The Celebrity Condition

Paris Hilton is disturbed

Paris is trying to get out of testifying in the $10 million slander suit against her. How? By having a psychiatrist say that she is "not capable of any meaningful participation" in the trial because she is so scared about her upcoming jail term. Yes, that could cause anxiety and distraction I would imagine - all things with which normal people must struggle when testifying in court. Or maybe it's just that she's unable to string a coherent sentence together or think past how to accessorize for the day. It does appear that she is at least pretending to read The Secret, which probably won't help make her any more coherent.

Paris Hilton is psychologically unsound [The Superficial]

Good causes and bad procedures

Jessica Alba, Mandy Moore, Sheryl Crow and others walk for women's cancer reserasch at Revlon Run/Walk 2007 [Just Jared]
Brooke Shields campaigns for postpartum depression research [A Socialite's Life]
Celebrities get plastic surgery [City Rag]
Victoria Beckham gets A LOT of pastic surgery [Celebrity Nation]
Lily Allen calls herself chubby and yearns for gastric bypass [Female First]

Monday Quick Links

Victoria Beckham gets XTREME on the slopes [I'm Not Obsessed]
Calista Flockhart ashamed of eating? [A Socialite's Life]
Matt LeBlanc is going gray [Just Jared]
Fergie used to do a lot of drugs, now goes to hypnotherapy [Femalefirst]
Eek, look how skinny Jenna Jameson is [The Superficial]
Why am I not surprised that Anna Nicole Smith was popping at least 20 pills a day? [Celebrity Nation]

Does Paula Abdul have trichotillomania?

Supposedly Paula Abdul's got some sort of neurological disorder for which she may or may not be taking medication. It doesn't sound fun - something about body-wide burning pain - and could explain her seriously drugged/drunk-seeming behavior. According to The National Enquirer, she's so anxious that she's pulling out clumps of her hair. This "nervous tic" could be the side effect of medication, or it could be the mental disorder trichotillomania, which is often caused by stress, and which is characterized by the recurrent urge to pull out hair from the scalp, face and body. According to Wikipedia, 1-2% of the population  suffer from this condition, 65% of which are women. Sounds like girlfriend needs some Prozac, STAT!

 

Rosie O'Donnell is ... nuts

I'm sorry, but hanging upside down for 15 minutes a day "releases the serotonin"? WTH?!?

Thursday Quick Links

Is it post-partum depression for Britney? [Dlisted]
Matthew Broderick gets an old-fashioned workout [TMZ]
Indiana Jones is BACK (and low cartb)! [Celebrity Nation]
Matty Pants McConaughey is BACK (and still shirtless)! [Just Jared]
Queen Helen eats a burger [Daily Mail]
The Olsen twins' new ... nutrition show? [Femalefirst]
Madonna's workout [Daily Mail]

Monday Quickies

George Clooney has his eyes done [Daily Mail]
Amy Winehouse claims she's going to sober up [Female First]
Britney Spears's suicide attempts [Egotastic]
Courtney Love's ever-changing mask, er, face [Golden Fiddle]
Angelina Jolie gets scary thin [Bricks and Stones]

Britney's mad as hell

Britney Spears is back in rehab for the third time, after going a little more nuts last night on both the paparazzi and her ex-husband. There was some cursing and some umbrella-brandishing involved. I am truly concerned about the poor girl, especially since it looks like there's a possibility she could lose custody of her two young boys. I'm glad she's in a place where she can get help and hopefully have some privacy for once. My thoughts are with you, Britney.

Britney Spears beats up helpless cars [The Superficial]
Britney Rages [X17online]

Caprice is only skiing

Yesterday it was reported that model and reality star Caprice had overdosed on painkillers and checked into London's Priory clinic on suicide watch. Today her spokesman says she's not in rehab, and is instead doing fine and on a short skiing vacation with her boyfriend. Phew!

Caprice Says No To Rehab Claims [FemaleFirst]

Britney Spears goes back to rehab

You don't have to have an advanced degree in psychology (which I do, by the way) to know that Britney Spears is in an extreme emotional state right now. She left rehab after one day and proceeded to shave her head and get several tattoos. Now she's gone back to rehab, which is probably the best place for her to be right now. There, she will be able to get the professional help she needs and stay in a safe environment.

