I can tell you right now who’s high on a drug called Charlie Sheen: the media.
The slow motion train wreck known as sitcom star Charlie Sheen’s life is being documented in excruciatingly up close detail online, in print and on T.V.
A gaunt, wild-eyed Sheen has captivated America with his rants against anyone who dares to disagree with his delusional version of reality. CBS executives who temporarily pulled the plug on his “Two and a Half Men” series are now his enemies.
He was served with a restraining order filed by his wife, and the separated couple’s twin sons were removed from his home by police after he refused to return them to their mother. The restraining order was only a bid by his wife to grab a little of the spotlight for herself, Sheen claimed. It had nothing to do with the alleged threats he made against her, including that he would cut off her head and mail it to her mother.
I initially rolled my eyes at Sheen’s grandiose speeches. What a spoiled little jerk! Get into rehab, get sober and get over yourself, I thought.
After seeing several interviews and reading more quotes,my “oh, please” attitude was replaced by anger and sorrow. Charlie Sheen is mentally ill (my money’s on bipolar), and the media is wringing every drop of drama the can squeeze out of his situation. The bottom line isn’t the disintegration of a star, a husband, father, son, brother. The bottom line is the bucks.
A so-called addiction expert spoke knowingly about Sheen on T.V. last night. He claimed that, although Sheen has tested clean for drug use, he’s still using. He also claimed that Sheen will either get into treatment or die from substance abuse. He stated that Sheen’s delusions and egomania are the result of drug and alcohol abuse, even though there were no drugs or alcohol in his system when he acted out.
This guy’s credentials are that he’s a recovering addict and he’s appeared on the T.V. series “Intervention.”
Well, my credentials are that I’m a recovering alcoholic and I’ve been in a recovery program for most of the 28 years I’ve been sober. I’ve seen people drunk, sober, high as a kite and in the throes of withdrawal. None of the people I’ve seen in any of those states exhibited the symptoms Charlie Sheen has been displaying.
Believing you’re superhuman, viewing anyone who doesn’t share your vision as a mortal enemy, and behaving erratically and manically are symptoms of mental illness.
I think the fact that Sheen tests clean for substances means that he’s no longer self-medicating. Many drug addicts and alcoholics have underlying mental health issues and become substance abusers to take the edge off their symptoms.
It’s the sad, sick truth that I keep checking the Associated Press web link on my computer, expecting to see a file tagged “obit—sheen.” Unless someone steps in to help him, Charlie Sheen has nowhere to go but down. And so long as the media and his so-called fans embrace him and reward him for his mania, he’s going to keep spiraling, possibly into an early grave.
And if that does happen, prepare for a media frenzy as manic Sheen on his worst day.
Deb, the problem is that people pay attention to the media who is doing this to begin with. If no one gave a damn, it would all end....I, for one, with the exception of your blog, haven't paid the least bit of attention to any of it. And am happier because of it.....
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