Amanda Bynes Diagnosed With Bipolar Disorder And Schizophrenia

For months people have been talking about the behavior of Amanda Bynes. Her very open and outlandish Tweets that included pictures of herself, one with a caption commenting on how fat she looks. Amanda’s behavior has been a true cause for concern, and now it seems a lot of it can be explained: Ms. Bynes has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

The dual diagnosis comes as the result of Amanda’s care at the UCLA Medical Center. Her parents reportedly intervened and had Amanda committed to the psychiatric center where, based on her “concerning state of wellbeing”, doctors requested she be put on a psychiatric hold.

Private Treatment Center

Amanda has since been relocated to a private treatment center, outside of Los Angeles, for what they are calling “specialized treatment.” The recommendation came from the UCLA Medical Center staff and news sources report that Rick and Lynn Bynes issued a statement about their daughter’s recent hospitalization and why she changed treatment locations: “Amanda was stuck with people in much worse condition than her. She was scared, afraid and did not leave her immediate room area. She is getting specialized psych care, one on one treatment, not drug rehab.”

90 Days In Treatment

The plan is for Amanda to spend at least 90 days in the facility she and her family have chosen, which has not been publicly confirmed, but is said to specialize in and focus on mental health care. Most likely the program is dual diagnosis, meaning it will treat each of Amanda’s diagnoses at the same time.

She will create an individualized treatment plan, with a therapist, to address the symptoms of each disorder, to adopt coping skills and tools for each, and to heal underlying emotional pain that has kept Amanda sick. Dual diagnosis clients receive concurrent treatment for both disorders, so in Amanda’s case, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, and potentially an eating disorder, will all be treated.

What is Bipolar Affective Disorder?

What used to be called manic depression is now called Bipolar Affective Disorder and comes in two forms, Bipolar I and Bipolar II. Those suffering from either type go through periods of extreme mania and extreme depression without warning of a shift, and with onset occurring in a person’s twenties.

Mania involves a persistent, elevated, and irritated mood, inflated self-esteem, decreased need for sleep, talkativeness, distractibility, increased goal-directed activity, and excessive involvement in activities that seem to be pleasurable, but that actually have a high potential for negative consequences, like drug and alcohol abuse, gambling, or unsafe sex.

Episodes Of Major Depression

The episodes of major depression include lack of interest in activities, disturbances in sleep and appetite patterns, an inability to concentrate, feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness, feelings of inadequacy, and suicidal thoughts.

The greatest danger of untreated Bipolar Affective Disorder is the potential for frequent suicidal thoughts and actual suicide attempts.

What is Schizophrenia?

This mental illness, categorized as a thought disorder, is chronic and is estimated to affect around 1% of the entire population with onset generally in the late teen and early adult years. Those suffering from its symptoms are said to experience hallucinations (false physical perceptions), delusions (false beliefs), inappropriate affect (illogical emotional responses), ambivalence while making decisions, poor association (difficulty connecting thoughts and ideas), inability to care for oneself, disorganized speech, a detachment from reality, poor job performance, and strained relationships.

Schizophrenics often self-medicate the symptoms with drugs and alcohol, not knowing the origin or how else to cope. The complications of the illness with cocaine, amphetamines, uppers (like MDMA or ecstasy), psychedelics (LSD, PCP, or peyote), and alcohol can lead to misdiagnosis because drug effects overlap with the disorder’s symptoms.

How Does Treatment Work for Both Disorders?

An assessment for anyone presenting for treatment helps to identify exactly where treatment efforts should be focused. If a client is found to have clinically appropriate diagnoses for Bipolar Affective Disorder and Schizophrenia, the care will include therapeutic interventions and medication management for each disorder at the same time.

If this client has also been abusing substances and engaged in the behaviors of an eating disorder (E.D.), specific treatment modalities will also be added to the treatment plan that focus on abstinence from drugs, alcohol, and E.D. behaviors.

Assessment

When a client enters treatment, an assessment guides the treatment team toward a recommendation for care. The team is educated, trained, and experienced in the healing of people like Amanda Bynes, who have been suffering from one or more mental illnesses and have been self-medicating in an effort to cope and to feel better.

If you, or someone you care about, is showing signs of mental illness, substance abuse or addiction, an eating disorder, or any combination of these disorders, contact a qualified reputable treatment center.

John Lloyd works for Serenity Malibu and has a passion for helping people in addiction recovery learn more about his work at http://www.serenitymaliburehab.com/.

Image Credit: 1, 2.

What People Think About Hair Loss

An Infographic for Hair Loss that represents valuable data from International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery. The infographic is answering a lot of questions regarding hair transplant and hair loss in general. The survey questions have been answered by 595 respondents from various democraphics. The survery is trying to see how people and celebrities understand Hair and hair loss today.

The purpose of the ISHRS Hair  Transplant Challenge Survey was to gather information on attitudes towards hair loss and hair replacement and to test respondents’ ability to find out people who had a hair transplant procedure. 595 people had participated in the survey and provided responses. A sample size of 595 has a margin of error of about /- 4.0 percent at the 95 percent confidence level. Respondents were asked to provide their sex and age prior to answering questions about hair  loss and replacement. The majority of respondents were male (68.7 percent).  Respondents were most likely to be between the age of 18 to 29 (31.6 percent) or 30 to 39 years of age (23.2 percent). Over 3/4 of respondents (77.3%) were between 21 and 50 years of age.

HDC is a Hair transplant clinic with offices in UK, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Romania, Spain and Israel. It provides the latest effective hair transplant methods to patients all over the world

Kate Middleton. Princess And Hair Icon

Long hair makes us all feel like a princess, and with that in mind, who better to turn to for inspiration when getting that regal look and feel than our actual princess?

