Leave Britney Alone!

What's the story? Well, it's not the story I was trying to write, that's for sure. Here I am, minding my own business, working on an article, and my poor little hamster brain keeps repeating on Britney. It's a topic that hits close to home for so many of us.

When the news came out recently about her conservatorship battle, the first thing that came to mind was the video made in 2007 by Chris Crocker.

While the world laughed and endless memes came out alongside the video, it does have a powerful message. 

Mental Health is No Joke. 

I'm sure everyone remembers when Britney shaved her head during her breakdown in 2007. 

Depression:

One thing that many depression sufferers share in common is a need for control. There is an overwhelming feeling of helplessness where people feel suffocated when trapped in the depth of that profound darkness.

Cutting one's hair is a form of control. For someone that has none, that ability to cut off chunks of hair is a release that is often desperately needed. 

I suffer from Depression and Anxiety.

Post-Partum depression was one of my demons. It changed me as a person, and at times I would swing from the lowest lows to manic highs. There was no rhyme or reason. However, I discovered that I was also an amazing actress. 

I had every professional and family member outside my husband fooled. He pleaded with me to get help, but I denied everything and hid it from him as well in the end. 

Then ironically, in 2007, I had my breakdown. On February 6th 2007, my third born little boy was stillborn. It was world-shattering. Like a trooper, I buried it all so deep that it would never see the light of day. Well, that was the theory anyway. 

The problem with burying that kind of mental pain is eventually, the mind breaks under pressure. I know mine did. I can only imagine what Britney went through. 

It Has Been Seventeen Years For Her:

She has had to live with little to no control over her life for seventeen years. Now she is fighting back. Is she ready? Is it the right thing for her to do? I don't know. 

I am not a professional or her therapist. I can not make those calls. What I can do is empathise with her plight. I do know that she said, 

"I've lied and told the whole world, 'I'm okay, I'm happy'," she said. "I've been in denial, I've been in shock. I am traumatised."

I 100% believe this. 

It is what I did. From Britney's own words, she wants to get on with her life, get married and have another baby. Should she be denied that? Isn't it Britney's fundamental human right? 

By all means, I think that she may still need help, but if she is competent enough to be in an adult relationship, she should be able to decide on being able to ride in her boyfriend's car or whether she should be able to wed. 

I would advise a Pre-nump all the way; let's not get crazy here. However, everyone needs the chance to grow and evolve. Possibly, the scariest aspect of the whole situation is the precedent it sets. There is a lot of money involved, and the possibility of corruption is high. 

The media coverage will not be helpful either; I can only hope that they will be sympathetic. 

Overall, I wish the best for Britney and her journey ahead. However, the main objective here is to remind readers of the effect of mental illness and the possibility of corruption and mistreatment of those in power over a vulnerable person.