Break The Ice

Thursday, January 31, 2008

Britney Could Be Involuntary Commitment Candidate

The following italicized article is from www.tmz.com:

Sources at UCLA Medical Center tell TMZ Britney Spears has been classified as "G.D." - Greatly Disabled. That is a huge and dangerous deal. That means the patient is unable to take care of basic needs, such as the acquisition of food, clothing or shelter. Being G.D. is one of the criteria for involuntary commitment.

Several health care professionals tell us Britney has fallen into a "manic state" due to her bipolar disorder. We're also told, she arrived at the hospital this morning at around 2:15 AM but wasn't admitted until 4:15 AM, because she was causing such a scene in the hospital.

We first reported that Britney accused her mother of sleeping with her boyfriend. Now we have more. We're told Britney screamed, "the only reason she's admitting me is because she wants to be alone with her boyfriend! She wants to sleep with my boyfriend!!" Britney never said exactly who she was talking about.

When Brit calmed down, she talked about her kids, how much she misses them and how it's unfair that she doesn't have them.

Source: TMZ

Rosie O'Donnell On Britney

“whenever young girl stars

came on my show

i tried to warn them

go to school

follow jodie

she did it

u can too

save urself

she was parkers age when i met her

lil souther girl with a tiny twang

yes maam she smiled

adorable

she wanted it

the mothers always said

as way of both apology and explaination

in the dressing room

vivi would

if i let her

support r family

with her light and talent

its not mine 2 sell

they could not have known

at the start

that this would b the result

it is sold as the answer

if i had a magic wand

i would will her the strength

windex all windows

watch the sun warm her soul

all together now

we pray”

Sam Arrives To Visit Britney - Lynne And Alli Inside

The following italicized article is from www.x17online.com:

This just in! Sam has arrived at the hospital, with Britney's mother Lynne and BFF Alli already inside.

No one - not even family members - are allowed inside the room with Brit until visiting hours at 4 pm.

Seems strange that Sam arrived just in time to jump ahead of the line and be the first to see Britney. Did Britney request to see him?

Stay tuned to X17 for more updates!

Source: X17

BRITNEY SPEARS HEADING HOME TO LOUISIANA

The following italicized article is from www.hollywood.tv:

LATEST: BRITNEY SPEARS is going home to Louisiana with her mother LYNNE as soon as she is released from hospital in Los Angeles. The singer was taken to the UCLA Medical Center in an ambulance, surrounded by a police convoy, early on Thursday (31Jan08) after a reported "intervention" by family members at her Beverly Hills home.Spears' lawyer Michael Flanagan reveals Lynne is waiting for the singer to be discharged, so she can whisk her back to the family's Kentwood home.

Flanagan tells PageSix.com, "Lynne is extremely concerned for her daughter and would like to take Britney back home to Louisiana and get her out of Hollywood. "Brit has an amazing support system in Louisiana.

"Lynne was holding up reasonably well, but her first priority and concern right now is with her daughter and helping her through this very tough situation that she is in."

According to various internet reports, the Toxic hitmaker will be held at the hospital on a metal health order after concern about the singer's health was raised by her psychiatrist.

The 26-year-old was previously admitted to L.A.'s Cedars-Sinai Medical Center earlier this month (03Jan08) after a three-hour stand-off with police, and was held for two days on a '5150 hold' order, meaning medics have reason to believe she is a danger to herself or others.

Source: Hollywood.tv

Britney Going Through Detox

The following italicized article is from www.pagesix.com:

Sources tell PageSix.com that Britney Spears is currently going through a detox process at the UCLA Medical Center. Doctors will stabilize her and evaluate her condition before she can be administered new medication to treat her suspected bipolar condition.

Detoxification is necessary for doctors to rid the patient’s system of other drugs so that they can be properly diagnosed and prescribed a course of treatment.

“It’s often helpful to clear the decks under medical supervision and get back to the drawing board and decide, ‘What have we been dealing with here?’” Dr. Keith Ablow, a psychiatrist who has not treated the pop star, tells PageSix.com.

