I don’t know if Heath Ledger and Britney Spears ever met, but if they had, maybe they would have compared stories about people questioning their mental health.
The tabloid headlines about Spears have proliferated since her bizarre behavior last year, not helped by her 16-year-old sister’s pregnancy and an invasion-of-privacy visit from Dr. Phil, which my classmate Andrea Bartz critiqued.
Other mental-health professionals are mad that their colleagues are diagnosing from a distance, according to the Associated Press.
Dr. Gail Saltz, of New York, says it’s bad practice to slap a label on someone without doing a thorough evaluation. That’s especially crucial for bipolar disorder:
It’s one thing, she notes, to discuss what concerns a doctor might have when a young woman has two toddlers, is going through a divorce and is suspected of substance abuse. It’s another thing, she says, to speculate she has something specific like bipolar disorder. … “It’s not like a blood test,” she says. “Brains don’t have a check box.”
At the risk of adding to the “drive-by psychiatrist” phenomenon, I also want to highlight some news on the death of Ledger (who I loved in “10 Things I Hate About You”).
Those close to him say he had had trouble sleeping, and prescription medicines for anxiety and insomnia were found near his body.
In 2007, while filming”The Dark Knight” here in Chicago, Ledger told the Sun-Times,
“I’m lucky in a sense because I have a job where I get to scream and cry. I get to purge myself in ways that don’t really affect me personally.”
The final quote seems even more poignant now:
“I’m pretty good at dropping a character once it’s over for the day. Certainly once the film is over, I throw it all away. Your life is what matters.”
“Your life is what matters.” Let’s hope people keep that in mind when it comes to helping Spears and others.
Tags: Britney Spears, Heath Ledger
January 25, 2008 at 11:00 pm
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January 25, 2008 at 11:02 pm
[...] crguiles wrote a fantastic post today on Heath’s words were good advice for BritneyHere’s a quick extractIt’s one thing, she notes, to discuss what concerns a doctor might have when a young woman has two toddlers, is going through a divorce and is suspected of substance abuse. It’s another thing, she says, to speculate she has something … [...]
January 25, 2008 at 11:38 pm
[...] words were good advice for Britney thegirlcanwrite wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptI don’t know if Heath Ledger [...]
January 25, 2008 at 11:39 pm
[...] thegirlcanwrite wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptI don’t know if Heath Ledger and Britney Spears ever met, but if they had, maybe they would have compared stories about people questioning their mental health. The tabloid headlines about Spears have proliferated since her bizarre behavior last year, not helped by her 16-year-old sister’s pregnancy and an invasion-of-privacy visit from Dr. Phil, which my classmate Andrea Bartz critiqued. Other mental-health professionals are mad that their colleagues are diagnosing from a distance, according to the Associated Press. Dr. Gail Saltz, of New York, says it’s bad practice to slap a label on someone without doing a thorough evaluation. That’s especially crucial for bipolar disorder: It’s one thing, she notes, to discuss what concerns a doctor might have when a young woman has two toddlers, is going through a divorce and is suspected of substance abuse. It’s another thing, she says, to speculate she has something specific like bipolar disorder. … “It’s not like […] [...]
January 25, 2008 at 11:52 pm
[...] thegirlcanwrite wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptI don’t know if Heath Ledger and Britney Spears ever met, but if they had, maybe they would have compared stories about people questioning their mental health. The tabloid headlines about Spears have proliferated since her bizarre behavior last year, not helped by her 16-year-old sister’s pregnancy and an invasion-of-privacy visit from Dr. Phil, which my classmate Andrea Bartz critiqued. Other mental-health professionals are mad that their colleagues are diagnosing from a distance, according to the Associated Press. Dr. Gail Saltz, of New York, says it’s bad practice to slap a label on someone without doing a thorough evaluation. That’s especially crucial for bipolar disorder: It’s one thing, she notes, to discuss what concerns a doctor might have when a young woman has two toddlers, is going through a divorce and is suspected of substance abuse. It’s another thing, she says, to speculate she has something specific like bipolar disorder. … “It’s not like […] [...]