A Bipolar Mom Offers Insight Into Britney Spears' Struggle

As Britney Spears receives treatment for bipolar disorder and struggles to regain custody of her two sons , Us Weekly spoke to a young mother afflicted with the same mental illness to offer insight into the singer's life. “Carol” (not her real name) was a wild, uncontrollable 18-year-old when she became a mother. But after some manic episodes (including joyriding with her infant son in a car), she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Carol soon decided to give up her baby, then 18 months, to family friends for adoption. Now 28, the Idaho resident — who says she’s doing “really well” and still has contact with her nine-year-old boy — tells Us her story : "The thing that made me think Britney might have bipolar was that I recognized the look on her face, I've had that look before. It's the eyes, there's kind of a wildness. It looks like her mind's going really fast and I'm sure that she went through the same thing with the racing thoughts that I did and I could see ... [link]