We feel badly for Britney Spears. Watching her self-destruct in the public eye over the past year has just been beyond words. Most people find such self-destruction good fodder for entertainment, but I’m disturbed by the seeming lack of anyone able to get through to her and get her into real treatment.

Maybe last night’s events will get through to her.

Whether she likes it or not, she appears to have been hospitalized overnight in California on a 5150 hold, which refers to the legal code that allows a California hospital to hold a person involuntarily due to psychiatric concerns. Specifically, because the clinicians or who initially evaluated her were concerned that she was a danger to herself or to others. These are not just used if a person is drunk — they have to have had said something that makes a professional believe they have some intent to kill themselves or someone else.

We hope that at some point Britney Spears hits rock bottom and starts to understand the ramifications of her behavior. It not only affects her life, but the lives of her children. Sometimes being involuntarily committed is that wake-up call to understand that you need to turn your life around after losing it all.

Read the full story: K-Fed’s Lawyer Heading to Court After Britney Custody Standoff

Dr. John Grohol is the CEO and founder of Psych Central. He is an author, researcher and expert in mental health online, and has been writing about online behavior, mental health and psychology issues -- as well as the intersection of technology and human behavior -- since 1992. Dr. Grohol sits on the editorial board of the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking and is a founding board member and treasurer of the Society for Participatory Medicine.

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    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 4 Jan 2008
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