Jan 5
In Britney Spears defense
I’ve been hearing from a reliable source for almost a year now that some of Britney Spears’ family members believe she has bipolar disorder. They don’t think it’s drugs. They don’t feel she has a drinking problem.
In plain and simple language, they believe the former pop princess has a mental illness.
If, in fact, Ms. Spears has a bipolar illness, isn’t it time for the haters to back off? I’m talking about those who post comments on blogs that go so far as to wish her dead.
Making fun of Spears for a bad song, a poor performance or maybe even a not-so-in-shape body, I can handle. But the venom that’s been spewed in the last 24 hours alone is unreal.
Why so much hate? My armchair theory is, it’s jealousy. No one is jealous of her downfall, but surely they may be envious of all she’s achieved in her very young life. She wasn’t even an adult when she became one of the world’s biggest pop sensations. And she got very, very rich along the way.
Fast-forward to today. Spears is in a hospital, locked down for her own good. No one knows for sure what exactly went down last night at her house, but I don’t care how famous you are, being strapped into a gurney and thrown into an ambulance as paparazzi and news helicopters hover overheard to catch every minute detail cannot be fun in any way.
While her particular situation may be unique, Spears is not exactly alone. According to the National Institutes of Mental Health, bipolar disorder affects 5.7 million American adults. The median age of onset for the illness is 25. Spears just turned 26 Dec. 1.
“The symptoms of bipolar disorder are basically extreme highs and lows,” says Los Angeles-based psychotherapist Stacy Kaiser. “It’s a very undertreated disorder. Most people end up medicating themselves with drugs or alcohol.”
I was talking to a friend earlier who said of Spears’ messy life, “She asked for it.” Would you say the same thing about someone with cancer?
No one in their right mind asks to have bipolar disorder. No one in their right mind asks for their children to be taken away from them. No one in their right mind asks to be called trash by overzealous bloggers.
I am not saying Spears’ behavior should be condoned or supported. Of course not. Not only has she apparently put her own life at risk, she’s appeared to have endangered her children’s safety and well-being.
But with the right medical care and supervision, there’s no reason Spears can’t get back on her own two feet. Up to 80 percent of those treated generally show an improvement in their symptoms within four to six weeks of beginning medication, psychotherapy, and/or attending support groups, according to NIMH.
She could be a mom to those kids. She can be a wife again someday. And yes, I really do believe she can fill stadiums and concert halls like she once did not so long ago.
“There are a lot of people with bipolar disorder that function in the world like normal people,” Kaiser says.
Still, as the hours have gone by today, I’ve noticed a shift. Comments posted on blogs seem to be more sympathetic. People, I hope, are slowly coming to realize she isn’t just a spoiled brat dancing on table tops. Spears is a sick woman who needs help.
My heart goes out to her. It really does.
Remember, she’s just like us.
5 commentsJan 5
DYLI NEWS
With the on going situation with Britney Spears, my eyes have finally opened. I didn’t realize until the situation with Britney Spears occurred how ruthless, cruel and cold bloggers can be. I don’t want to be one of them. So, for the time being I have lost the desire to post stories. I don’t know when or if I will return to blogging.
 Courteney
3 commentsJan 4
Britney Spears
Out of respect to Britney Spears, DYLI will not post any images of her mental breakdown. It is time for people to stop exploiting her. She is a person just like everyone else who had a mental breakdown. Her every move is constantly scrutinized by the media. It is no longer entertaining or interesting to witness a person continue on a downward spiral. This is a person who needs serious mental help and consideration from the public.
Comments are off for this postJan 3
Kanye West lost to Beyonce
How did Kanye West bring in the new Year Year? Not with fireworks or champagne. West welcomed 2008 while getting whooped by Beyoncé Knowles at Connect Four.
The rapper, who’s up for eight Grammys next month, said he took up the ’70s family game in Europe, where he continued touring after the shocking death of his mother last November.
“I would play this game for hours and hours … It helped me zone out,” West, 30, wrote on his blog Wednesday. “But every now and then people would speak of this legendary Connect 4 champion … BEYONCE!!!”
“I had 2 play her,” he continued, noting that he finally got the chance on New Year’s Eve at Jay-Z’s brand new 40/40 Club in Las Vegas. “[She] beat me 9 times in a row!”
It was not all humiliation for West, who added that the club is “crazy big” and boasts the “best turkey burgers I’ve ever had in my life.” He did beat Knowles at a single game – and posted a photo to prove it.