Detox is especially helpful in cases where the patient may have been misdiagnosed and administered medication that might have exacerbated or altered the person’s symptoms.

“You have lots of people who have manic symptoms of bipolar disorder wrongly diagnosed with attention deficit disorder,” says Dr. Ablow, author of Living the Truth. “But if you put those people on stimulant medication, you can make them worse by driving them into the highest highs of their disorder.”

Britney was checked into the hospital late last night and placed on 72-hour psychiatric hold, or what is known as a 5150. So what can the singer expect over the coming days? During detoxification, the patient is slowly tapered off the medicine, with dosages being reduced over time. Doctors also sometimes use other medicines to temporarily blunt the symptoms of any withdrawal that might occur.

Dr. Ablow says it’s also helpful to have patients checked into the hospital for several days so doctors can monitor the effect of the medications over time and figure out whether more medications need to be added and in what dosage.

“Only a minority of patients achieve effective results from one mood stabilizer if they’re suffering from bipolar disorder. Many need two or three,” says Dr. Ablow, who added that mood stabilizers only work in a particular concentration in the blood that varies from person to person.

“And that takes time to figure out,” he says.

Source: Page Six

Britney's Hospitalization Won't Help Get Her Kids Back

The following italicized article is from www.ok-magazine.com:

Early Thursday morning, Britney Spears made her second trip to the hospital in a month, and now she is on a “mental health evaluation hold” at UCLA Medical Center. Brit's first visit came on Jan. 4 following a four-hour standoff with authorities after the singer refused to hand one-year-old Jayden over to her ex-husband Kevin Federline. The next morning, the court stripped Britney of all her visitation rights and has only recently gotten back her privilege to speak to her sons, Jayden James and Sean Preston, over the phone.

As Britney had been expected in court next week to ask the judge for "monitored, therapeutic visitations" with her sons, OK! spoke with Judge Lynn Toler, of 20th Television’s Divorce Court, to determine how this latest news might impact her fight for custody over her boys.

"Whether or not she was voluntarily committed makes a difference," explains the judge. "If she went in on her own, it would emphasize that she is actively seeking assistance. If she’s on an involuntary hold, it’s pretty clear she has an inability to care for herself. And as such she should not have custody or visitation without supervision."

The judge also thinks those who criticize K-Fed as being too harsh aren't seeing the whole picture. "Any parent would do the same thing. If their spouse or former spouse is behaving in a way that they can’t take care of themselves, any parent would say they wouldn’t want their children around that. But that doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t have access to her children." However, allows Judge Toler, "things may change over the year.”

So how should Britney's lawyers proceed given these latest developments? "If I was them, I’d probably move for a continuance" explains the judge. "When everything is in flux and up in the air, you want to make an assessment of the psychological assessment. There’s no particular urgency in having that hearing next week — the kids are safe with their dad — so time may be the best thing."

Source: OK Magazine

Source: Kevin 'Wants Britney to Get Better'

The following italicized article is from www.people.com:

Britney Spears's children were safely with Kevin Federline when the pop singer was taken to the hospital Thursday morning for the second time for a psychological evaluation, a source tells PEOPLE.

Federline, 29, was not directly involved in these latest events, "but he was aware of what was happening," says a Federline friend.

"Kevin legitimately wants Britney to get better. He wants her to be in their sons' lives. He wants them to have a loving relationship. He wants her to get healthy so she can be the mother they need and deserve," says a Federline friend.

This is the second trip to a hospital this month for Spears. On Jan. 4, she was forced into the hospital following a tense custody standoff involving sons Preston, 2, and Jayden, 1. A court commissioner has since stripped Spears of visitation privileges.

Another source says that getting medical help again for Spears, 26, "has been planned for a long time. Her family is behind this."

Source: People

The Assault Has Begun

It's going to be A LITTLE BIT awkward next time Lynne Spears and Osama Lutfi are in the same place at the same time.

We told you earlier how Britney's manager has declared war on both her parents.

Osama thinks he's getting a bum rap and he's gonna start defending himself - while lashing out at them - in a big way.

