| Take a look at the tabloid scene today and, chances | | | | accusations might have on Spears' mental health |
| are, you'll see nothing but second-guesses and | | | | (which they have declined to speculate on), but also on |
| armchair diagnoses of Britney Spears' mental health | | | | the public perception of psychology and psychiatry as |
| problems. Everything from anxiety disorder to | | | | a whole. According to them, a proper diagnosis |
| depression, from bi-polar disorder to schizophrenia | | | | emerges from several consultations and meetings with |
| have been blamed for her recent (and not so recent) | | | | the patient, and not merely the observations of |
| behavior. Just a few months prior, the tabloids were | | | | “ridiculous” behavior that the tabloids were |
| doing the exact same thing to Tom Cruise, especially | | | | making. Even licensed, experienced professionals |
| after that infamous moment where he jumped up and | | | | cannot create a final diagnosis without having spent |
| down Oprah's couch like a hyperactive, spoiled brat on | | | | quite a bit of time with the patient. They also state that |
| a sugar high. However, according to the American | | | | the behavior displayed by the media, which is selected |
| Psychoanalytic Association, this act of “armchair | | | | to entice the largest reaction out of people, is limited |
| psychoanalysis” may do more harm than good for | | | | and, thus, impossible to develop a proper diagnosis |
| Britney Spears, or pretty much anyone that is | | | | from. |
| subjected to the same treatment. | | | | Another problem that worries the ASA is the possibility |
| One of the many things that the ASA, along with | | | | that these diagnoses will be taken by the general public |
| several other mental health professionals, finds | | | | as fact. This stems from the fact that Britney Spears' |
| disturbing is the fact that most of these diagnoses are | | | | celebrity status, combined with the incorrect diagnoses |
| invalid. In a number of cases, assigning problems like | | | | and outright “labeling” by the tabloids, can give |
| anxiety disorder or bi-polar disorder to someone other | | | | the general public drastic misconceptions on the nature |
| than the therapist or psychiatrist whom one has never | | | | of mood and anxiety disorders. It might also cause |
| met personally is unprofessional and dangerous. Even | | | | people to mistakenly attempt to “self-diagnose” |
| with the comprehesive coverage by news media, it still | | | | their problems and attribute them to one disorder or |
| can't detail everything that goes on in a person's life, | | | | another. |
| and even if it could, it still couldn't reveal what exactly | | | | The ASA, along with the National Institute of Mental |
| was going on in a person's head. The ASA is also | | | | Health is concerned that this might lead to the general |
| worried that these diagnoses showing up on the | | | | public developing a viewpoint that over-simplifies |
| tabloids are being made by uninformed laymen, who | | | | mental illnesses, which is not the case. The human |
| have no idea how to properly discern the signs and | | | | mind, as well as all disorders or illnesses that it |
| symptoms of a mental illness. They contend that while | | | | contracts, is a complex structure. They also point out |
| Britney's behavior might show “classic” signs of | | | | that attempting to diagnose any mental illness when |
| being bi-polar, it might actually be some rare form of | | | | the patient might have a substance abuse problem is |
| anxiety disorder. | | | | highly improbable during the best of circumstances, let |
| The ASA is concerned not only with the impact such | | | | alone under media-controlled scrutiny. |