Celebrities Complete Disregard for the Law

While watching news and entertainment programs or scanning the Internet, I’ve noticed an amazing number of famous people getting into trouble with the law because of their addictions and inappropriate behaviors. Even when they’ve been caught, arrested and put on probation, they repeat.

The list goes on and on… Here’s a couple: Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Britney Spears. These individuals, some people say, have a complete disregard for the law and think they can do whatever they like…

But that’s not what I think. As a psychiatrist, I’m thinking that when people do something where they know they are going to get caught, and they do it anyway, it’s not about a disregard for the law. They suffer from a mental illness.

These famous people might even be more prone to bipolar with manic episodes than others because they can perform at higher levels and do spectacular things. In many cases, mania allows for very unique thinking, which many consider highly advantageous in the entertainment industry.

Here’s the problem with that. When a person initially enters into the mania, everything seems to go okay, but as it progresses into a full-blown mania, this individual become erratic, impulsive and disorganized. Judgment is severely impaired and he or she makes terrible decisions.

What seems a gift, at first, becomes a nemesis and it destroys them. Why would someone drink and smoke marijuana when on probation and know they will be caught? I think it may very well be this mania.

I also think that their addiction to alcohol or drugs is so severe that they think if they don’t use it, they will die.

This is very common thinking for people who abuse drugs like Xanax, Oxycodon, Roxycontin or Cocaine.

Then there are famous people with panic disorder, a social anxiety that makes them go to great lengths to avoid groups. They might seek out drugs because they feel they are about to die. So even if they are on probation, they may have a panic attack and feel they have to drink or take drugs or else they will die.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is another less understood disorder that some famous people have. That’s when someone has to do something, check, recheck, do and undo. He or she comes off as very bizarre.  “America’s Got Talent” star Howie Mandel has this disorder. He’s obsessed with being touched and getting germs. His obsession is cleanliness and his compulsion is the need to clean.

I’m not making judgments, but these are the thoughts that come to mind of someone who sees patients.