Well, he's wasted NO time getting to it!

Lutfi has just gone on the record with Access Hollywood and told them:

"Her mother is not someone who cares about her daughter, she's only concerned with herself. Sad but true. She was too busy getting a manicure to come over yesterday, despite her daughters (sic) pleas. Sad, very sad."

Too bad Sam's only concerned about himself.

Lashing out at Lynne Spears is not gonna help Britney in any way!

Source: Perez Hilton

Access Exclusive: Lutfi Lashes Out At Lynne: 'She's Only Concerned

The following italicized article is from www.accesshollywood.com:

Sam Lutfi, Britney Spears' close friend and self-proclaimed "manager," is lashing out this morning at Lynne Spears while speaking exclusively to Access Hollywood.

When Sam was asked how he and Lynne Spears were getting along following Britney's second hospitalization, he sounded off, saying he does not think Lynne cares about Britney.

"No. Her mother is not someone who cares about her daughter, she's only concerned with herself. Sad but true. She was too busy getting a manicure to come over yesterday, despite her daughters (sic) pleas. Sad, very sad," Sam wrote to Access in a text message.

Lutfi was present outside of Britney's Studio City home when she was taken away for hospitalization Thursday morning. He was also seen trying to gain admission to UCLA Medical Center, although Lynne reportedly denied him visitation rights.

Two night's ago, Spears had a verbal altercation with Lutfi — lashing out at him in full view of the cameras.

"Will you please get out?" Spears said. "I don’t care about them right now. I want to drive my ****ing car!"

Spears offered the expletive-filled rant in her British accent as she sat in the passenger seat. Lutfi agreed to Spears' demands and let her take the wheel.

Source: Access Hollywood

Lynne Wants To Take Britney Home!

The following italicized article is from www.x17online.com:

With all the drama that her daughter Britney's been going through lately, is it really surprising that Lynne Spears just wants to take her daughter home?

A source close to Lynne told X17online directly that the Spears matriarch wants to bring Britney right back to Louisiana as soon as the UCLA Medical Center clears her for release.

Our source says Lynne has apparently grown worried about Britney's choice of friends over the last six months - particularly Sam Lufti.

Lynne is concerned about whether moving Britney out of Los Angeles might affect her ongoing custody battle - she doesn't want to negatively affect Britney being about to get her sons back. But she feels Britney needs to recuperate and get treatment before she'll be able to parent effectively.

We just hope Britney gets some help - and by this point, we don't care where she gets it!

Source: X17

Britney Spears "Was Like a Zombie" Hours Before Hospitalization

The following italicized article is from www.usmagazine.com:

Before she was taken to UCLA Medical Center, Britney Spears made a quick mid-day stop at Jerry’s Deli in Studio City, California, Wednesday.

“Around 3 o’clock, Britney came in and was completely out of it,” an employee tells Usmagazine.com of Spears. “She's come in before, but we've never seen her this bad.

“She was like a zombie ... like she was sleepwalking,” the employee says, adding that she “didn't stay to eat."

She picked up Adnan Ghalib, who met up with her there, and “then left,” the employee says. “It was all over in three minutes.”

About 10 hours later, Spears was admitted to the UCLA Medical Center as part of “a carefully orchestrated intervention.”

Source: US Weekly

Lynne Spears Did Not Want Britney Committed, Says Source

We're not sure what to believe, but….

A source close to Britney Spears has an interesting take on the events of Wednesday night.

They tell PerezHilton.com:

"her mom [Lynne] was too busy to come to her aid cause she was getting a manicure.

when her mom got to the house she was screaming, 'sam's trying to get you commited, get in my car lets go to malibu.'

does that sound like a mother that truly cares?

even adnan was there yesterday and he even thought if anyone should be commited it should have been her mom.

it's unreal and sad to see the disgust this family represent, so damn sad.

a manicure?? despite britney begging her mother all day to come visit, how sad."

Take that for what it's worth. One side of the story.

Source: Perez Hilton

What Can Britney Expect Over The Next Few Days?

