Charlie Sheen & Bipolar Disorder

Actor Charlie Sheen has always been known as the "bad boy of Hollywood". Even at the ripe old age of 45, Sheen has a reputation for alleged drinking, drugs, sex and domestic violence. Sheen has five children of his own with three separate women (two of which were wives), and just doesn't seem to take the father role seriously. As a matter of fact, Sheen doesn't seem to take anything serious these days...

"Two and a Half Men" has been a primetime success on CBS since 2003. Sheen's friend, Chuck Lorre, knew about Sheen's indiscretions and troubled past. However, Lorre went out on a limb and cast Sheen as the lead in his new show. It was a great fit, and Sheen was nominated for and won many awards over the years. The chemistry between Sheen and the other actors seemed terrific. All appeared well in paradise.

Even when Charlie had a very public breakdown in November 2010, the executive team and actors on "Two and a Half Men" didn't take any action against Sheen. Rumors swirled that the show was going to be canceled, but Warner Brothers even issued a statement saying that the show had been renewed for another seven years, and into syndication until 2021. It appeared as though Sheen's breakdown was being blown out of proportion by the media, since everyone affiliated with "Two and a Half Men" were seemingly standing by Sheen's side.

January 2011 showed the world that Charlie Sheen was really in a downward spiral, and didn't want any help. After a wild night of partying and a suitcase full of cocaine, Sheen ended up in the hospital under the guise of a hernia. He was released shortly thereafter, and entered a "rehab-at-home" program on January 29, causing production of the show to stop temporarily. On February 2, Sheen issued a statement thanking the cast and crew of "Two and a Half Men" for their support while he cleaned up his act. Once again, it seemed that everyone was standing by him. Sheen even offered to pay the crew members that were out of work for the time that he was away from set.

Then, on February 14, after yet another one of Sheen's drug and sex binges, Lorre aired the following message on one of his infamous vanity cards after the credits of "Two and a Half Men":

"I exercise regularly. I eat moderate amounts of healthy food. I make sure to get plenty of rest. I see my doctor once a year and my dentist twice a year. I floss every night. I've had chest x-rays, cardio stress tests, EKG's and colonoscopies. I see a psychologist and have a variety of hobbies to reduce stress. I don't drink. I don't smoke. I don't do drugs. I don't have crazy, reckless sex with strangers. If Charlie Sheen outlives me, I'm gonna be really pissed."

Shortly thereafter, CBS and Warner Brothers announced that they would be forcing a hiatus and shutting down production of "Two and a Half Men" for the rest of the season. This did not sit well with Sheen. Sheen fired back through paparazzi, spewing hatred for Lorre and even contempt for Alcoholics Anonymous. Sheen claimed to have been cured by his own mind of his addictions, and attacked Lorre on a very personal level.

In my humble opinion, Sheen is displaying classic actions of bipolar disorder. His manic and reckless behavior, random and excessive sex, disregard for others, and dependence on alcohol and drugs are all signs that point to bipolar disorder. The man is completely out of control and needs help-- Professional help. Speaking from a perspective of someone who has to deal with family members that have bipolar disorder, I believe that a rehab-at-home program isn't going to help him. Even Dr. Drew Pinsky will not be able to help him. I think that Sheen needs some serious psychological help. Once he gets clean, he needs help to stay clean. It is unfair of him to ask untrained people to "watch out" for him.

Perhaps Lorre and Sheen will come to some sort of agreement where he will have a morality clause in his contract. Perhaps Lorre really does care about Sheen, and will have him psychologically evaluated before starting up production on "Two and a Half Men" again. Unfortunately, Lorre is taking the right road with Sheen - and I can say this from experience with "tough love" in dealing with someone EXACTLY like this with bipolar disorder, only without the excessive money that Sheen has. Sheen has to hit rock bottom before he can start getting the help he needs.