Kim Richards: No Escape from Witch Mountain

[WireWrap]

I also read that BH is filming in the Hamptons - I think the store opening is part of it, so Kyle didn't have much of a choice as to where she happened to be physically.

 

Kim treated Kyle horribly on television - in front of the public.  Lord only knows how she treated Kyle in private.  Probably worse, because most people are at least somewhat careful when cameras are rolling.  Kim has been despicable. 

 

If Kyle wants to sit on a couch, watch TV and eat bon-bons while Kim's drama plays out, I give her a pass.

 

ETA: E! is reporting that Kim was NOT hospitalized.

 

"Contrary to reports, Kim Richards has not been hospitalized.

 

A source close to the former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star told ET exclusively that she was out and about Los Angeles on Saturday. "Regardless of what is going on with her medically and mentally," the source said, "she is not currently locked up."

 

http://www.etonline.com/news/169621_kim_richards_not_hospitalized_following_shoplifting_arrest/

It is possible that she was released for a 72 hour hold on Friday thus she was "out and about" on Saturday. I started reading reports she was released/left on Friday. Here is 1 article.....  http://www.eonline.com/news/684584/kim-richards-hospitalized-and-released-days-after-being-arrested-for-shoplifting-get-the-details

 

BUT, who knows what is really happening but I suspect the "source" for "E" is none other than Brandi herself.

[tabloidlover]

MissMel, you have put it into words perfectly.  Until you have lived it, there is just no way to succinctly put it into concise words. 

 

I lived it with my sister-in-law.  Her addiction was prescription pills.  It was hell on earth to go thru, and harder still to walk away as she had 3 kids that needed care and attention.  Every time she made some progress forward, her co-dependent mother would slip her some pills "to take the edge off".  And we were back to square one all over again.  The ups and downs are exhausting.  It all came to an end 6 years ago, when she went to bed and never woke up.  The relief we felt was immeasurable.  We knew she was gone, for all intents and purposes, long before that night.   

 

So, I will decorate my own handbasket and join you on the trip to hell. 

[notnowimbusy]

I love the "not currently" locked up. 

[tulip555]

That makes sense. There can be relief in death when someone is sick and suffering for a long time, no matter what the ailment is.

I still hope Kim can turn it around but it's all up to her. She may not even be capable of change anymore and that's sad because, what then? It can be so hard to tell where sanity/lucidity ends and psychosis begins and what is a willful choice based on mental clarity and what is a reaction to things perceived by an ill mind, since we all act on our own perception of ourselves and the world.

I hate that Kyle is still being blamed for Kim's state, as if Kyle - or anyone - is capable of fixing another person. It just doesn't work like that. If other people could truly change another by love/sheer will, there'd be far fewer people suffering from illnesses. These issues aren't easily cured by wishing it so or throwing money around and support can only go so far before it begins to impair the life of the loved one. I've been in both positions and neither is as cut and dried as all that.

Imo, I believe Kim has given up, and just doesn't care anymore....I have been there, and it takes so much strenth to pull yourself out of the hole you have dug for yourself that she just doesn't have any thing left....she is tired of the whole thing, and I really don't think she will be around much longer Edited August 9, 2015 by tulip555

[zulualpha]

I think all this media attention is working for her on some level.  No matter how negative the reports are, she's the center of attention, the star of her own little reality show.

[SwordQueen]

I don't feel that anything anyone has said is worthy of "a handbasket to hell" and I hope that everyone who has lost someone to a painful illness makes sure to be kind to themselves when thinking back on it.   It's so difficult, not to mention exhausting, to witness ongoing suffering, that relief seems like part of the natural reaction to me -- even relief for oneself.  

 

I actually think that's the crux of the problem in treating illnesses such as addiction, as well as certain other mental illnesses.  Everyone wants to find relief from the suffering and everyone might be going at it in different, conflicting ways.  The sufferer wants relief from whatever pain they are in, through drugs or activities which numbs or heightens their mood.  They want relief from their thoughts and what they think others are thinking about them.  The loved ones wants to find relief for both the sufferer and themselves by either denying the entire problem or trying to cure it through medication, money, religion, tough love, enabling or whatever else.  In the end, everyone just wants relief, imo.  

