Britney Shears: Breaking Down Or Breaking Free?
After spending her youth surrounded by hangers-on, catering to the whims of pre-teen fans and embarking on one grueling concert tour after another, Britney Spears, 25, who no longer connects with her former fan base, seems to have had it with the trappings of fame.
So what's going on with the pop princess? "There's a good chance that we could witness a nervous breakdown," New York-based psychologist Dr. Cooper Lawrence, Ph.D., who doesn't treat Britney, tells Star. Dr. Lawrence says Brit may have a condition called aggressogenic cognitions, which "means that your brain just acts out and doesn't go through the process of thinking things through." Dr. Barry Lubetkin, Ph.D., who doesn't treat Brit either, says that, judging from her wild mood swings, Brit could also be bipolar.
"Bipolar depression has two phases: a depressed phase and a manic phase," he explains, noting that such celebs as Jane Pauley and Margot Kidder also suffer from the illness. "It sounds to me like she is in the manic phase, epitomized by reckless behavior like shaving your head, checking in and out of rehab and exposing yourself in public."
It seems some people inside Brit's camp have long suspected that something is wrong with the star. "You're seeing the real Britney," another insider tells Star. "People who used to do shows with her said she used to put on the best show, but behind the scenes she would be off the wall. People are really worried."
Pick up this week's issue of Star for more details on Britney's wild ways. Plus: Could confusion about her own sexuality also be a factor — and explain that shocking new hairdo?
