#FreeBritney Shows Us When “Help” is Not Helpful
How our Mental Health and Legal System is Failing Britney Spears (and So Many Others)
She’s So Lucky, She’s a Star
This past weekend, I was spending time with some girlfriends- an eclectic crew all in their 30s or early 40s who grew up in the Britney Spears era- and the conversation inevitably drifted to her much-publicized conservatorship battle. One friend expressed frustration that everyone was so focused on a celebrity when there were many other vulnerable individuals being exploited and controlled around the world not making headlines. I got to thinking about why I, a Harvard-trained board-certified psychiatrist who does not read TMZ or Page Six, was taking such a keen interest in Britney’s troubles. The reason is simple: If a rich, famous and talented woman like Britney cannot disentangle herself from the tendrils of a dysfunctional mental health and legal system, what hope is there for the rest of us trying to get help for ourselves or our loved ones who live with mental illness?
Britney is one of 1.3 million Ame…