Amanda Bynes ‘Really Wasn’t Feeling Like Herself’ Before Deciding to Seek Treatment: ‘It Was Her Decision’

It was the right thing for her. Amanda Bynes sought treatment at a rehab facility earlier this year after being sober and stable for three years, in a move that shocked many. Now, her legal representation is saying the move was her idea. “It was her decision and her choice to address the situation [and] seek treatment, which I think is an incredibly mature way of handling this type of thing,” her lawyer, Tamar Arminak, revealed to Access. Check out the video above to learn more.

A reporter asked Tamar how Amanda is doing these days, and she replied, “I will tell you she’s doing remarkably well under the circumstances. This time around she realized herself after the recent Paper Magazine interview and spread that she really wasn’t feeling like herself all of a sudden and that she wanted to address that.” It’s good that she’s aware of her mental health enough to really recognize when she needed that help.

Tamar continued, “She wanted to address it right away before going back into show business and exploring show business again.” She also noted that Amanda and her parents are on “great terms” in the midst of all of this turmoil.

In November, Amanda opened up about her past drug abuse in an interview with Paper magazine. She said she started smoking marijuana when she was 16 and later, “it progressed to doing molly and ecstasy.” She added, “[I tried] cocaine three times, but I never got high from cocaine. I never liked it. It was never my drug of choice.” She also apparently took a liking to Adderall.

Amanda entered rehab in 2013 and was treated for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, Radar Online reported in March. Her father, Richard Bynes, told the outlet that he was pleased with her progress and he said in November that everything was “wonderful” in his daughter’s life. It sounds like Amanda is just trying to ensure that she’s as healthy and happy as she can be before getting back in the acting game.