranoid schizophrenics are unable to function in the real world. If they fall victim to severe hallucinations and delusions, they can be a danger to themselves and those around them.

Comments

[Cyn]

What are you, anti-semantic?

Surely you jest.
Usually it's you telling me that language is evolving and we should drop the silly old ways of saying things. What? Are you the traditionalist now?

[Her Brother]

What are you, anti-semantic?

[Cyn]

I don't see how you can clearly distinguish a disease from a disorder
It's simply semantics.

[Her Brother]

I don't see how you can clearly distinguish a disease from a disorder, just as there's no clear boundary between a psychological and medical ailment. So many of the diseases that I've studied list "depression" as a symptom--well, duh, chronic pain/nausea/[insert other unpleasant symptom here] alone will do that.

I overheard one of my classmates bashing Ron Paul's position for relegalization. I asked him why, in his pre-medical opinion, the rest of the world is wrong to classify drug addictions as diseases instead of criminal offenses. Snap!

[Cyn]

I agree, above all it's very sad.

[Dan]

It's just kind of a sad story. I can't help but think Britney is the new Michael Jackson. But if she really, truly needs help, the media should let her be. Unfortunately, it's the price of fame.