My own personal Britney Spears

OK, I have to admit, I am not a huge fan of Britney Spears. I remember watching a couple of years ago when she was going through her very public meltdown.

"WARNING: This person will self destruct in 3, 2, 1....."

And I'll admit it; at first it was titalating.

Then shocking.

Then horrifying.

And then.......just fantastically sad.

"Britney's Bloopers" was something that we could all get a good laugh at, or at the very least, a chance to shake our heads doubiously.

But after the head shaving incident, I didn't want to watch anymore. Her Mach 3 downward spiral into self destruction, was no longer amusing. It was concerning, if not downright alarming.

With each car crash and pantiless paparazzi shot that appeared in the "rag mags", it was obvious that she was a young, misguided troubled little girl who would not let anyone around her help her.

Some of us may know a real life "Britney".

I happen to have one in my family.

Our "Britney" is a drug addict who suffers from severe mental illness.

She is not from a broken home, or a child of abuse. In fact, quite the opposite. She was raised in a normal, loving, 2 parent middle class family.

Every "cry for help" was answered.

We rooted for her when it looked like she was turning a corner, but we are never suprised when we hear that she has fallen again.

She has been given second, twenty second, and seventy second chances.

Bad things have happened to her. We all know that worse things are yet to come.

I remember when Robert Downey Jr. was in court for the umpeenth time on drug related charges, and he looked at the judge and said; "It's like I have a loaded gun in my mouth and my finger is on the trigger, and I like the taste of gunmetal."

It was then I understood the true meaning of being an addict. It is a disease that so many of us feel that people should just be able to "get over". Before going through this in my own family, I know I felt that way. "If they just tried harder. If they just had a bit more self-discipline".

But no matter how much money, fame and power these celebrities have, clearly they have a disease that is far more powerful.

So even though my every instinct is to judge the actions of celebrities like Britney Spears.....maybe even make jokes about them, I have to remember our "Britney".

I wouldn't wish what she is going through on anyone.

I sincerely pray that she can turn things around.

Because look at how far Britney Spears has come in the past two years. And if she can do it, maybe there is hope for our "Britney" too.