<p>Agree that the explanation of the “neurochemistry of reward” is well done. One slight clarification, if I may. Breathing is not a “reward” system activity. It is part of the autonomic nervous system and occurs spontaneously. If it was reward system-based, we would probably stop breathing when we sleep. Oops.</p>
<p>The rest of the description of the mesolimbic dopamine system (with structures in the ventral tegmental area, projecting to the nucleus accumbens and ending in the amygdala, should anyone care) is well done. It is in this system that the opoids, alcohol, benzos, and other substances have their effects.</p>
<p>Pea- I agree that this story is legitimate news. However, so are a bunch of other stories about celebrities that support charities, raise their kids well, have high standards, and put their talents to work for good, not just for a buck. Either, we don’t pay as much attention to the good stories as to the negative, or there is a real propensity to report more on the negative. We, as the viewing public do feed on this. </p>
<p>In addition, I think in some ways, the last acceptable prejudice is against those with serious mental illness, which manifests itself by way of their attempts to self-medicate and/or general personality disorder. I don’t think it’s OK for us as a society to just say-oh, he/she is wacko. Yet this is what many people did with regard to Britney, Michael Jackson, Gibson, and now Sheen- those of recent memory. If society does that to its “idols”, think of what message it sends to the hoi polloi who also struggle with these diseases.</p>
<p>Hence, the attempts of many of us (who are not mental health professionals) to diagnose Mr. Sheen. When does someone go from being perceived as the biggest jerk on TV to mentally ill? How is the public to tell the difference? We want the press to expose the jerks but protect the mentally ill.</p>
<p>Compare Charlie Sheen to Brittney Spears. She was put on a psychiatric hold, she had someone else (her father?) take over her affairs – I think a judge enforced that – and she lost her kids for a while. And she got help. She seems to be very stable these days and she slowly got her life back. I’m so glad for her. The reason it bothers me that CS is getting so much attention now is that he really needs help and, instead, the media is colluding with him and giving him a platform. I just think all of this does him an enormous disservice.</p>
<p>A question for the mental health professionals: During the interviews, CS seems to punch out certain words and phrase–“epic” “bring it on” “gnarly”. It seemed an odd way to speak. Is this indicative of something besides jerkiness?</p>
<p>Right…that was my original question, whether he is an insufferable jerk or if he has a mental issue. </p>
<p>There is a whole genre of movies, etc. where the jerk gets his due…think* 9 to 5.* We find it entertaining in a movie when someone who has behaved horribly gets what is coming to him. It’s a logical step for the viewing public to be entertained by Mr. Sheen’s revealing his jerkiness in his own words…unless he is mentally ill, then we feel bad for him. What to feel? Derision or pity? Such an interesting issue.</p>
<p>^^I was thinking perhaps immaturity, since that’s how a lot of people my age talk. :P</p>
<p>(I am 21.)</p>
<p>As for the derision vs pity question, I think we are fully capable of feeling both. I certainly do. We have a /lot/ of mental illness in my family, so maybe it’s just my background, but I feel simultaneously disgusted by bad behavior and poor judgment and sorrowful for the obvious problems that must be going on underneath the surface to make a grown man act like that-- even if he is just a jerk and not ill. It isn’t an either/or question.</p>
<p>If a dog can have ticks and fleas, a guy can be sick/addicted and have a personality disorder and be a disgusting jerk at the same time. (I guess this would be like having ticks and fleas *and lice *…) Those racist or anti-Semitic rantings are so ugly - and we don’t hear them from every celeb who’s got a serious substance abuse problem. I believe that Charlie Sheen and Mel Gibson are revealing something of their characters when they say these things, even if they’re drunk out of their minds when they’re saying them.</p>
<p>The celebrity worship culture will forgive just about anything if the perpetrator is a big enough star. Vanity Fair recently published a profile of Mel Gibson by Peter Biskind, a respected film writer, and it was practically a puff piece, full of justifications and supportive quotes from famous buddies and lots of “some of his best friends are ____” reasoning. I wonder if Charlie Sheen will receive similar treatment a year from now. </p>
