Riddle: How many Psychologists does it take to change a light bulb?
Answer: Just one, but the light bulb has to want to change.
Even though he probably can’t help it, Charlie Sheen is the “dim” brother. He probably can’t help it because he is very sick. He is crazy and he can’t see it. He thinks he is God’s gift to the world of entertainment and to women. He thinks he is above everything. He has all manner of excuses and answers for the interviewers who have interrogated him these past few days, and his answers are ridiculous. He talks faster than I have ever heard him talk, rapid fire bullshit. He has lost his job. He is probably ripping through his money. He has already lost his wife and children, and his next relationship. He is putting himself at risk with his behaviors, not the least of which is the hypersexuality with porn stars. He is losing weight and looks haggard. He is in the manic phase of bipolar disorder.
Add to that the element of alcohol and substance abuse. He has some characteristics typical of addicts. He is in denial. He makes excuses, minimizes, rationalizes, lies. He has an angry demeanor. He is out of control. His losses are mounting day by day. And because of his substantial resources, he doesn’t appear to be close to hitting rock bottom, so he probably has a lot further to fall.
Unfortunately for him, manics like being manic. There is an energetic high to it. There is a grandiosity and a sense of invulnerability. There is total lack of judgement, leading to decadent, hedonistic and self-destructive behavior. And there is injury to others along the way. But it feels good to the manic person. In his case, he is “on a drug called Charlie Sheen” and he loves it! At this point, why would he want to change? There is no listening to reason, as it doesn’t compute in the manic brain.
Sooner or later, the “drug called Charlie Sheen” will wear off. A sense of deep depression will take its place. When this happens and he becomes more aware of how his mania has played out on a world wide stage, he may well develop an enormous sense of shame. He will look around and count his devastating losses. I wouldn’t be surprised if he becomes suicidal.
Charlie’s father, Martin Sheen, said the right thing. He said that if someone had cancer, everyone would understand it as a serious disease, deserving of the best treatment to save that person’s life. He then compared Charlie’s disease to cancer, and mentioned that his son needs the same kind of approach, life saving treatment and care. The big difference, though, is that cancer patients will look for answers to cure their disease, while Charlie will remain in self-detruct mode until his mania resolves itself, and who knows how long that might be.
He referred to one of his interviews as “entertainment.” I guess so, in the way a freak show is entertaining. We laugh at another’s misfortune.
I just watched the 20/20 interview and it was one of the saddest things I’ve ever witnessed. He is a train wreck waiting to happen.
Yeah, no kidding. It IS a train wreck happening, in slo mo right before our eyes.
He is so pathethic. I wonder how he managed to do his work in this condition.
I hope he will seek help, but the chances are slim.
He probably wasn’t doing his work as well as he thinks he was doing it. And the network considers him a negative. He lost his job, a successful TV show!
I’ve only been able to follow bits and pieces of what’s going on with him and the crazy interviews. Has he actually been diagnosed with the disease by a psychiatrist? You did a terrific job of describing it!
I DO NOT know if he has been formally diagnosed as Bipolar. It seems to me he has all the signs. AND, I heard him describe his own self as “grandiose.” That’s not a normal lay word. That’s a medical word that, as you know, refers to mania. So I figure he has had a conversation with a professional about this in the past.
The guy appears to be beyond redemption. To him it’s everyone else’s fault, not his. If we thought he was making a fool of himself with his antics before that’s nothing compared to him trying to explain them now. For a supposedly funny guy there sure isn’t much humour in all of this.
He thinks he’s “Adonis!” He is the only one that “gets it.” Whether he’s Bipolar, or has some other Psych diagnosis, or if he’s just a rich, immature asshole, he is indeed a fool and an idiot. AND, he is responsible for his own behavior, whether he is in his right mind or not. The worst of it is involving his children in all this craziness. Yeah, not funny at all!
Excellent insight. My post today will be the last making light of Sheen. I fear a real tragedy could be forthcoming.
Jayne, I get a kick out of posts making light of Charlie Sheen. He is indeed entertaining, just not in the way he thinks he is.
But I don’t really wish for him the tragedy that is most surely coming if he doesn’t wake up fast.
Sooner or later, the “drug called Charlie Sheen” will wear off. As far as I know, megalomania doesn’t resolve itself, it just explodes. I don’t see an end to this anytime soon, unless he dies. Then it will just be sad. I see him as more of a spoiled brat out of control. Is there a thin line between egomaniac and diseased? Maybe. But for now, I’m going to take him at face value and mock him because he deserves it. Until he sincerely and believably admits being sick and then I’ll feel sorry for him. But not until then.
Great post!
Yeah, right now if I’d have to guess, I’d say he is going to explode!
IF he is a manic-depressive, the manic episode will indeed wear itself off, usually in weeks or months, but it can last for years.
But you’re right, he might simply be an asshole that deserves everything the world is dishing out for him.
