I for one am getting sick of the
media circus that revolves around Charlie Sheen. It reminds me of a group
of sharks circling around a bloodied and dying mammal, waiting for an
opportunity to move in for the kill.
It may well be that Charlie Sheen
has a mental health problem. He may also have a mental disorder: bipolar
illness has been suggested by some. He may be suffering from the
emotional, cognitive and behavioral effects of substances. Or it may be
all of the above. Or it may be something else.
Armchair diagnostician’s aside, it
is simply not possible to come to a substantive conclusion about the presence
or absence of a mental illness such as bipolar disorder without careful,
comprehensive and detailed analysis of presenting problems and a life history. The
same goes for any other psychiatric diagnosis, including substance abuse and
personality disorders. Nobody can speak with any authority about Mr. Sheen
based on media reports!
Personally, I find it sad that so
many do. I also find it sad that we as a society seem to revel in the
difficulties and life problems of those who we have made celebrities. This
is not fair to them and certainly does not say much about us.
Recently, Dr. Paul Keedwell wrote a
thoughtful piece on this issue. Actually, it has been the first thoughtful
piece I have read in the media about this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12701154. As
for me, I think the media circus should stop. Let us leave Mr. Sheen alone
so that he can start to address his concerns in private. Send the sharks
away.
--Stan
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