Consumer Health Features

Lindsay Lohan, Macaulay Culkin, Amanda Bynes perpetuate child star stereotype

By April MacIntyre Sep 19, 2012, 22:06 GMT

Irene Jacob and Macaulay Culkin - Macaulay Culkin File Photos - London - London, UK © Landmark / PR Photos

Lindsay Lohan, Macaulay Culkin and Amanda Bynes are all exhibiting behaviors continuously that perpetuate the failed child star stereotype.

There are success stories; Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Natalie Portman, Jodie Foster, Christian Bale, Jerry O'Connell, Sara Gilbert, Ron Howard and Brooke Shields notably.

But the bad pennies outweigh the success stories, and recent events show no matter how talented and fortunate, addiction and behavior issues can derail the most promising lives.

The list is far too long for ex-child stars who are "bad example" poster children, found here.

Lohan last week was tweeting her dismay over Amanda Bynes' freedom in spite of an alleged DUI and repeated car-related mishaps.

Bynes and Lohan each have a laundry list of assorted problems. "Home Alone" star Macauley Culkin has been rumored to be fighting drug addiction and is frighteningly thin.

Lohan was just accused of leaving the scene of an accident after allegedly striking a pedestrian with her car, albeit TMZ reports that the videotape reveals the person involved most likely allegedly trumped up the "hit and run" charges, looking for a payday.

Cliffside Malibu physician Dr. Damon Raskin - a former child star himself - has insight on the pressures of fame at an early age.

He spoke to Monsters and Critics and shared his take on the recent news. "Macaulay Culkin does indeed look unhealthy in the published pictures...as if he were having stomach pain or nausea. It is impossible to tell from the photos alone what could be going on without properly examining and talking to the patient. It could be a stomach virus, or it could be opiate withdrawal...impossible to tell from the photos alone."

"If he were going through opiate withdrawal, I would hope he would go to an inpatient detoxification facility, like Cliffside Malibu where I work, to be medically supervised, and get the medical and psychological help that he might need."

As for Lindsay Lohan and Amanda Bynes, he says, "It is very difficult to grow up in the spotlight as a child star. As a successful child actor myself, I enjoyed the attention and accolades, but as I entered into adolescence, parts dried up. If I hadn't focused on other interests, it would have been easy to lose self esteem and spiral into a depressed state. Fortunately, I chose to enter medicine where I had more control over my destiny."

Dr Damon Raskin, M.D has been doing what he loves for the past 16 years.  As a board certified internist, he has dedicated his career to helping his patients through both minor and major medical interventions.  For 10 years Dr. Raskin has specialized in working in addiction detoxification. Dr. Raskin has been interviewed for national and local media on all topics related to addiction and can be reached at www.cliffsidemalibu.com