   Kate Middleton didn't soar her way to the crown, and into our nation's hearts for that matter, for no reason.  She has a winning smile, radiant skin and absolutely stunning hair!  She makes every girl not only want to be a beautiful, glamourous and educated princess, but also manages to make some at least really rather glad they happen to be brunettes.  Me included!

   She just emanates a subtly distinguished air, of being endowed with an innate royal character, much like her husband, Prince William's, much loved mum Princess Diana, who also boasted, for her time, some particularly beautiful blond hair.  But where Diana's hair was short and distinguished Kate's is long, full of volume and vitality. 

She has three main distinctive looks that form the basis of her becoming a hair icon,

Down and Decadent.  This is Kate's signature look.  She is well known for wearing her hair completely down, letting it fall past her shoulders to it's full, long length.  Usually parted at the centre or slightly to one side of her head her hair is given a lot of volume, rising up bouncily before falling in a stream of sleek waves and curls on either side of her face. 

Up, Down, Up Town.  Recently Kate has started to break out, or rather break up, but not in a bad way, and whilst still making the most of her lengthy hair, leaving the majority of it tumbling down in it's usual fashion, in an abundance of curls, some of it, rather than falling on either side of her lovely face, is pulled up and away from it.  Letting us all take a look at her radiant, glowing skin and genuine smile.  Still natural, but a slightly more face framing look, there is an added element of sophistication that goes into her half up, half down do that is simply stunning.

Up and Up.  Class.  Whilst our darling Duchess of Cambridge doesn't often throw all of her hair up and away from her face, every once in a while she stuns us by breaking out this flattering and fabulous style.  Often kept simple at the front, letting her face steal the attention, though when taking a slightly different angle, and looking at it from behind one can see that whilst still effortlessly stylish, actually rather a lot of effort has gone into getting that hair up!  The back is usually, more likely than not, full of delicate swirls and braids that form her feminine and elegant hairstyle.

Yet, whatever style her hair happens to be in it is always enviably glossy, sleek, shiny and well maintained.  I doubt she's ever known a split end in her life! 

    She is a princess in every sense of the word, even emerging from hospital after the birth of her baby with divine, healthy and natural looking hair.  A simple centre parting and slightly lighter ends added texture to her hair, and emphasised her typical and eternally impressive curls and waves, which were not completely groomed into existence with the birth of her baby, but were nonetheless present.  Gorgeous!

    Obviously we can't talk about Kate and her gorgeous hair without paying mention to her wedding day.  Besides the beautiful and elegant dress she was sporting her hair also looked divine.  Perhaps more dark than she usually wears it, or else appearing so in contrast to her pure white dress.  Hair pulled slightly back and away from her face but falling in very elaborate curls down passed her shoulders, her hair was kept behind them, and topped off with a tiara and long Cinderella-esque veil, allowing her hair and her dress to shine in equal measure. 

    All in all, it is safe to say that our divine Duchess is an absolute hair inspiration, pulling off any of her simplistic yet effective styles with grace and ease, it's no wonder she's a princess!

Abi Sehmi has a real love of beauty. She is currently blooging for VixenandBlush.com about hairstyles.

Image Credit: 1.

Big Brother's Lydia Scott-Lee Has Laser Eye Surgery

Lydia Scott-Lee, famed for her roles in Mammia Mia and appearing in Big Brother 13 had laser eye surgery earlier this September.

The dancer, married to Pop Idol and 3SL star Andy, had suffered with contact lenses for years, often finding them uncomfortable when dancing and swimming.

But in September she went for a free consultation at a clinic in Manchester, and just ten days later was enjoying 20/20 vision.

Recently married in June this year, Lydia said: “I heard of Freedom Vision through a friend of mine. I had contemplated it for many years but it felt like the right time to take it further has I was tired of wearing contact lenses!

“The consultation was very quick but also very thorough. I was thrilled to be able to have the treatment about a week and a half later. I wasn't nervous beforehand because I was so well informed about everything. I felt completely at ease. I was more excited than nervous.”

Scott-Lee will be most famous for appearing in Big Brother 13, where she was the fourth housemate to be evicted. She was also an extra in Mamma Mia, and has appeared in music videos by some of the industries biggest names including Kanye West and Kylie Minogue.

“The treatment lasted about ten minutes, and by the next day my vision was pretty much 85% normal, and by day two it was 100%! Now my vision is far better than when I was wearing contact lenses which is amazing. I would without doubt recommend Freedom Vision and I already have been telling all my friends and family, some of whom will be booking in for a consultation,” she continued.

Over 30 million people around the world have undergone laser eye treatments for poor vision, cataracts and numerous other visual ailments. But for Lydia it was the irritant of having to wear contact lenses and glasses that was worse, especially as a professional dancer and keen swimmer.

“Laser Eye Surgery has changed my day to day life immensely. Contact lenses/glasses can restrict activity like swimming and flying, but they can also just be a bit of an annoyance and make your eyes itchy.

“I'm so glad I made a decision to have the treatment!”

She married her partner of over five years in June in a wedding that was covered by OK! Magazine in Las Vegas.

She said: "Andy and I have always had a good relationship with OK! Magazine, they have always been very supportive of our relationship so it was only natural to have our wedding covered by people that we trust and it gave viewers of Big Brother and whoever else supports us a chance to see and hear all about our wedding. Hopefully we proved an Las Vegas wedding doesn't have to be tacky!"

Lydia is set to appear alongside side husband Andy in a production of Aladdin this Christmas at Broxbourne Civic Hall in Hertfordshire. For more information about Freedom Vision, you can visit their website.

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Arthur Wilson is a journalist from Manchester. You can follow him on twitter @Ayup_Arthur.