The following italicized article is from www.x17online.com:

X17online spoke to a former UCLA psych ward resident, who's painted a grim picture of what Britney Spears will be going through at the medical center over the next few days.

According to the source:

· Britney will be held for at least 72 hours, and up to 14 days if the LA County officer deems her a danger to herself and others.

· Britney will be supervised around the clock by nurses and security, unable to even bathe by herself.

· Over the first few days, Britney will be encouraged to sleep as much as possible, and will be administered sleeping pills, as well as Ativan (an anti-anxiety medication) to help her do so. Meds are doled out three times a day.

· Visitors are allowed to come one hour a day during the week, between 6:30 and 7:30, but on the weekends the stay is extended from 1-3. Visitors are allowed to bring food (although our source says UCLA's food is pretty decent!) but they cannot keep it or any other contraband (sharp objects, razors, etc.) in their rooms.

· The psych ward consists of two wings, with 10 rooms each. Although there are 2 beds per room, it's doubtful that Britney is sharing with anyone. None of the rooms have televisions, although there is a tv in the common area.

· The patients are divided into two categories: addicts and bi-polars, with the highest risk patients restrained by wristbands in their beds.

· Our source said that most of the patients are from 18-50 years old, with at least half of the residents were considered high risk, and therefore restrained.

· The ward is an extremely "tough" environment to live in, with patients getting quite agitated and screams being heard all hours of the night. Our source said there were also many fights that broke out in the common area, due to general paranoia, not to mention the fact that many patients are detoxing.

· After the first few days, Britney will most likely be put on Depakote Seroquel and Lithium for the bi-polar, and Ativan for anti-anxiety.

· A doctor will pay Britney a visit once a day, asking her questions like "are you able to sleep?" "Are you hearing voices?" "Are you paranoid?" "Do you feel like harming yourself?" "Do you think about committing suicide?"

· Britney will not be allowed outside during the first 72 hours, after that, she'll be allowed to visit an outdoor court for one hour a day, at 3pm.

· There are several different groups to keep patients busy throughout the day, including Arts & Crafts, as well as a group called "Journal", where patients are encouraged to read the newspapers to keep up on current events and life on the outside.

· She's allowed to be in her own clothes, with a green, hospital issue robe worn on top, and nothing else but a wristband that contains her social security number and her date of admittance.

It sounds like an extremely tough environment, but probably the best thing for Britney at the moment. Mariah Carey showed drastic improvement after her month-long stay back in 2001!

Poor Britney - hope she gets better soon!

Source: X17

'Gimme More' And 'Piece Of Me' Together Get Over 35 Million Views On Youtube!

Artist Site

EXCLUSIVE: Hospital Treating Britney Spears Specializes In Bipolar Disorder

The following italicized article is from www.usmagazine.com:

Britney Spears' inner circle, including her estranged mother Lynne, chose to admit her to the UCLA Medical Center because of its experience with treating bipolar disorder, a source tells Usmagazine.com.

"Her lawyers and doctors have been working with UCLA," the source tells Us. "They were ready and had everything in place."

The facility, the source says, is better prepared to treat the troubled singer than L.A.'s Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where she was hospitalized for less than 48 hours earlier this month.

"When she went to Cedars they weren't ready for her," the source says.

"They have a much stricter unit at UCLA and treat bipolar cases regularly," the source adds. "This is a serious unit she's on."

(It was reported that singer Mariah Carey was treated at the same facility in 2001 following her highly publicized emotional breakdown.)

Before the intervention, Us reported that Spears hadn't slept since Saturday — a sign of suffering from bipolar disorder, says one expert.

"You can go all night without sleeping," psychiatrist Pauline Wallin tells Us.

Another sign: Spears has extreme highs (known as manic episodes) followed by intense lows (this past Monday, she sobbed on a curbside after a fight with pal Sam Lutfi).

"Her pattern of behavior indicates that she doesn’t have a lot of self-control when she gets upset," Wallin says. (Read what other experts had to say about her state here.)

