5150: Britney is about to be temporarily committed--right now.

[Maddy McCall]

According to TMZ item, posted 30 minutes ago, Brit's psychiatrist is having her committed. Police are en route to the house now. More drama soon to occur and updates posted on www.tmz.com.


From TMZ:

Sources tell TMZ Britney's psychiatrist visited her tonight -- as we first reported, she is under the daily care of a shrink who is giving her medicine for a bipolar disorder. The shrink was alarmed at her reckless driving and her conduct and has decided Brit needs to be hospitalized on another 5150 hold, meaning she is a danger to herself and others.

He has called for police who are en route. No one has entered the house yet.

Contrary to an online report, Britney has not tried to kill herself.

We're told Lynne Spears is at the house and is upset with the shrink. Sam Lutfi is in favor of the 5150, given Britney's mental state.

Britney is basically non-responsive about the whole thing -- out of it.

UPDATE: Alli Sims just arrived. We're told there is "extreme tension inside the house" between Sam Lutfi and members of Spears' family

[Connonym]

1. good, that girl needs help

she's fucking nuts and I'm repulsed by the media frenzy chronicling her downward spiral. She needs to be left alone to get help.

[zanne]

29. I agree.

It is time to seriously stop picking on Britney. I didn't know she had bipolar disorder. That explains alot of things. She needs help, not more criticism.

[FloridaJudy]

2. Drat!

There's no way to put a popcorn smiley in a headline!

:popcorn:

[Maddy McCall]

3. UPDATE: Ambulance and white vans, police motorcade at her house now.

Per www.x17online.com

X17 claims it's a suicide attempt:


WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30TH, 10:45 P.M. PT - THE WORST HAS HAPPENED - BRITNEY HAS TRIED TO COMMIT SUICIDE.

AN INSIDE SOURCE TELLS X17ONLINE EXCLUSIVELY THAT BRITNEY SPEARS' MOTHER LYNNE IS RUSHING TO BRITNEY'S BEVERLY HILLS HOME WHERE HER DAUGHTER IS NOW.

SAM LUTFI IS AT THE HOME NOW. POLICE IN CARS AND HELICOPTERS ARE THERE NOW.

MORE DETAILS COMING ...

UPDATE - AN AMBULANCE IS ON THE WAY TO BRITNEY'S HOME NOW.

UPDATE - BRITNEY'S MOM LYNNE HAS ARRIVED AT THE HOUSE. TWO POLICE CARS ARE BLOCKING THE ENTRANCE TO BRITNEY'S NEIGHBORHOOD AND POLICE ARE AT BRITNEY'S HOME.

[newmajority]

4. What's the deal with the horrible British accident anyway?

Has she developed Multiple Personality Disorder on top of the Bipolar and whatever else she has going on?

[SeattleGirl]

5. Her family needs to step back, and let this girl get the help she needs.

AND, they need to be edumicated themselves.

They are enabling her destructive behavior, whether they know it or not.

I'm not a Brittany fan, but I am a fan of people getting the help they need, when they need it.

I just wish her family and the media would realize that she's not some sideshow attraction in a circus!

[Maddy McCall]

6. I agree, except for the media part. She's courted the media.

She calls the media to tell the paps where she'll be before she gets there. She's dating a pap. She thrives on the attention...in a sick way.

She is sick. She needs help badly.

[SeattleGirl]

7. You do have a point, Maddy.

And I do agree: she is sick, and she does need help. I just hope she gets it. I don't give a flying freak about her singing career. I just hate to see people go down the drain like she is.

[Maddy McCall]

18. It's a complex, confounding situation.

Bad for all involved.

[newmajority]

8. Wonder what the laws are regarding involuntary commitment in California?

Obviously the documentation is there. Every crazy thing the poor girl does is on videotape.

[SeattleGirl]

10. Not sure about CA in particular, but generally, there is a 72 hour

hold on people in the situation she is in.

Primarily, after that, the person can be released.

That, however, would not do her any good.

I really think she needs long-term treatment.

[newmajority]

12. I meant long-term, actually.

As in, what would it take to actually send her to the state hospital for a few months. I thought I read somewhere she was on prescription meds, but she isn't taking them regularly, so they don't work. It's probably a fair question to ask if she's self-medicating with any "non-prescription" meds - and I don't mean Tylenol.

[SeattleGirl]

13. Sorry; didn't get it at first.

And on that question, usually what has to be determined is whether the person is a danger to themselves or others. Even then, I think there are enough loopholes (and money, in her case) to get around them.

[MonkeyFunk]

16. Initially it's a 72 hour hold

but her doctor can keep her an extra 14 days if he thinks it's warranted.

[Maddy McCall]

19. Just read that.

That if she refuses meds during the 72-hour hold, as is her right, he can put in for a 14-day hold and administer meds as he sees fit.

