How Amanda Bynes Is Reportedly Planning To Prioritize Her Mental Health When Psychiatric Hold Ends

Amanda Bynes in What a Girl Wants.
(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Former Nickelodeon star Amanda Bynes remains in a hospital three weeks after a reported psychotic break led to her walking naked in the streets of downtown Los Angeles. The actress had been expected to appear with her All That co-stars at 90s Con, but authorities determined Bynes needed to be placed on a 5150 psychiatric hold. While there’s no scheduled date for her discharge, the What a Girl Wants actress has apparently been working with medical professionals on a plan to prioritize her mental health when that happens.

It was just over a year ago that a judge ended the conservatorship Amanda Bynes had been under since 2013, and with no plans currently in place to reinstate that order, she is free to make her own decisions regarding medical care. TMZ reports that the actress is not being forced to stay at the facility, but that she doesn’t feel ready to leave. When she does, she will reportedly enroll in an outpatient mental health treatment program. 

It’s promising to hear that Amanda Bynes is accepting the help of the medical professionals and was apparently able to admit that she’s not well enough to leave the hospital. Putting a plan in place to ensure she remains supported, with the help of doctors and specialists, seems like a good sign.

While her parents are reportedly not planning to reinstate Amanda Bynes’ conservatorship, TMZ also reports that they have not been by her side at the hospital, despite some reports to the contrary. It’s not clear who the What I Like About You star does have in her corner right now. Her former All That co-star Kel Mitchell said he’d been praying for her, but Bynes’ her ex-fiancé Paul Michael said he hadn’t seen her since January.

The couple got engaged in February 2020, with several break-ups and makeups following in the next couple of years. It’s unclear when, exactly, the couple split following a bizarre domestic dispute in the weeks after Amanda Bynes was released from her conservatorship, but Paul Michael said he had moved out of the apartment they’d shared in January of this year.

The actress was thought to still be residing at the apartment, however, evidence suggested Amanda Bynes had been living on the streets for multiple days prior to getting help, and apparently didn’t have a cell phone with her. Her car was discovered in Long Beach, out of gas, on March 15, around 40 miles from her house. On March 19, she reportedly flagged down a driver and said she was coming down from a psychotic episode, before she called 911 herself and was admitted to the hospital.

Hopefully Amanda Bynes continues to get the help that she needs, and it’s a promising sign that she seems to be working with doctors to ensure she’s got support in place when she leaves the treatment facility.

Heidi Venable
Content Producer

Heidi Venable is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend, a mom of two and a hard-core '90s kid. She started freelancing for CinemaBlend in 2020 and officially came on board in 2021. Her job entails writing news stories and TV reactions from some of her favorite prime-time shows like Grey's Anatomy and The Bachelor. She graduated from Louisiana Tech University with a degree in Journalism and worked in the newspaper industry for almost two decades in multiple roles including Sports Editor, Page Designer and Online Editor. Unprovoked, will quote Friends in any situation. Thrives on New Orleans Saints football, The West Wing and taco trucks.

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