Celebrities on the Mend

News of celebrities coping with severe mental illnesses and related problems often spills over from the gossip pages to real news. The news of the problems typically grabs more attention than recovery efforts. Some news out of Hollywood now shows some hope for Britney Spears. Her struggle with bi-polar disorder has led to host of other problems, most involving custody of her two sons. Now she is being granted some overnight stays with her children, reports USA Today and other sources. The reason is that she has had treatment and the effects were clear to the judge granting the overnight stays.

Spears getting treatment came from a court order. Once again, evidence that treatment works. Certainly her life is moving in the right direction as a result. The estimates of people with a severe mental illness who aren’t receiving treatment range from 35 to 54 percent. Let’s hope that attention drawn to celebrities getting help encourages others to do the same.