My feeling is that there are a few reasons why a woman shaves her head: 1. She's a college freshman experimenting with bisexualilty 2. She's just broken up with a particularly burdensome man and feels the need to cleanse herself 3. She's having a nervous breakdown and has lost touch with her sense of self. I'm going to say that in Britney's case it may be #2 and #3, although KFed threatening to test her hair for drug use as part of their custody battle may also have something to do with it. Shaving one's head, for a woman, is a certain kind of rebellious act. It is a way to assert control over your appearance, rise above your identification as a female "object" and shed your past identity. Obviously, these are pertinent issues for a girl who has grown up in the spotlight and lives with the paparazzi's and tabloids' attention 24/7. I think Britney will learn a lot from what she's going through right now, and may come out a stronger, more self-aware adult in the end.

That said, I can't help but think of Travis Bickle when I see pictures of Bald Britney.

Britney Spears: Bald and in Rehab [Just Jared]
Brit fears led to rehab [NY Daily News]

Femalefirst Roundup

What? Being overweight hindered a musician's career? I'm shocked. [FF]
Mary J. Blige was scared straight [FF]
Anne Hathaway was really an angst-ridden teen [FF]
Jade Jagger gets drunk and ruins the flight for everyone [FF]
Hugh Grant can only dance with chemical assistance [FF]
Kate Bosworth's mother makes her eat [FF]
Amy Winehouse supposedly has an ultra-healthy diet [FF]
The Osbournes have a waxing nightmare [FF]

Mandy Moore was depressed

Could Mandy Moore's depression have been triggered by guilt and shame over her pop-tart past? "I feel bad that people wasted their money on such trite, blah pop music," she told Jane magazine. Don't worry, Mandy. We forgive you. Just don't do it again.

Mandy Moore is depressed [The Superficial]

Femalefirst Roundup

Keira Knightley is sick of being called anorexic [FF]
Sienna Miller won't let directors starve her [FF]
Eva Mendes is putting on pounds in all the right places [FF]
Gisele talks about anorexia [FF]
Singer Mika is OCD about his cuppa [FF]

Femalefirst Roundup

Ahsley Olson's totally OCD [FF]
British music producer Anthony Wilson has kidney surgery [FF]
Sylvester Stallone is a binge eater! [FF]
Jennifer Love Hewitt's dog is crazy [FF]
Kylie Minogue is sick on tour [FF]
Elton John is dieting down for his 60th birthday [FF]
Paula Abdul is a drunk [FF]
Julia Roberts weight loss dress [FF]

Richard Hammond's brain injury

Richard Hammond, the British television host who was seriously injured in a high-speed car crash in September, has undergone some interesting personality changes during his recovery. According to friends and family, Hammond has developed quite a taste for celery and eats it every day, whereas before his accident he hated the food. His memory may also have improved, since he now seems to know his ATM PIN number, which he didn't remember before. Neurologists claim such effects are extremely rare, and may "merit further study." While historical cases of head injuries have famously involved personality changes, memory is most often impaired, rather than strengthened. As long as he remembers how foolish it is to drive 300 miles per hour, he should be OK.

The Hamster's addicted to celery [Daily Mail]

Lindsay Lohan has scars on her wrists

Lindsay Lohan was spotted at the World Music Awards with suspicious scars on her wrist. Have the pressures of her Hollywood lifestyle driven Lindsay to self-mutilate? Or did she really "fall in some bushes" like her publicist says? OK, I'm concerned that Lindsay might be cutting herself, which is a sign of serious emotional distress and is prevalent in young women who feel overwhelmed by stress, but I'm also concerned about her falling in bushes ... that's only something I do when I'm very very drunk. Lindsay, get a hold of yourself!

IS LINDSAY LOHAN A CUTTER? [Faded Youth]

Bonus weekend post: Paxilback

A little Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor humor for you on a Sunday morning. As you are no doubt familiar with Justin Timberlake's "Sexy Back" video, I bring you this parody by The Gray Kid and Daniel Stessen.