For now, Spears is at UCLA under a "mental health evaluation hold" – commonly known as a "5150" – meaning she can be held there for up to 72 hours if a medical professional deems her a danger to herself or others.

After the 72-hour treatment, her family can seek a 14-day extended evaluation or patients can decide to seek further treatment, according to ABC News, citing the California Department of Mental Health.

"Because it was planned there's a much higher likelihood they'll be able to extend her stay beyond the 5150," the source tells Us.

Source: US Weekly

Britney Going Back To Louisiana?

The following italicized article is from www.theinsideronline.com:

BRITNEY's attorney MICHAEL FLANAGAN just told "The Insider" he has not spoken to the singer's family since last night's events, but he does know that, "the family would like to take Britney back to Louisiana for a while." Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Spears family has no comment about Britney's current situation.

Source: The Insider Online

Will Britney Be In The Hospital For Two Weeks?

The following italicized article is from www.theinsideronline.com:

BRITNEY SPEARS is currently under evaluation at the UCLA Medical Center and placed on a 5150, which is a 72-hour hold. But there's been speculation the troubled pop star may even be in the hospital for a full two weeks. "The way it works is a law enforcement agency or mental health professional can conclude that someone is a danger to self or others, and undertake an involuntary commitment," ALLAN PARACHINI, L.A. Superior Court spokesperson told the Associated Press. "To extend that for another 14 days there has to be a court hearing. That's typically held in the hospital where the patient is."

Source: The Insider Online

Dr. Phil: Britney's Hospitalization 'A Good Thing'

The following italicized article is from www.people.com:

Having appeared on both Good Morning America and Today earlier this week to bolster his position after a spokeswoman for the Spears family said he had violated their trust by speaking out about the condition of Britney Spears, TV's Dr. Phil McGraw spoke out once again on the troubled pop star – this time with the women on The View Thursday.

He revealed that his hospital visit with Spears in early January was simply as a possible means to "start a low-key dialogue that might make her open to seeking help," and noted that, according to most recent reports, that is the direction that is being taken.

"If that starts [her] on the road to intervention," he said, "then that is a good thing."

McGraw's View guest appearance in New York coincided with Spears's trip by ambulance to UCLA Medical Center earlier Thursday morning in California for a second round of psychiatric observation. McGraw said he knew nothing more about Spears's condition than what has been reported. He also said that since he and her family have been at odds over his issuing a statement after visiting Britney, he has not been in contact with the Spears family.

He added that as far as his visit with Britney in Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is concerned, "I will not disclose what took place."

On Today, McGraw said he wished Spears and her family well at this difficult time.

Source: People

When will this guy shut the f*ck up?

EXCLUSIVE: Lynne Spears Shocked Britney Had "Deteriorated to This Level"

The following italicized article is from www.usmagazine.com:

Days before Britney Spears' "carefully orchestrated intervention," her mother Lynne Spears "flew out" to L.A. Sunday and was shocked to see how badly the singer's mental condition had deteriorated, a source close to the singer tells Usmagazine.com.

"Lynne was devastated," a source tells Us. "She hadn't seen her in a while and to see her deteriorated to this level – what mother wouldn't be affected by that? It's awful."

On Monday, pal Sam Lutfi phoned The View's Barbara Walters, saying that the the singer and her estranged mom were back on speaking terms.

Though the two appeared terse at a Beverly Hills Mercedes-Benz dealership Tuesday morning, Walters quoted Lutfi as saying, "her mother has been very supportive of whatever it is that Britney is trying to do."

Last night the singer was taken to UCLA Medical Center in a "carefully orchestrated intervention," the source says. (Lynne arrived with Spears' latest beau, paparazzo Adnan Ghalib.)

The singer "had been up since Saturday without any sleep," the source tells Us.

Source: US Weekly

Chaos Inside UCLA

The following italicized article is from www.tmz.com:

Sources inside UCLA Medical Center tell TMZ Britney checked into the facility using an alias. We will not divulge the name, but what happened inside is bizarre.

