This blog post I stumbled upon this blog post about Charlie Sheen’s situation http://spiritscraps.blogspot.com/2011/03/no-longer-laughing-at-charlie-sheen.html
and it prompted me to write a couple of thoughts.
and it prompted me to write a couple of thoughts.
I don’t know him, I can’t diagnose him but there is so obviously pain there. The things coming out of his moth are utterly ridiculous so they amuse us and we laugh. It just seems that the way we as a society exploit him is kind of sad. Let us make sure to get him on every interview show so we can crack up at what he says.
Maybe I am sensitive because one of my parents was bipolar and I lived through mania episodes that were fun and funny and progressed to scary, angry, exhausting and painful for both my parent and family. I get why it is funny, I still laugh at some of the things my parent did and said in a manic stage. It is like what the person says and does is so off the wall insane. The person believes it so completly and thinks you are a bit nuts for not getting it. It can lead to situations that seem very amusing. However, I can’t imagine what these episodes would have been like watching them on a national stage – with everyone laughing at someone I loved.
I feel for Charlie Sheen’s family and friends because I fully believe that one of the most difficult things for any of us to do is to watch someone we love be in pain and not be able to do much of anything to alleviate that pain. For family and friends there is often a mixture of emotions dealing with someone’s mental illness including anger, embarrassment, sadness, pain, guilt, resentment, love and hurt. (To name a few - see why it is complicated!)
I also feel for Charlie Sheen because there is so much pain and inevitably it will likely be worse before and if it gets better.
Just be aware that this is not just funny – this is what pain looks like too.