A Femalefirst roundup

Lionel Richie is also worried about his daughter Nicole's weight. But I think we know that already. [FF]
Bipolar Robbie Williams seeks help from a psychiatrist [FF]
Opera star Rusell Watson had a brain tumor [FF]
Barbra Streisand suffers from stage fright and takes pills for it. Really? [FF]
Robin Williams didn't leave rehab early, he ENTERED early. Sneaky Robin. [FF]

Depressed

Tuesday's druggies

How Nicole really lost the weight [Celebrity Nation]
Steven Tyler has Hepatitis C [The Superficial]
Jack Osbourne was suicidal [Femalefirst]
Gary Barlow tokes up as his career tanks [Femalefirst]

Kate Bosworth's weird OCD

Skinny Kate Bosworth has multiple compulsions, it seems. Along with avoiding food like the plague, she supposedly can't seem to stop messing up her ears. This is a weird habit, one I've never encountered before in the psychology literature: she's obsessed with breaking the cartilage in her ears. That's all I'm going to say because I have to go be skeeved out now.

Rumor Mill: Kate Bosworth's Secret Obsession [Dlisted]

He was SMOKIN' WEED!

Willie Nelson busted for smokin' weed [ABC News]
Jayne Mansfield's husband Mickey Hargitay, father of Mariska, dies [BBC News]
Tom Green breaks his leg doing stupid skaterboard stunts [TMZ]
Robbie Williams cancels tour dates due to stress and exhaustion [BBC News]
BBC'er Nick Knowles dislocates his shoulder [BBC]

Accidents, disorders, and lapsed vegetarians from Femalefirst

Stephen Fry talks about his bipolar disorder [FF]
Jet Li falls off a building [FF]
Janet Jackson took cocaine for a "sore throat" [FF]
Sex Pistol drove vegetarian Chrissie Hynde to eat meat [FF]
Hilary Duff open to plastic surgery [FF]

Anna Nicole Smith loses her memory

Anna Nicole Smith apparently has no memory of her son Daniel's death. Due to the shock and trauma of experiencing the event in which, after discovering him unconscious, she tried desperately to revive him for over 20 minutes, it has been blocked from her memory. Such a phenomenon is called psychogenic amnesia, or memory loss caused by psychological factors, not direct damage to the brain. Although rare, this type of memory loss is usually caused by an extremely traumatic event. It has been reported that Smith had to be heavily sedated after Daniel's death, which also could have contributed to the amnesia. Unfortunately, her lawyer Howard K. Stern at some point had to re-inform Smith that her son was dead after the fact. Sadder and sadder.

Anna Nicole Lost Memory of Son's Death [TMZ]

I'm-not-lazy-just-exhausted Quick Links

Eric Clapton is going deaf [Femalefirst]
Janet Jackson is STILL talking about her weight loss [A Socialite's Life]
Peter Andre was depressed AND had a nose job [Femalefirst]
Suge gets lifting [TMZ]

Femalefirst roundup

Sigourney Weaver's mom told her she wasn't pretty, sent her to therapy [Femalefirst]
Sigourney Weaver was traumatized by therapy [Femalefirst]
Cameron Diaz is trying to grow a butt [Femalefirst]
Robbie Williams has a very addictive personality [Femalefirst]

Reading makes Justin Timberlake dizzy

Oh dear. There may be a problem with Justin Timberlake's brain. Or maybe he just needs glasses. Apparently he can't read significant pieces of text without getting dizzy. Something about it going "left to right, left to right" is too much for him. Well at least he knows which direction to TRY to read in. Is this a learning disability? Poor eyesight? A BRAIN TUMOR? Save Justin!

 

Justin Timberlake Rides The Short Bus [A Socialite's Life]

Penelope Cruz criticizes teen mags

Penelope Cruz thinks the influence teen magazines have on the body images of young women is "horrific". Being a sensible woman, she asks "who says that to be pretty you have to be thin?" and admits that she thinks she looks better with more weight on her frame. That's easy for her to say. She's a gorgeous young movie star who looks great in a bikini. But as always, we appreciate the sentiment.