Our sources say Britney said she was on Adderall, a stimulant used to treat Attention Deficit Disorder, and was taking up to ten laxatives a day. Side note - cameras caught Spears a few days ago picking up a bagful of laxatives.

We're also told, when she was admitted, Britney accused her mom of "sleeping with my boyfriend." She wasn't specific on who she was referring to.

We're also told for a time she was hurling swearwords at her parents and staff.

Source: TMZ

EXCLUSIVE: Lynne Wants To Take Britney Home To Louisiana

The following italicized article is from www.pagesix.com:

Britney Spears’ mother, Lynne, is planning to try and take her daughter home to Louisiana.

Following last night’s intervention and subsequent hospitalization, Lynne has decided that she is taking Britney out of L.A. as soon as she’s released from UCLA Medical Center. “Lynne is extremely concerned for her daughter and would like to take Britney back home to Louisiana and get her out of Hollywood,” Britney’s lawyer Michael Flanagan told PageSix.com exclusively.

Lynne feels that the biggest problem facing Britney's recovery is the circle of friends she’s become involved with and Lynne desperately wants to extricate her daughter from that. “Brit has an amazing support system in Louisiana,” Flanagan says, reinforcing the belief that Britney simply can't get the help she needs while she remains in L.A. “Lynn was holding up reasonably well, but her first priority and concern right now is with her daughter and helping her through this very tough situation that she is in.”

But as we’ve seen with Brit before, until she decides to make a change there is nothing anyone — not even her mother — can do to force her hand.

Source: Page Six

Sam Lutfi Being Cut Out Of Britney's Life

The following italicized article is from www.pagesix.com:

Sources tell PageSIx.com that Britney Spears' legal team has been instructed by the pop star's family not to talk to Sam Lutfi.

This move follows reports that the situation at Britney's Beverly Hills home devolved last night as Britney's parents argued with Sam, Britney's sometime manager, over her wellbeing.

Story developing...

Source: Page Six

Sam's Story

The following italicized article is from www.x17online.com:

Brit's companion Sam Lutfi, texted us early this morning to give us his side of the story and this is how it went ...

Me: u there?

**Sam: I'm in a room with her now. Doctor refuses to get any info from Adnan or the family. They've requested my presence.

Me: so the doc's requested u so u could give her recent medical history?

Sam: Yes.

Me: Is Lynne pissed at you? Why is Adnan there?

Sam: Lynne didn't want to go along with the doctor trying to get her help 'case she was worried Britney would blame her for it. Britney learned that Lynne has been in contact with Adnan these past few weeks and was furious over that ... Britney was suffering a mental breakdown. She's been under the care of Deborah Nadel this past week. After today's visit, the doctor felt Britney needed to be hopitalized.

Me: So Nadel suggested the hospitalization?

Sam: Yes, Deborah did.

Me: Is Brit going to stay at UCLA for a while?

Sam: A few days at least.

Me: Was she asleep when they brought her in? Did she go willingly?

Sam: Wasn't asleep. Went willingly.

Me: Why did her mom rush to the house? Who called her? Seemed like an emergency. Did the doc really think Brit would hurt herself?

Sam: No, doc was concerned more about the driving. Not suicide.

Me: And why was she not sleeping the past two days? A manic episode?

Sam: Yes.

That was it -- I had to sleep for a couple hours.

But the battle between Lynne and Sam seems to rage on.

Sam was supposedly the one who orchestrated Brit's reunion with her mom just months ago. At that time, Britney emailed me and said, "Sam brought me my momma. I'm happy."

It appears Sam and Lynne's relationship has since been strained ...

Source: X17

**Update - this has since changed as the doctors are now dealing with Britney's parents not Sam.

Mama Spear's Leaving Hospital - Britney's OK

The following italicized article is from www.tmz.com:

TMZ just caught up with Lynne Spears -- with Brit's bro Bryan -- outside of UCLA Medical center, where Britney is now on a three-day psychiatric hold.

Lynne said very little, except to confirm that her daughter was O.K. TMZ also caught Brit's father, a solemn looking Jamie, making his exit alone.