<p>He should be ashamed of himself for costing his co-workers their jobs. Crew members don’t have his kind of sweetheart deal. I find the show distasteful/borderline offensive and rarely watch nowadays. (But when it was in its first few years, I thought that Angus T. Jones was the most real Real Boy I have ever seen on stage, screen, or TV.)</p>
<p>frazzeled- CBS is coming through with payment for cast and crew for the remaining 4 episodes. They won’t pay Charlie- and he will sue for 16 million, plus pain and suffering, I think. I read this on some yahoo article today. </p>
<p>I agree with those who have said that someone can be both a jerk and mentally ill. I think there is a line however between being a mentally sick jerk and regular run of the mill jerk, who may not be obviously ill, just nasty. </p>
<p>I would say that most people, who are “normal” by diagnostic standards, have had their jerky moments, and made ugly statements or done ugly things which we later regret. Anger, fear, low self-esteem, etc. can cause anyone to do or say something outrageous, under duress. I think the issue is really how quickly one comes to realize one’s own jerkiness. My criterion is- if you have not realized what a b…hole you have been within 24-48 hours, there’s probably a psychological issue.</p>
<p>Could be, but with celebrities you also have the fact that they are more likely than the rest of us to repeatedly get away with being jerks and facing few consequences. I think living for years and years with people kissing your rear and never speaking out about your actions can really affect the ability to “realize one’s own jerkiness.” They are conditioned over time to think that they are more special than anyone else, that laws or rules governing proper behavior and treatment of others really don’t apply to them.</p>
<p>I didn’t watch any of the interviews, but I heard snippets of them on TV tonight while cooking dinner. Not a mental health professional, but I can buy the idea that he has been a huge jerk for years with too many yes-men/women around to reinforce his behavior, has damaged his brain with decades of drug and alcohol abuse, AND either has a personality disorder or mental illness.</p>
<p>The fleas, ticks, AND lice thing makes sense.</p>
<p>nrdsb4- I agree with your point about how he has been enabled. (Not unlike Michael Jackson, for example, or the other celebrities of recent memory). And I would argue he has been enabled, as have the others, for the basest of reasons- the almighty buck. </p>
<p>The recent spate of “interviews” of Sheen- which are really nothing more than train wreck watching, as well as as all the publicity of other celebrities’ meltdowns, are just another way to make a buck for those who have depended upon the particular celebrity, or just celebrity in general, to make a living. </p>
<p>The saddest part of all is that the celebrity, I think, knows deep down, that no one really cares about them as a person here. Their being treated as a commodity, when functional and when dysfunctional, takes its toll and has its place in their jerkiness and illness. Their humanity is not valued- only their ability to be “productive”, in performance or bizarre behavior, is.</p>
<p>I was reading up on Robert Downey Jr. recently, someone who has had his share of train-wreck meltdowns, and I read that it’s pretty much standard in his contracts now that 40% of his payment is held as collateral until completion of the project-- because he’d left so many people in the lurch, so to speak, so many times with his in-and-out of prison/rehab routine. IF Charlie Sheen can find jobs after this I would expect there to be similar arrangements, and I think that would be a good thing for him. Rewards him for keeping it together long enough to earn his keep, and punishes him when he effs it up for everybody.</p>
<p>“My path is now clear.” I had a sick feeling reading that. He has been violent before according to reports. He sounds like he could be dangerous.</p>
<p>On TMZ, they are reporting that they were removed after he made a death threat against their mother, Brooke Mueller. </p>
<p>The judge granted the temporary order and since Brooke is currently in day treatment rehab, she will spend four hours a day with them, and her mother will take care of them. </p>
<p>If he hasn’t hit bottom yet, I’m guessing this will do it. The question is, what will his response be? I hope some of the people he’s hating on so much have some sort of protection or body guard.</p>