Mental Health Notes - News, Education and Advocacy

Britney Spears: She’s Got Your Crazy

by Alicia Sparks, Mental Health Notes on October 13th, 2008

“You say I’m crazy
I got your crazy”

Yeah, I know they’re just the lyrics to her new song “Womanizer,” but I can’t help but wonder if there isn’t a bit more meaning behind those words, yes?

At some point during the first week of December - the same week her new album, Circus, is scheduled for release - MTV will air an exclusive interview with Britney Spears. According to several articles I’ve read, the most recent being Yahoo! Music’s latest edition of That’s Really Week, Britney tells MTV “I’ve been through a lot in the past two or three years, and there’s a lot that people don’t know.”

This is so often the case regarding anyone who’s experiencing hardships and the people who witness only bits and pieces of those hardships. It’s difficult, if not impossible, for any of us to truly know every single thing another human being is going through, and it’s arrogant, disrespectful, and outright ignorant to assume we do and judge that person based on those assumptions - much less judge that person at all.

(Need some reminding of this? Revisit Get Service.)

While I’m not a huge fan of Britney’s music (the occasional download of the occasional song aside), I have been a fairly solid supporter of her privacy. I understand that well-known public figures can help promote awareness and bust stigma when he or she openly discusses personal mental health issues; however, I seriously dislike it when people ridicule and try to profit from others dealing with mental health problems, I cheer when such ridicule-related profit begins to dwindle, and I support any organization that discourages the public from diagnosing celebrities.

I don’t know if I’ll watch the interview (I didn’t even watch this year’s VMAs, and sort of regretted it when my sister called the next day to rave about how great Britney’s “comeback” look actually looks), but I do wonder if Britney specifically addressed the psychiatric care she received during her troubled times. I hope she didn’t feel pressured to and, as long as she didn’t feel pressured to, I hope that if she does it helps clear the air and perhaps even educate a few viewers about mental health problems, treatment, and the importance of keeping our tongues in check when they’re tempted to start wagging.

In any event, kudos to Britney for regaining control of her life and her health - not to mention all the buzz she’s created with “Womanizer” - hello!

Image: PicApp.com

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POSTED IN: Mental Health Notes