 

There is also a lot of complexity with these kind of illnesses.  Not everyone who goes down this road or refuses help is doing so because they want to die or even think that they are going to die from it.  Self-harming behaviors are often considered, by the suffer, to be a form of self-preservation because they feel that it's the only way they know how to survive.  Even if it eventually kills them, it's how they cope with living.  

[LotusFlower]

 

ETA: E! is reporting that Kim was NOT hospitalized.

 

"Contrary to reports, Kim Richards has not been hospitalized.

 

A source close to the former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star told ET exclusively that she was out and about Los Angeles on Saturday. "Regardless of what is going on with her medically and mentally," the source said, "she is not currently locked up."

 

http://www.etonline.com/news/169621_kim_richards_not_hospitalized_following_shoplifting_arrest/

The source is obviously Kim, once again trying to squash any embarrassing stories, as ET was the show that gave her the forum to deliver her latest post-rehab spin.

I'm guessing the hospital stay was a legal move. Maybe we'll hear more about it at the hearing, if that ever happens.

[talula]

Interesting perspective on the addict:

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/wendymurray/2014/02/god-bless-the-addicts-philip-seymour-hoffman-and-thoughts-on-addiction/

Excerpt-

It is a human quest that drives the hidden solace of addiction. So let us not judge.

The feeling the addict chases is relief, the best feeling in the world — the feeling that you can lay down your arms, that someone else can fight. Or, at the very least, that in this moment you don’t have to. You can let your arms fall.

I imagine it is like the feeling that accompanies death, at least death for a person who is resolved. You’ve ‘fought the good fight’ or you’ve ‘finished the race.’ The repose of addiction feels like that. To take hold of that feeling addresses the most basic of human longings.

Let’s take the case of sleeping pills. Imagine the best moment of the day for the sleeping-pill addict: the light has gone out and all is dark. There is the sleeping pill and taking it is the last effort of the day. In that moment there is deep rest. There is relief. The chemicals will override everything; thoughts, obsessions, anxieties — God — everything. There is nothing to worry about it. Sleep will come.

Relief. That is what addicts are after. They are damaged people, people who fight epic battles in their minds daily, moment-by-moment. God blesses them. God has blessed Philip Seymour Hoffman. God is holding him in His light and he is surrounded. There is peace there. Because God keeps very near all the addicts who can’t walk straight in this crooked world.

Edited August 9, 2015 by talula

[HunterHunted]

But what else can they do at this point (I'm asking in all seriousness)? They've offered her the best rehab, they've bailed her out of jail, they've opened up their homes to her, it sounds like they tried a 5150 hold. What is left?

 

I'm not going to judge Kyle (or even Kathy, though it pains me) at this point. As much as you might love a family member, there has to be a breaking point. A point where they can no longer be the focal point of your life, esp. when they refuse to accept any help you might offer. And Kyle, in my mind, would be totally justified just walking away at this point. Kim allowed her child to be injured by a dog she knew was dangerous and then went so far as to blame the kid for getting hurt in the first place. I wouldn't have just walked away from Kim at that point, I would have driven a mack truck over her.

Literally there is very little Kim's family can do to force Kim into treatment. I remember a pamphlet that Dorothea Dix put together to catalogue the reasons for a admission to state mental hospitals. A solid one quarter to one third were for alcoholism. This was in the mid to late 1800s. Today half of individuals admitted for mental health treatment also have a substance use disorder. You used to be able to do involuntary substance abuse commitments all the way up the late 80s and early 90s, but they fell out of favor as a best practice. Many states still have them on the books, but by the time most addicted folks get in front of a judge for the commitment hearing they've sobered up. Typically for a judge to order that commitment, he or she needs tons of information about how chronic the addiction is. The person who needs a commitment will either overdose or be arrested for public intoxication within 48 hours to 5 days after discharge from the 5150. These are individuals who police and EMS get 20 - 60 calls a month about this person. Kim is just not that person. She's sick, but just not sick enough. However, she's getting there. She's used for so long that I'm sure she has some level of acquired brain injury. And I'm pretty sure that she's using some combo of uppers and downers. Alcohol is clearly her depressant. At this point the only way to force her into treatment is as a result of her criminal justice problems.

