Amanda Bynes Mental Illness Possibly PTSD? Schizophrenia Symptoms may be connected to childhood trauma.

According to Fox News, Amanda Bynes has PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), which stems in part from the pressures of her Hollywood career as a Nickelodeon child star.   According to a story in Science Daily, researchers have linked schizophrenia symptoms to childhood trauma.  PTSD can also be a result of childhood trauma.  No one knows exactly what causes schizophrenia symptoms, but trauma may be one possible ingredient.

A source told Fox News "Amanda has made significant improvements, she is doing better than she was.  There are no drug problems involved, it's all mental. She has deep anger and PTSD, which tripped a psychotic episode... She is very ill, but manageable. Amanda genuinely wants to get better and has wanted to get better for some time."

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The source continued: "She is easy to deal with at the moment and agreed to stay.  While she is doing much better, Amanda needs to be monitored. She is on heavy anti-psychotic drugs and that requires constant medical observation. She wasn't able to attend the hearing on Friday because at this point in treatment, she should not be moved.

Antipsychotic medication for mental illness and schizophrenia symptoms includes atypical antipsychotics like zyprexa and Risperdal.

TMZ reports that Amanda Bynes is showing.  Schizophrenia can cause a negative symptom called flat affect which causes the sufferer to show little emotion. TMZ claims Amanda was crying on Wednesday and Thursday night, saying she was scared about the Friday court date.  She did not attend the court date.  While crying sounds like a sign of pain, with schizophrenia symptoms and mental illness it can be part of the resolution and a positive sign.

According to a source for Fox News, the conservatorship over Amanda Bynes is more limited than the one over Britney Spears.  The source said: "Amanda can't make important decisions regarding her finances and welfare.  But her parents can't either. Everything still needs to go through Amanda lawyer and the judge." 

Bynes allegedly has very deep-seated conflict issues with her parents, and she is not particularly close with them.  Conflict in relationships can be a characteristic of schizophrenia symptoms, although that does not mean the sufferer caused the conflict.