A psychiatrist analyzes Britney Spears

Not surprisingly, she thinks her latest antics are a cry for help:

Britney Spears shaved her head in a desperate bid to make sure she’s not hurt by a man again, a leading US psychiatrist has claimed.
Dr Carole Lieberman said the singer’s bizarre behaviour – which saw her visit a Los Angeles tattoo parlour where she cut off her hair – is a classic cry for help.
And she said that by making herself less feminine, Spears is telling men to stay away.
She said: “Shaving her head is a rebellious move that is meant to prevent herself from being hurt by another man.
“By making herself less attractive she is cutting off her femininity.
“She is saying, ‘I don’t want men to touch me – not just physically, but my heart.’”

Comments

Anonymous
I dunno about that, I think she’s more attractive without the hair.
britjeanspears.org
She needs help. She’s crazy
http://www.britjeanspears.org
Anonymous
The fact that Britney Spears’ name is on Kevin, MD is surely a sign of the apocalypse.
Anonymous
A cry for help? This is what our vaunted medical training system is producing these days? Quick, someone call the waaaaahmbulance.
Anonymous
Seems to me it is more like a cry for attention. It is the children that need to cry for help.
Anonymous
Actually, who cares?
Anonymous
Hasn’t anyone told these doctors that commenting on the mental health of public figures is unethical?
If they haven’t examined her, that can’t know what they are talking about, and if they had, it would be unethical to comment.
Gasman
So show me any previously published work by a medical ethicist that describes the free exercise of public expression of opinion by docs as being against medical ethics.
Opinions generated after the fact (shorn hair) don’t count becaues we don’t want to hear an ethicists off the cuff reaction; we only want well thought out arguments a priori.
Anonymous
Actually the AMA code of medical ethics with special annotations for psychiatry states:
“On occasion psychiatrists are asked for an opinion about an individual who is in the light of public attention or who has disclosed information about himself/herself through public media. In such circumstances, a psychiatrist may share with the public his or her expertise about psychiatric issues in general. However, it is unethical for a psychiatrist to offer a professional opinion unless he or she has conducted an examination and has been granted proper authorization for such a statement.”
This came was a result of the smear campaign against Goldwater in 1964 which included one or more prominent psychiatrists commenting about his psychodynamics and mental health.
Anonymous
The preceeding comment is well taken . I remember the fiasco with Barry Goldwater and it was an embarrasment to the psychiatric profession .
The formation of a theory or hypothesis by a lay person may be acceptable . No symtom or behavior can be undestood scientifically with out personal data in depth , and even then the hypotesis may be refined or tossed out by further understanding. Is intuition in the public arena permissible ? Are ideas stated with uncertainty useful to open new understanding ?
I would like to suggest that I know little or nothing about Ms Spears. Carole Lieberman my be correct. My intuition suggests that Briitany is struggling to grow but has no idea how. Her hair will regrow and be new someday . Her old hair like her history was shorn. She needs a new self/identity /femininty … baldness is a new beginning. Tatoos are new markings on her body which is symbolic of a new self where she interfaceswith the world outside and looks different and new. I have little doubt about sexual symbolism here , but for me a new feminine self is symbolically emerging . Is this real grouth ? No its not so simple . Children assume new selves all the time wearing costumes in play from Superman to Barbie. Brittany is making a magical effort to improve , a symbolic attempt in play. Her motives seem bizarre ut with the Carole Lieberman s of this world helping , she might succeed ……T i f
Anonymous
The preceding comment is well taken . I remember the fiasco with Barry Goldwater and it was an embarrassment to the psychiatric profession .
The formation of a theory or hypothesis by a lay person may be acceptable . No symptom or behavior can be understood scientifically with out personal data in depth , and even then the hypothesis may be refined or tossed out by further understanding. Is intuition in the public arena permissible ? Are ideas stated with uncertainty useful to open new understanding ?
I would like to suggest that I know little or nothing about Ms Spears. Carole Lieberman my be correct. My intuition suggests that Briitany is struggling to grow but has no idea how. Her hair will regrow and be new someday . Her old hair like her history was shorn. She needs a new self/identity /femininity … baldness is a new beginning. Tattoos are new markings on her body which is symbolic of a new self and appearance. Skin is the interface with the world outside. Tattoos make her appear different and new looks different and new. I have little doubt about sexual symbolism here , but for me a new feminine self is symbolically emerging . Is this real growth ? No its not that simple . Outside appearance change is not real change inside . Children assume new selves all the time wearing costumes in play, from Superman to Barbie. Brittany is making a magical effort to improve , a symbolic attempt in play. Her motives seem bizarre but with the Carole Liebermans of this world helping , she might succeed on the inside too ……T i f
Anonymous
use last one –spelling corrected etc

A psychiatrist analyzes Britney Spears

Related Stories

More in Uncategorized

Comments

Site

Channels

Subscribe

Related Stories

More in Uncategorized

Comments

Site

Channels