Psychosocial psychobabble reasons are given for her mental event. But it is significant that it happened after there had been two extra people in the home, the children. That points to a little known problem discovered when it caused mental breaks like this one. It happened forty years ago and designers solved the problem by 1968.

It's called Subliminal Distraction. So simple it can strike almost anywhere it requires a location where deep mental investment is used while there is repeating detectable movement in peripheral vision.

Most who have the episode recover with no treatment. Although known for forty years in Design it is unknown by anyone in mental health services.

VisionAndPsychosos.Net is a seven year investigation of Subliminal Distracti

In regards to Britney: seeing her go to the hospital (twice now) surrounded by police cars hits very close to home for me. Her release from the hospital earlier this month (after less than 72 hours), in my opinion, was more likely due to her team of lawyers than her need for treatment. I went through the courts 18 years ago (in MN) trying to refuse treatment. Thankfully, I didn’t have high powered lawyers and the judge/doctors all agreed I needed continued care. I was “committed” to a state/regional mental health facility at age 20. BUT – it was the best thing that could have happened to me at the time because I was (like Britney seems to be) in DEEP denial over my mental health. I HOPE that none of you or Britney for that matter, have to go through committment proceedings.For me, though, it was the only way at that time in my life that anyone could get me to really look at my life, my mental health, and what my options were. While there I finally had to admit that I needed help in order to get better. If Britney does go “kicking and screaming” (which I think she may have this time) let’s hope the docs (and her family) can impress upon her that she needs help without having to go through the drama of committment proceedings.

I was shocked when she was able to sign herself out. I thought 72 hours was 72 hours, but in California, it’s not mandatory if she went voluntarily.

I don’t doubt my own moods and behavior with respect to bipolar — I know my ADHD is as ADHD as it gets, no more, no less.

When I wrote this post nearly a year ago, the press was pillorying Brittney for not being a better mother and being a gadfly. They practically celebrated when she shaved her head in full view of the paparazzi.

To me, it was a clear signal that something was not right. My point in speculating here that it was possibly something like bipolar disorder was to express the view that this behavior went far beyond self-centeredness or attention-seeking, and rather than pick on her, maybe some compassion was in order.

Here’s my post on her possible 72-hour hold, the night she was taken in.

Had her family and Dr. Phil not been so anxious to intervene, perhaps the real doctors might have done her some good.