Supposedly, she went willingly. Tabs are saying that she's been awake since Saturday. She needs medical help, I would assume, after being awake that long.

[Connonym]

11. I would argue that they're taking advantage of her mental illness

and the civilized thing to do would be to leave her alone. Not that I expect them to do the honorable thing. At this point I'd say she's too fucked up to be completely responsible for her behavior and her courting of the media is part of her disease. The whole circus is pretty repulsive. They've shown her bare vulva, they've photographed pictures of her bloody panties and now they're broadcasting her mental breakdown. It's just not right.

[Heidi]

14. Yes, and when the media takes advantage of a mentally ill person, even one who "courts"

the attention, it's exploitation. Disgusting.

[MilesColtrane]

49. She was brought up that way.

She's basically been a performing pony since she was ten years old.
She probably doesn't have any understanding of where she ends and the paparazzi begin.

A person with this kind of unformed personality feels like if there is no one watching them then they cease to exist.

She needs to be committed at length and not allowed contact with her parents.
They're the ones who made her what she is now.

[bridgit]

9. Good Lord that child needs help, it's just sad...

[MonkeyFunk]

15. good

I hope it helps.

[Maddy McCall]

17. Her mom was pissed about her being committed.

TMZ is saying that her mom was questioning her being committed, and that Britney told her mother to "shut the hell up."

She went willingly. She's at UCLA now.

[MonkeyFunk]

20. Christ, and they're

gonna give that woman another baby to raise?

[CreekDog]

32. "Shut the hell up" huh?

There might be a tiny spark of hope in this.

[ScreamingMeemie]

21. I hope this saves her life.

She is a fellow human being after all and the circus that surrounds her makes me sad.

[Maddy McCall]

22. I do, too.

:(

Maybe she'll get good treatment AND privacy at UCLA.

[BlueIris]

23. That says a lot about Lynn Spears. A lot, a lot, a lot.

[Maine-ah]

30. denial

[BlueIris]

34. And her narcissistic desire to put her own needs regarding her daughter's *image,*

above her daughter's now life-or-death need for medical help.

[LynneSin]

42. Oh - and her parenting book is suppose to be a "go" again

Perhaps it'll be a good warning of what NOT to do to raise a child. One daughter is a nut job being committed and the other is a teenage pregnancy statistic.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

24. The first thing she needs is for the media to step back

and turn the spotlight away from her. The second thing she needs is a new mom.

[Skittles]

25. I think the paparazzi should be arrested for stalking her

they don't give that gal a moment's peace - it's criminal

[GoddessOfGuinness]

53. It is criminal...

And I don't believe "it's the price people pay for fame and fortune". Something should be done.

[FloridaJudy]

59. Absolutely!

This is a freaking circus. For once I agree with that Emo teen on YouTube: leave Britney alone!

I'm dealing with a seriously bipolar relative right now. Gods know it's hard enough as it is: getting every 15 minute bulletins from TMZ wouldn't help. I hope now that she's at UCLA, she'll get some competent care. Getting her away from that idiotic family and the media vultures would be a good start.

Sorry if I've just maligned vultures. They're elegant birds who perform a vital role in nature, unlike the paparazzi.

[LynneSin]

26. There you go folks - she is officially the Neely O'hara of our generation

Started out as a child in the industry - CHECK
Skyrocketed to fame - CHECK
Married someone she should have - CHECK
Drug Addiction - CHECK
Had Kids taken from her - CHECK
Committed - CHECK

Only difference between her and Neely - Neely didn't have any family although Britney has been estranged from her.

[LeftyFingerPop]

27. I wonder if a dear friend of ours, rather than Britney, was struggling...

with bi-polar disorder....

I wonder if our friend's problems would be commented on like this on a message board.

Anyone can have bi-polar disorder, and it may cause the same problems that Britney is having.

This is not unique to her.

[fizzgig]

35. ...

:hug:

[LeftyFingerPop]

38. ...

:hug:

[Sock Puppet]

46. This is true. I don't see anyone mocking her here though.

We know celebrities as well as, if not better than, our closest friends. Is it a surprise that we feel concern for someone like Britney, whom we have known since she was a teen?

[LeftyFingerPop]

47. Well...

"We know celebrities as well as, if not better than, our closest friends".

I don't know anything at all about any celebrity.

All I know about any celebrity is what the media shows me.

[Sock Puppet]

48. I meant to say that we feel like we know them

But I agree with you. It's all very sad.

[LeftyFingerPop]

52. Yes I agree with that statement...

We do tend to feel that we know them, and it is indeed sad.

We can only hope that someday, everyone with both mental and physical illnesses will be able to get the help they need and deserve as a human being.

