Amanda Bynes 'Crazy:' Star Would Benefit From Conservatorship, Mental Health Expert Says

At first it wasn’t clear if Amanda Bynes, who is now synonymous with calling out celebrities for being ugly on Twitter, was just putting on a show or was actually mentally ill. But now that she has been placed in the hospital under an involuntary psychiatric hold, it’s clear the starlet needs help, as explained by mental health expert Steven Horen.

The former Nickelodeon star’s parents were denied temporary conservatorship of their daughter since the judge wanted to talk to the actress after she had been hospitalized for two weeks. But 14 days in the hospital might not be enough time for the starlet, who reportedly been exhibiting schizophrenic tendencies, to get well. But denying her parents conservatorship could have grave outcomes, Horen, who is the founder of psychiatric management company Koved Care, told International Business Times exclusively.

Horen explained it could take months for Bynes to get better and two weeks of hospitalization was nowhere near enough time for the actress, who has been displaying bizarre behavior.

“It’s barely enough time for the hospital to accurately diagnose and treat her behavior,” he said, referring to Bynes as “pretty ill.” Horen added that determining the right medication for her would take even longer.

In cases like Bynes, which Horen considers “complex” considering her strange antics that have publicly played out the past few months, it’s not easy to find the right medication and in many complex cases the first medicine administered is not the right one for the individual. Two weeks isn’t even enough time for her to respond to one medication, he said.

“Her recovery could very much be in jeopardy because there won’t be enough time to identify the treatment and have it be effective.” The mental health expert added, “It happens, but it’s not likely.”

If Bynes’ parents’ were granted conservatorship they could have control over her therapy sessions. “It would compel her to get treatment for long enough for her to have a chance at getting better,” Horen told IBT.

It’s apparent to most, through her Twitter rampages, that the “Easy A” star has a distorted view of reality. “Psychotherapy helps people relearn things,” Horen explained. “It could help get her back on her feet.”

As far as whether or not the child star was schizophrenic, Horen said it would be hard to tell since she could be suffering from a number of mental illnesses and reiterated that two weeks was not enough time to diagnose her. It could be bipolar disorder with psychotic symptoms, he surmised, but whatever she is suffering from is complex.

Bynes has been in a downward spiral for months, but last week her crazy antics finally caught up with her after she was hospitalized for apparently setting a stranger’s driveway on fire a block away from her parents' home in Thousand Oaks, Calif. She apparently injured herself and her dog, so instead of being arrested the 27-year-old was placed on a 5150 involuntary psychiatric hold.

Though she is troubled, her parents were denied temporary conservatorship, which would possibly give them control of her finances, therapy and medication, by a California judge. Judge Glen Reiser ordered a full investigation before deciding if Lynne Bynes would become her daughter’s conservator, Radar Online wrote. The actress is slated to appear before him on Aug. 9.