[Rahul]

The source is obviously Kim, once again trying to squash any embarrassing stories, as ET was the show that gave her the forum to deliver her latest post-rehab spin.

I'm guessing the hospital stay was a legal move. Maybe we'll hear more about it at the hearing, if that ever happens.

 

I agree that this latest report of Kim not being admitted to a hospital is utter BS. Kim herself revealed on the show that she is very isolated and has no real friends of her own, so who is this "source" close to Kim? Her own children seem to have distanced themselves from her.

 

My guess is either Kim hired PR people to leak false information to E! or she did it herself. The news cycle died down only because she was involuntarily committed for a 72 hour hold.

[LotusFlower]

^^ Right. And not that it really matters, but folks keep confusing E! with ET - easy to do since E!'s website is E!online and Entertainment Tonight's website is ETonline. But ET is the one that did that softball interview with her, so in my view, any info. that comes from them is suspect, ie. spin fed to them by Kim.

[Lura]

Miss Mel, please accept my sympathy on the passing of your sister and also for the agony of having to deal with her illness for so long.  IMHO, there is certainly nothing shameful in admitting that life is easier now.

 

I liked reading some of the posts in support of Kyle.  One in particular made me stop and think again about my previous opinion.  That was the post which brought up the fact that Kyle has been there for Kim for years, through all sorts of problems, and has received little in return except for resentment and scorn.  When I expressed my opinion, I was thinking only of this current situation and failed to take into account the entire scope of Kyle's efforts in the past.  This oversight goes to prove what I wrote about making judgments when you're not intimately involved in the situation. 

Edited August 10, 2015 by Lura

[BlackMamba]

Mugshot and items stolen

http://www.tmz.com/#Article/2015/08/10/kim-richards-target-shoplifting-arrest-photo

Edited August 10, 2015 by BlackMamba

[WireWrap]

Mugshot and items stolen

http://www.tmz.com/#Article/2015/08/10/kim-richards-target-shoplifting-arrest-photo

She actually loaded the items in the first cart into reusable shopping bags that she also stole from the store, that shows she thought this through, it was not an impulsive act. Oh, and she told the cashier that she had already paid for the bagged items!

[mwell345]

She had to have been out of it.  No coherent person would have done that.   $600 worth of items from the dollar bin?  Tells the cashier its been paid for?  Then grabs another cart and fills it up and heads out the door - doesn't even bother with bags this time?  Tells security she can't remember if she paid for it?

 

There is no rhyme or reason to what she stole either - just whatever she could grab, I guess.

Edited August 10, 2015 by mwell345

[Alonzo Mosely FBI]

Wow.

She is ill, this is so sad.

That said, she looks like Kevin the bird from the movie Up in her mugshot .

RHOBH is currently filming? Wonder if this will make it into the footage relating to Kyle finding out. This is a stretch could Kim be doing it to get coverage since she's not filming? Could this be grief, relating to Monty's condition getting worse? Probably a perfect storm of that and many other variables. She is sick and needs to get healthy, it's sad.

[MissMel]

Wow. That kind of looks like back-to-school supplies for a little girl. Except she doesn't have a little girl any more. Which makes it even more sad.

[mwell345]

 

RHOBH is currently filming? Wonder if this will make it into the footage relating to Kyle finding out. This is a stretch could Kim be doing it to get coverage since she's not filming? Could this be grief, relating to Monty's condition getting worse? Probably a perfect storm of that and many other variables. She is sick and needs to get healthy, it's sad.

 

You might be right about the "perfect storm".  The whole thing played out like  she wanted to be caught. 