Have a nice day. :hi:

[DS1]

28. Jesus. Motorcade and "FAA clearance"

What is this world coming to?

[Tektonik]

31. She's going to kill herself, and it's sad to see

I wish a judge somewhere would set a huge restraining order on all the paparazzi to be at least 1 mile away from her at all times.

[ScreamingMeemie]

33. Oh how I agree with you.

I just know that is what is going to happen.

This is a woman who needs just one person to tell her that she, as a human being and not a celebrity, is important.

[newmajority]

54. Sadly, people have already bet on her in "celebrity death pools"

I had no idea people actually spent money on such things, but apparently so. You get smaller payoffs for the old celebrities who would be expected to drop dead, and high payoffs for someone younger. Sick form of entertainment, but then the Romans used to watch lions eat people for fun, so go figure.

[StrongBad]

36. Why doesn't she just leave LA???

She needs peace, quiet and time to get out of the limelight in order to have the paps forget about her. A nice country atmosphere would do her good for a little bit and might help to restore her sanity.

I can't imagine leading a life (even without bipolar disorder) whereby all my moves were scrutinized and broadcast across the country in various mediums.

[Heidi]

37. I don't think we can expect folks with mental illness to make rational choices.

As I've said here before, two of my dearest friends live daily on the edge of suicide due to mental illness. Both are now receiving long-term psychiatric care, but when they were off their meds and/or untreated, I couldn't look at their choices even as true choices, really.

The sad thing is, there's still a huge amount of stigma attached to mental illness; I find that completely sad. I believe in extending the same degree of compassion, regardless of whether the illness is mental or physical.

(Sorry for the long post. I'd been meaning to say all of this for a long time.)

[LeftyFingerPop]

40. I agree with you...

I do not think that there would be these posts about Britney if she had a heart condition rather than bi-polar disorder.

There is something that draws people to make comments about the symptoms of mental illness (irrational behavior, etc.).

If Britney had a heart attack, I doubt that there would be endless threads talking about her chest pains and shortness of breath.

Good post Heidi.

[Heidi]

43. I've known several people who were afraid to seek treatment for bipolar disorder

and other illnesses simply because they were afraid that "word would get out" that they were being treated for a "mental illness." And I don't believe such fears are entirely unfounded, given our culture's very narrow view of the matter. Very, very sad, and I think it's incumbent upon the rational among us to break down those barriers.

:hug: <-- For you, philboy.

[LeftyFingerPop]

44. I've said in here many times that...

the brain is just another organ in our body, and the mind lives where the body lives.

Your view of mental illness, and your willingness to talk about it in the manner that you do, is a positive force that will help eliminate the stigma.

:hug:

[jakefrep]

39. Like all this media coverage helps the situation

It's none of our business.

:eyes:

[Rob H.]

41. I have a friend who's a clinical social worker

and back when Britney walked into a salon and shaved her own head, one of the first things he said was, "Based on the way she's acting out, she might be bipolar." (She was doing other crazy things at the time, too.) I hope she gets the help she needs.

[Fox Mulder]

45. Hopefully she'll get the help she needs.

I wish the media would leave her alone.

[azmouse]

50. I feel sorry for her.

She was attractive as a teen, and while I didn't care for her music, enough people did to make her wealthy, and she has two beautiful boys.
She should have the world by the ass right now and she's throwing it all away. I hope she gets the help she needs.

[ScreamingMeemie]

56. She was used by her family.

And is, essentially, out of her element. I wish her only the best. We lose too many young people.

[marzipanni]

51. Living life in a fishbowl with people tapping the glass constantly

would be enough to drive anyone crazy.
I wish a real mother figure would whisk her away to an undisclosed location for some serious R&R and therapy.
Fame is a double-edged sword and it takes skill and maturity, and sometimes perhaps a bit of assist to one's brain chemistry, to handle it well.

[Westegg]

55. I TOTALLY get her now...

...after seeing her on that recent video ordering her boyfriend out of the driver's seat of her car, speaking with the affected British accent. She's bi-polar. Clearly! I know that's the conventional wisdom, but it REALLY hit home when I saw that video, and I saw a former girlfriend of mine who was also bi-polar, and it was frigging identical! A very weird flashback. But quite accurate.

Quite simply, she needs to be on meds and she needs therapy. To the extent that her celebrity, her wealth, and the toxic people around her (who can be found around most celebrities) are to blame for delaying this help for years? That's just fucking tragic. In this case, these toxic people include her fucked-up parents. Double tragedy.

[qwertyMike]

57. Thank God

Poor woman

[Donk Yore]

58. I've wondered to what extent

huge amounts of various drugs taken over a period of probably years contributed to this. She may never be able to regain her sanity even with psychiatric meds. Her brain may be just fried. Not hoping or wishing for this, but I've seen it happen to others.