ALSO, there’s nothing to say that he can’t have a Psych diagnosis AND be an asshole at the same time. That’s my bet! 🙂
Great insight. It is sad and yet we all keep watching. Why do we watch? I’m trying my best not to in the hope that it will go away. He’s feeding on all the attention and that can only be making it worse.
He said, “the world needs to hear my side.” — No it doesn’t! I don’t need to hear it! But he’s going out of his way to give interviews that make him look like a fool. He is living in a dream world!
It’s terrible, but it’s hard not to watch!
I was wondering, too, whether he wasn’t exhibiting some symptoms of Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
Jenn, I thought the same thing! And then I decided Bipolar Disorder seems to fit better. But you know how Psych diagnoses are, there is usually a dual diagnosis or some kind of overlap with another or with several other diagnoses. He is probably at least a Bipolar Narcissistic Alcoholic!
Isn’t it fun being an armchair celebrity Psychiatrist!? 😉
I watch this fool who uses being Bi-Polar as an excuse for his behavior and all I feel is contempt for him for in my opion he is a cartoon for all that is wrong with hollywood, the”I’ve got money to burn”mentality.
I hear you, bro!
And he’ll be getting his comeuppance. Sick or not, there will be a price to pay!
It is sad the way the media hypes things like this, fanning the flames. I believe he needs help too, but will only get it when there is not other option. People only change when they want to, and sometimes that takes rock bottom.
It’s sad to see people self destruct. Imagine what it’s like for his family to see it and to not be able to do anything about it! But he’s an adult, and he is supposedly legally free to make all the wrong decisions he wants, even if he is mentally ill, as long as he is not a danger to himself or to others. I guess the argument has been made that he is at least a danger to his kids. I hear they have been taken away. That is a really good thing!
He really is sick, and he really can’t help it. Being a jerk doesn’t change that.
Linda, I know he really can’t help it. I know emotions are much, much more powerful than logic. And if he is truly Bipolar, it’s no contest. The disease is doing ALL the talking.
But the hard fact is that he is responsible for his actions, whether he is mentally ill or not.
He’s just nuts. What else is there to say?
LOL! Leave it to you to summarize so succinctly!
I know we’re all just being redundant, saying he’s nuts in a variety of ways! 🙂
*came here through Tribal Blogs*
My heart really goes out to Martin Sheen. As a parent, I can’t imagine what it must be like to watch your child spiral out of control like this. And with all of America watching. It’s really sad indeed.
You know, Meleah, as I watch this I can’t help but think of his family, and of my own children. Any of us can fall victim to mental illness. In fact, I bet most of us have a family member with some degree of mental illness. I thank God every day that my 4 children are good, generally healthy, independent and productive people.
I do feel guilty about finding glee in someone else’s misfortune but it’s like he’s encouraging audience participation. Not to justify my own behavior, but some of things that he said showed that on some level he knew what he’s doing, for instance, he mentioned the irony of the media focusing on him rather than what’s happening say in Libya, it’s like at some lucid moments, he was able to step away and look at this circus with himself in the center. Like Meleah said above, my heart goes out to Martin Sheen too.
Awh, don’t bother feeling guilty! It’s society’s way of trying to bring his erratic behavior back to the norm. And yeah, it’s those moments of his near-lucidity that make it easy for us to slam him.
I’ve been wondering about the shame too. Will he feel ashamed for his behavior? He certainly has incidents he should feel shame about but so far he seems rather proud.
If he comes down off of a manic episode, he might feel shame. If he has a personality disorder, he probably is incapable of it. Any way you look at it, though he is really damaged goods.
What’s amazing to me is that he still hasn’t hit his “bottom”. He’s definitely going down kicking and screaming.
No kidding! He is going down fast, though, in flames!
I feel sorry for him! I hope, one day, he realizes he needs help, and seeks it out.
He needs help, but he has to want it. They say you can’t force a person into treatment unless he is a danger to himself or to others. Don’t you think he is clearly a danger to himself?
“Sooner or later, the “drug called Charlie Sheen” will wear off. A sense of deep depression will take its place. When this happens and he becomes more aware of how his mania has played out on a world wide stage, he may well develop an enormous sense of shame. He will look around and count his devastating losses. I wouldn’t be surprised if he becomes suicidal.”
And that is why I always feel so sad for him.
No one will be surprised if this ends tragically. That would indeed be very sad.
I agree that it is a disease but a disease he made every choice for. He has access to all the resources in the world that many others could only dream of and he rejects them which is something a cancer patient is unlikely to do. My heart goes out to the victims of his problems but not so much for him. He is enjoying himself right now. He will not later. I think more about the bottom feeders who surround him in real life ready to suck whatever they can from him in the form of money, fame, etc. They impede his recovery by wanting the “fun” to continue and I think they are worse then the people just watching the train wreck. Wow. I don’t how I got all serious about him this morning. 🙂
That’s it, Junebug, get it all out! Feeling better? Good!
LOL 🙂