Amanda Bynes' Woes as Seen by Another Child Star

"Little House on the Prairie's" Alison Arngrim writes that managers, instead of offering help, oftentimes become enablers in their clients' downward spiral.

Of the members of the team who would be most likely to get involved, my money would be on the manager, as they have a unique role in the artist's life. My father, Thor Arngrim, was a personal manager from the '60s through the '80s, and I saw firsthand how that job differs from other forms of representation. As I explained in my book, Confessions of a Prairie Bitch: How I Survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being Hated: "The publicist might spin the story of your arrest to the press and try to make you sound innocent. But the manager will come before the cops arrive, flush the dope down the toilet, give the girl cab fare home and wipe the prints off the gun."

I do think the new generation of representatives is starting to abandon the archaic concept of "image at all costs" in the name of sanity and preservation of life. There clearly are managers who grasp this concept. The case of Demi Lovato stands out. She and her people, including the folks at Disney, were very public about her seeking professional help for both eating disorders and cutting -- which not only helped Lovato but likely many of her teenage fans as well.

Which brings us to another issue: Not all of this "acting out" is necessarily drug- or alcohol-related. Sometimes, what we're seeing is a severe reaction to trauma or PTSD. Young celebrities are not immune to the risks of physical and sexual abuse. Often their risk is greater. And sadly, managers, parents and producers are only too happy to cover up these uncomfortable situations as well.

It doesn't have to be like this. There are a lot more places for a young artist to turn to for help now than there were in my day: The Screen Actors Guild has the Looking Ahead program that helps young artists with the transition to adulthood. Former child actor Paul Petersen, of The Donna Reed Show, runs an organization called "A Minor Consideration" (http://www.minorcon.org/index.html)  that offers support and assistance to young performers and their families.

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