Charlie Sheen Bipolar?
 

Everyone else following the news...I'm seeing some psychologists saying on some news programs that they think Charlie Sheen is probably bipolar. I'm surprised hearing them say that being that it seems like a lot of addicts appear bipolar or narcissistic while they are using. I would think someone would have to be clean for a while before one could even know if the person has a personality disorder or not.

Any mental health professional who thinks he or she can diagnose from media reports is a whack job, IMO.

I agree!

Dr. Drew was assessing his condition. I think that is impossible without Sheen being sober for awhile and then the correct diagnosis made.

But he sure is out there--tmz today interview was really far out--

Usually I don't follow any celebrities, but I was suckered in this time!

No, he's just freakin' crazy.

I shouldn't say that. Shame on me. I have a mentally ill daughter :( But, MAN, he needs some serious help pronto.

The symptoms of mania have a lot in common with drug use - specifically methamphetamine, but some of the delusions and the duration of the episode and the specific claims he is making are eerily similar to manic events I have seen.

I'm not sure about manic. My jury is still out :) He comes across as very narcissistic, very unapologetic and very angry. No where close to being ready for a recovery IMHO. I'm almost embarrassed for the guy. Someone needs to censor him because he's obviously not doing a great job himself.

I can't even bear to watch him. That man needs help. Whatever his diagnosis is.

Yeah, I'm just watching him now--he said "I have just one gear--GO" So not sure if he has the other side of bipolar.

Very wacky. The only good thing is he seems to be a caricature of my AH (the love of the "goddesses", the indignation at CBS for firing him, the defense of "living in the moment" which btw gives mindfulness a bad name) those are all attitudes that AH shares and it's actually therapeutic for me to see this interview on Day 1 of my leave-taking.

He sounds a bit delusional sort of like Gadhafi who says "My people love me. They would die for me". :a108:

My husband was a serious alcoholic who was diagnosed as bipolar, anxiety disorder, sleep disorder, ADHD and on and on... for over 10 years he was prescribed vast amounts of prescription medications to "treat" sad disorders including benzodiazepines.

Attempts to titrate off the meds was impossible for him outside of residential treatment...

shared all that to say that the doctors involved said it would be at least 6 months (his "manic" episodes were usually about 3 months apart) before they could begin to determine where the alcoholism and its symptoms began and potential bipolar/mental illness began.

We are going on 9 months alcohol and illegal/prescription medication free and he has not had a manic episode or any bipolar behavior. He has had his days of PAWS that we both were able to deal with and that passed quickly.

The rich and famous with addiction issues gravitate to doctors that will liberally dispense the "pill for every ill" and it is my educated guess that Sheen is dealing with life and attempts to detox off alcohol and illegal drugs with scripts that are going to derail and sabotage that effort.

Benzo's are deadly mixed with alcohol ... but the effect for the alcoholic is pure utopian bliss for them in their drugged out world while in reality they are blacked out and acting in completely bizarre and even an insane manner.

It is frightening to watch someone self destructing in a world of delusion... for us we see it all the time but the public at large has been getting an idea of how difficult it is for those who are trying to help loved ones through watching the celebrities and their families try to cope with severe addiction.

My sponsor told me one thing when I first got in the program. He said "you can tell who is getting it when you look in their eyes". I started looking around the rooms and see who looked angry, bewildered, belligerent, serene, peaceful and have that got it look. I honestly have been ignoring the media with ole Charlie. Last night I watched a piece on him on the local news. Look at his eyes...he is a very sick man. Don't know what but he is sick....

I watched the abc interview and was surprised to see him act that way and agree to and pass a drug test.

Things like that set a bad example for users in denial that they can close their eyes and make it go away.

The media circus is even worse. Its like they are rewarding bad behavior, much like those socialites that made sex tapes then got famous

I watched some of the interview with Sheen yesterday. He reminded me of someone.....oh yeah....the guy sitting in my back yard sucking beer at this very moment...my AH.

I haven't watched or listened to the media frenzy save for a clip of an interview on the radio driving to work today... Ironically, he was being asked about his father's suggestion that he seek help. Charlie's response: "I'm above all that AA and other nonsense" and then went on to say how pathetic and sorry "those people" were.

That right there tells me that the problem is addiction, pure and simple (ha ha-- not simple at all). He went on to say that he is in complete control and it's others who are unable to see reality...

It was just sad to hear someone so ill and to know that this disease has no boundaries-- rich, poor etc... I hope someday he will want to get help and I also think about his young kids and hope that they are spared ever having to hear the insanity he is saying in these past weeks (has it been weeks?)

As for the mental illness diagnoses, I've personally been told that any diagnosis of a mental illness when someone is actively using needs to be questioned. Doesn't mean it is not there but as others have said, so so many mental illness have the same symptoms as alcoholism so it's a chicken/egg question. My own husband was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder but was actively drinking to excess at this time so while I don't doubt there are underlying mental health issues, I know that whatever it is that is going on with him is exacerbated greatly due to his alcoholism.

Why do you think he is crazy? Doesn't everyone have tiger blood and adonis DNA? I thought so.

I suspect the folks on SR have a very different opinion of the Charlie Sheen story than the rest of the world. It touches some pretty raw nerves. For example:

"On how he cured himself of addiction: I closed my eyes and made it so with the power of my mind, and unlearned 22 years of fiction ... the fiction of AA. It's a silly book written by a broken-down fool."

I laughed and felt gut-punched at the same time when I read this. It's tragic, because for anyone who has lived long enough with an addict it's easy enough to recognize the pattern of post-clean mania and to predict the inevitable crash into the abyss.

It's a train wreck and I can't look away.
I confess I was disappointed that he didn't do another interview today or yesterday. I'm not into twitter. I've never followed a celebrity before, ever!

Why do I want to see his downward spiral?
Because I want to know that the laws of nature apply to all. I want to know that none can rise above humility and succeed with egotism. I want to know that the basic beliefs I have are true, that all must be humble before the laws of nature, logic, reason, and honest love.
But then again, I guess I'll never get what I want, because the Hugh Hefners and Donald Trumps and ruthless rulers of the world are still out there going strong.

One train wreck might satisfy me a little though.

I'm watching Charlie for the same reason I'm still with my ah (not the only reason)
I'm waiting for him to have that aha moment and then go on to admit to the world that he was wrong. That he is an addict and that he does need help.

How sick is that?

never grew up
 

I saw on one of the recent reports that Sheen was a high school dropout. To me that should've been alarm bells decades ago along with his earlier run ins with the law & addiction. I know several people who started partying high school and that's basically where their maturity level & mindset is today.

At best Sheen sounds like some sort of college age frat brother. I think by not completing high school the regular way this slowed down or even prevented his maturity(nothing against GEDs mind you). He simply never grew up especially when he started making money which allowed or enabled him to buy expensive toys, parties and partiers. But with at least 4 kids it's time to grow up. I think he realizes this a little because I saw part of an interview less than a day after they took his kids. I also think he is toying with the media and working them to his advantage. But again playtime is over.

I think the TV talking heads are way out of bounds diagnosing off of tv and internet sources. Besides exploitation of an individual's train wreck I think some of these ex alkies and addicts still want 'that a boy or girls' for them being sober. And by pointing out and even pouncing on someone's else's POSSIBLE troubles it makes their stint more normal-it helps validate their behavior as an addict or alkie.