Penelope slams teen mags [Celebrity nation]

Today's news from Femalefirst

A WAG hits the gym [Femalefirst]
Uma Thurman's cigarette addiction [Femalefirst]
Courteney Cox seeks marriage help [Femalefirst]
George Clooney got fat and wanted to kill himself [Femalefirst]

Katie Holmes finally cracking?

In the least surprising celebrity freakout news ever reported, The National Enquirer claims that Katie Holmes has retreated to Colorado due to a "emotional breakdown". I don't blame the poor girl but I have no idea how she survived this long, unless it was due to heavy medication.

Katie Holmes Making a Break for The Compound Walls? [A Socialite's Life]

Today's users and abusers

Is Joaquin Phoenix spending time in a "facility"? [Perez Hilton]

Did Hilary Swank divorce Chad Lowe because of his substance abuse problem? [A Socialite's Life]

Was David Hasselhoff kicked out of Wimbledon for being drunk and disorderly? [Perez Hilton]

What was Ashley Judd doing in rehab? [Us Weekly]

Jennifer Love Hewitt is claustrophobic

Jennifer Love Hewitt suffers from claustrophobia, so much so that she has trouble taking elevators in tall buildings. The actress also has a fear of sharks, which keeps her from swimming in the ocean. She claims to be a hypochondriac as well, aware that her obsession with illness "drives(s) people mad". What she may not know is that phobias are treatable conditions.

Phobias typically develop when a triggering event causes a negative association to be made with the object or situation in question. This doesn't mean you have to get stuck in an elevator to be afraid of riding in one; simply imagining the worst-case scenario can cause enough anxiety to create the negative association. Once this association exists, those with phobias tend to avoid situations that have anything to do with what they fear, which on the one hand alleviates their anxiety but on the other reinforces their avoidance. The thought process is: "As long as I stay out of crowded elevators, I'm safe, so I better continue to avoid them!"

Jennifer describes passing out while filming a scene in a tanning bed in 100-degree heat. She likely experienced claustrophobia, and this situation no doubt reinforced her fear of enclosed spaces. Confronted with similar situations in the future, she will be reminded of how terrible it was to pass out, worry that it will happen again, and subsequently experience extreme anxiety, which she will of course want to escape by avoiding the threatening situation altogether.

Phobias are best treated with Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Drug treatments and psychotherapy have been shown to be less effective than CBT. The techniques of this type of therapy work to dissassociate fear and anxiety from the feared object or situation. Systematic Desensitization is a process in which patients are exposed to stimuli related to their fear while in a relaxed state. As they become able to remain relaxed while exposed to, say, a mental image or a photograph of a shark, they move on to more and more direct exposure. For instance, patients would first watch videos of sharks, then visit an aquarium to see a shark in person. Eventually, they would work up to swimming in the ocean, and perhaps even scuba diving with sharks.

Flooding, a more extreme technique, involves exposing a patient to their worst-case scenario, and requiring them to remain in the situation until their anxiety subsides. The theory behind this approach is that high anxiety levels cannot remain high; they must eventually come back down. In Jennifer's case, she might be asked to get into a crowded elevator and ride it up and down repeatedly until she stops feeling anxious. It sure doesn't sound like fun, but this sort of thing does work, and can lead to tremendous relief for a person who is living a life hindered by anxiety and fear.

Jennifer Love Hewitt Talks About Her Phobias [Starpulse]

Kate Moss goes to therapy

Kate Moss is taking a cue from Sadie Frost and seeking professional help to sort out her love life. Inspired by how much seeing a therapist has helped her friend, Kate has decided to do the same. The particular issue Kate is going to focus on is her attraction to the wrong types of men, with the hopes that she can work through this problem and someday find Mr. Right. Considering some of the paths Kate has taken in the past, I'd say this is an overwhelmingly positive move. It shows maturity, self-awareness, humility and commitment to go in this direction. Good luck, Kate!

Kate Moss turns to therapist to work through problems [Fametastic]