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Angelina Jolie addicted to motherhood?
Filed under: Bump Watch, Celeb Kids, Celeb Parents, Rumors
Although I have been accused by some who don't know me of having a bias against large families, I don't. Where I live, large families are quite common and I see no good reason not to have as many children as you want and can care for. I certainly do not question the motives of these parents who have five, six or even more children. But some are questioning the motives of a very famous celebrity mom who is in the process of enlarging her family. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are rumored to be expecting their fifth child and Jolie has said she might eventually want "between seven and 13 or 14" children.
It's not the size of her family, but Jolie's own history that has at least one psychologist speculating that her 'baby collecting' might be a sign of a deeper problem. Raised by a single mother and estranged from her father, Jolie has been very open about her emotional struggles. She publicly revealed the fact the she used to cut herself and for a time was obsessed with mortuaries. And who can forget the vial of Billie Bob Thornton's blood she proudly wore around her neck when the two were married? Her fluctuating weight and her open-mouthed kiss with her brother add even more fuel to the Angelina-has-issues fire.
"Having kids is a way of self-medicating," psychologist Lara Honos-Webb told ABCNEWS.com. "In essence - a distraction and diversion from the inner feeling of emptiness."
Honos-Webb, who has written several books about depression, points to Mia Farrow and Mother Theresa as examples of 'mother earth types' with unrecognized depression. "Things blew up with Mia Farrow, they blew up mental health-wise for Mother Teresa, and that's where Angelina Jolie is headed if she doesn't get help," she says.
Honos-Webb doesn't discard the idea that Jolie truly does want to help others and adopting is one way she goes about doing that. Rather, she wonders what Jolie is avoiding by giving so much of herself to others. "In some ways," she says, "saving the world is easier than facing our own inner world of emptiness."
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
2-27-2008 @ 8:40PM
ninainindia said...I really dislike these psychologists that from opinioons about people they have never spoken to. She does not know what drives Angelina and neither do we.
Also, I can't imagine what it must be like to have things you've done years ago during a rebelious phase being constantly used against who you are now.
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2-27-2008 @ 11:49PM
dee said...I absolutely agree. Frankly, psychologists who are willing to make very public, negative statements about people they have no professional relationship with, and they haven't even spoken with much less met, seem to be attention whores. I have to wonder if she's promoting a new book? Her pronoucements carry no weight at all, for me.
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2-28-2008 @ 3:38AM
Troubled Teen said...Who wouldn't get calm upon seeing babies? If that really is the reason for Angelina's "baby spree," then I think it was a really noble and loving act of hers.
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2-28-2008 @ 3:38AM
Troubled Teen said...Who wouldn't get calm upon seeing babies? If that really is the reason for Angelina's "baby spree," then I think it was a really noble and loving act of hers.
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2-28-2008 @ 1:24AM
Carolyn said...I do think that she has some issues, but so do most people. I think she is probably a great mother, she seems very hands on with her kids. But.... I had to look this quote up, from an interview she did after Shiloh's birth: “I think I feel so much more for Madd and Zee because they’re survivors, they came through so much. Shiloh seemed so privileged from the moment she was born. I have less inclination to feel for her..." I admit, that one seemed odd, to separate your kids into categories like that. Then again, I have never adopted, so I don't know first hand what it's like.
Carolyn
http://www.momsontheedge.typepad.com
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2-28-2008 @ 1:56AM
SKL said...Any psychologist who really knew enough to make a diagnosis of Ms. Jolie or anyone else would be prohibited from discussing it publicly. One would think that those who have insufficient knowledge would have all the more reason to keep their off-the-cuff diagnoses to themselves.
You know, some people just really like children. There are many people who have lots of kids through both birth and adoption. I am not one of these, but I can totally understand the feeling that one is fulfilling one's God-given purpose by nurturing as many children as one is emotionally and financially capable of nurturing - especially when you have been in contact with some of the millions who will grow up without a mother's love. I think it's rather uncharitable to label this as an addiction or other neurosis.
Usually when someone jumps on a person like Ms. Jolie, it's someone who is so removed from Ms. Jolie's life that it's just plain ridiculous. People who aren't up for adopting in a challenging situation should mind their own business, not meddle with those who do take on this challenge. Why is it so much fun for some people to smear people they don't even know? Are they jealous, ashamed of their own lack of accomplishment, afraid of the different and unknown, bored and uninspired, or just plain mean?
Even if it is true that some of these celebrities are psychologically ill, it's still extremely uncharitable to discuss it in this manner.
2-28-2008 @ 1:57AM
SKL said...My comment wasn't meant to be a reply to another comment. Sometimes this comment thing doesn't work right.
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2-28-2008 @ 2:09AM
SKL said...As far as how Ms. Jolie feels about her adopted kids as survivors - I totally relate to that. My wee tots have been through things that no sane person would ever intentionally do to a child. Every day I see manifestations of the trauma and the resulting stress, fear, reluctance to love or participate fully in their world. Their big eyes reflect a depth of thought and concern that I've never seen before in children of their age. And they are not even having a lot of the problems that adopted tots often have. They were much younger at homecoming than Ms. Jolie's adopted kids were. I've worked with older orphans, in institutions, who have a completely unfamiliar (to Americans) outlook on life - a sense that they are entitled to nothing. Yes, Ms. Jolie's adopted kids are survivors. I guess maybe you would have to go through her experience to understand.
But that doesn't mean she can't be / isn't a great mother to her birth children. She's getting slammed for a couple of things she's said, and especially one thing she really didn't even say - the "blob" comment that was actually put into her mouth by the person interviewing her. Mostly the people slamming her are people who have never adopted and so have absolutely no clue - nor any desire to understand - where she is coming from.
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