I’m concerned about Britney, too
Posted by Deborah Clark Ebel on February 8, 2008
Britney Spears was released from the Resnick Neuropsychiatric unit at UCLA Medical Center earlier this week, following a short stay.
According to People magazine, a court official overrode physicians’ opinions that Britney needed further inpatient care and should remain in the hospital. Dr. Deborah Nadel, who issued the 72-hour hold on Britney, and another identified psychiatrist, had wanted Britney to remain in the hospital for treatment for at least 14 days. This type of hearing is held at the hospital to determine—judicially, not psychiatrically— whether the continued confinement of a patient is justified. The hearing referee takes into consideration only whether or not a person’s “rights” are being violated, not whether or not the patient needs treatment. Britney’s recent behavior has been grossly self-destructive, but unless she decides to seek treatment herself or unless and until she has been determined to pose an immediate danger to herself or others, I believe she will continue her downward spiral.
While we certainly should never trample on people’s civil rights, our laws in regard to mental health care certainly need an overhaul. The very laws that are in place to protect Brittany may be contributing to her demise. I strongly believe in the rights that America has provided for our citizens, but we have come to confuse the “idea” of rights with what’s good and true and “right”. Would not Britney, if she were thinking clearly, want to be saved from herself? I think so.
After Britney’s discharge from the hospital, her parents issued a statement saying that they “believe her life is presently at risk.”
In an earlier post, I recommended Pete Earley’s book, Crazy, as an excellent example of a parent of an adult child trying desperately to secure needed psychiatric care for that adult child despite the judicial system’s refusal to ensure that that care is provided. If you haven’t had a chance to read it, I encourage you to pick up a copy. Can the problem possibly be any clearer than to see America’s pop princess deteriorating before our very eyes?