3 comments
Jan 3
Lindsay Lohan relapse. Actress falls off the wagon at a New Year’s party
Lindsay Lohan suffered a setback in her sobriety over New Year’s, but is back on track, her lawyer said Thursday.
A video of the actress drinking champagne directly from a bottle while in Capri, Italy, hit the Internet Thursday, first appearing on TMZ.com.
“”After being handed a champagne bottle while on a dance floor in Italy on New Year’s Eve and drinking from it, the good news is that Lindsay stopped herself, called her sponsor, and got herself back on track,” her lawyer, Blair Berk, tells PEOPLE. “There is no magic cure here. The most unfortunate part of this is that Lindsay has to share her ‘one day at a time’ with the entire world.”
Lohan was in Italy to receive an award at the 12th Annual Capri Hollywood International Film Festival. In a video, she is seen thanking organizers for inviting her to the festival, giving a shout out to John Malkovich, then later taking a swig from a bottle of champagne while on the dance floor.
In October, Lohan checked out of the exclusive Cirque Lodge Treatment Center in Utah, where she had been in treatment since August.
Lohan’s treatment there began in the weeks following her early morning July 24 arrest in Santa Monica, Calif., on suspicion of drunken driving after a brief car chase.
No commentsJan 3
Britney Spears decides to show for deposition
After numerous failures to show up, Britney Spears arrived for her deposition in her custody case at the office of Kevin Federline’s attorney in Los Angeles on Thursday.
Spears is expected to be grilled about her past drug and alcohol use, her apparent failure to follow court orders and anything pertaining to her parenting skills.
“A deposition can be emotionally draining, because Kevin’s lawyer can ask very personal questions about her relationship with her kids – and she’ll be under oath,” says L.A. family lawyer Lynn Soodik, who’s not involved with the case.
Just a day prior, Spears’s legal team filed a request with a court to be removed from the singer’s custody case, citing a “breakdown in communications” with Spears. A hearing for that matter is set for Feb. 4. Until then, the firm of Trope & Trope still represents her.
Federline’s lawyer, Mark Vincent Kaplan, has already completed a number of depositions with Spears associates including her longtime friend, Alli Sims, former manager Larry Rudolph, and former bodyguard Daimon Shippen.
Kaplan will use evidence gathered from the depositions to try to persuade the court that Federline should be granted primary physical custody of their kids, Preston, 2, and Jayden, 1, in any final ruling.
No commentsJan 2
Keira Knightly dishes rumors of anorexia
Kiera Knightley revealed to Elle Magazine UK that she is sick of being labeled anorexic.
No comments“The article was horrendous and completely devastating, not only because of the actual girl, but because on another level it could potentially have ruined my career. Because if I had been anorexic, there is no way I would have been able to do a lot of the action movies that I do. People wouldn’t have hired me.”Â
 “I was 18. And the idea that an 18-year old girl is not going to be in some way feeling awkward is ridiculous. I wouldn’t say that I have body issues, but if you’re going to ask me whether I’m completely, 100 per cent satisfied, of course I’m not. Nobody is.”
Jan 2
James Blunt peaceful new years party
“Beautiful” crooner James Blunt (yes, that’s him, in the middle of two unidentified revelers) looks like he’s yearning for the summer of love in an afro wig, retro T-shirt and peace sign necklace. But that’s just how the singer chose rang in 2008, at a costume bash in Verbier, Switzerland. Perhaps his next album will have a Jefferson Airplane cover?
No commentsJan 2
She’s back!Elisabeth Hasselbeck will return to the View Monday
Maternity leave is nearly over for The View co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck, who returns to the show on Monday, ABC announced.
Hasselbeck, 30, has been away since Oct. 23. She gave birth to son Taylor Thomas on Nov. 9, her second child with Arizona Cardinals quarterback Tim Hasselbeck.
The conservative co-host’s first day back at the table with Barbara Walters, Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar and Sherri Shepherd will be an hour-long “Hot Topics” episode, with a surprise guest, ABC reports.
“She’s never shy about expressing her view, so “Hot Topics” will be getting a whole lot hotter – especially with the upcoming presidential election,” says ABC. “Whoopi Goldberg and Sherri Shepard joined the show shortly before Elisabeth left, so there wasn’t much opportunity for all five co-hosts to interact. Now there will be a new dynamic at the “Hot Topics” table.”
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