One month ago, all reports made it clear that Amanda Bynes was doing well. That was, of course, a relief.
But recovery is seldom a linear process. Particularly when it comes to mental illness, childhood trauma, and the complexities of life.
Last Saturday, she realized that she was having a mental health crisis and contacted authorities. Amanda ended up in a psychiatric hold.
Now, authorities have extended that hold while doctors work with Amanda. But she won’t be going home any time soon.
Over the weekend, the LAPD detained Amanda Bynes, placing her on a 5150 psychiatric hold. That hold means a 72-hour detention to determine if she might be a danger to herself.
What happened was that, on Saturday morning, they received a call from a woman in distress.
That woman turned out to be Amanda herself. The 37-year-old former actor had contacted emergency responders because she knew that she needed help.
TMZ was the first tabloid to report on this, sharing that she remained “calm” during the interaction with police.
However, eyewitness accounts described Amanda as looking “defeated” during this.
Meanwhile, Entertainment Tonight reported that Amanda is doing her best to take care of herself. There is just one issue.
“Amanda was doing better recently and trying her best to take care of herself,” an insider reported.
“She has been making an effort to go to AA meetings, trying to hang out with sober people, and she looked good,” the source shared.
The insider then described: “The only problem is she is inconsistent about taking her medication, which causes issues.”
“When Amanda was admitted to a mental facility a few months ago, things weren’t going as well for her,” the insider went on.
The source described: “She was very distressed, concerned about her past and reputation, surrounding herself with the wrong people who were bad influences, and not taking her medication.”
Meanwhile, the insider said that her loved ones “want her to get home safe and get settled. She is a great girl who means well and wants to get better.”
Now, TMZ reports that Amanda will remain under psychiatric observation for “at least another week.” In this time, doctors will try to stabilize her with medications and therapy.
Simply put, it sounds like Amanda is in a cycle that will sound familiar to many people with mental illness (and their loved ones). They take medication, then they feel better and stop taking it. Then, symptoms return.
Fortunately, it doesn’t sound like this is likely to bring about a new conservatorship petition. Amanda is a grown woman with inalienable human rights. We just hope that she can find a medication routine that works for her. She deserves to live her best life.
Simon Delott
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