 

First grab the plastic bags (which would be the cashier's first clue to notify security that something may be going on), then I can only imagine the frenzied filling of the bags.  Then the "I already paid for it".  Then - the frenzied filling of the shopping card without the bags.

 

She was almost begging to be caught.

 

(I'm guessing all Targets are basically the same- in mine, that dollar bin is located very close to the entrance doors, however, there is usually someone stationed there, and those doors are Enter only, so there was no way she could avoid going past the check out lanes).

[NewDigs]

Minor quibble with TMZ but I don't think that can be a booking/mug shot. Aren't those always taken in front of a vertical measure-line, with person holding a number in front of them? And I can't imagine hats are allowed. If that was taken at a cop-shop I don't know what I'd call it. Whatever it is, she looks bad.

She stole from the Dollar Spot? Unbelievable. That (sometimes cool...) crap could hardly be returned for enough cash to buy, say, a bottle, or five, of vodka. Plus, at my Targets the Dollar stuff is right up front by the doors and customer service. A busy, easily monitored area.

Sad.

Stick a fork in her, she's done.

I feel for Kyle and her entire family.

[WireWrap]

She had to have been out of it.  No coherent person would have done that.   $600 worth of items from the dollar bin?  Tells the cashier its been paid for?  Then grabs another cart and fills it up and heads out the door - doesn't even bother with bags this time?  Tells security she can't remember if she paid for it?

 

There is no rhyme or reason to what she stole either - just whatever she could grab, I guess.

I think her delusions run deep but I think she really thought she could get away with stealing this garbage by using reusable Target bags she stole and filled. Maybe leaving the un-bagged items with the cashier was a (failed) distraction tactic by Kim, I don't think this is her first time stealing/shoplifting.

 

 

Minor quibble with TMZ but I don't think that can be a booking/mug shot. Aren't those always taken in front of a vertical measure-line, with person holding a number in front of them? And I can't imagine hats are allowed. If that was taken at a cop-shop I don't know what I'd call it. Whatever it is, she looks bad.

She stole from the Dollar Spot? Unbelievable. That (sometimes cool...) crap could hardly be returned for enough cash to buy, say, a bottle, or five, of vodka. Plus, at my Targets the Dollar stuff is right up front by the doors and customer service. A busy, easily monitored area.

Sad.

Stick a fork in her, she's done.

I feel for Kyle and her entire family.

 

I think that was the photo that Target took in their security office before the police arrived, LAPD already said they will not release her mug shot.

[NewDigs]

Ahhhh. The Target office! That makes sense. Thanks!

Still not a booking photo, TMZ!!

Edited August 10, 2015 by NewDigs

[rehoboth]

Mugshot and items stolen

http://www.tmz.com/#Article/2015/08/10/kim-richards-target-shoplifting-arrest-photo

 

Kim's photo is scary.  It's the eyes.  And the things she took are nonsensical.  A tiny bag of Animal Crackers???  It's no wonder that Target wants to prosecute - it probably took them hours to put back all the little pieces of crap she stole.  A cry for help or a cry for attention?  I'm not sure.

[Cosmic Muffin]

I can't think that she consciously wanted to be caught, but maybe unconsciously she did. Also, I have to think she's done this sort of thing before, she had a plan, even though it wasn't a good plan. I always love a new set of school supplies or art supplies because it gives me a lift, a feeling of possibility. She stole a bunch of shiny, sparkly stuff, I wonder if she was looking for some sort of high, as has been suggested? It is all the dollar stuff, but it all has a fun look.

 

I hope someone is able to help her, but I don't really think that's going to happen.

[tulip555]

^^ Right. And not that it really matters, but folks keep confusing E! with ET - easy to do since E!'s website is E!online and Entertainment Tonight's website is ETonline. But ET is the one that did that softball interview with her, so in my view, any info. that comes from them is suspect, ie. spin fed to them by Kim.

I wonder how capable Kim is, though, at this point to do anything that would take more clear-

Headed thinking than she has displayed lately.

Edited August 10, 2015 by tulip555

[ebkitty]

http://www.shopliftingprevention.org/what-we-do/learning-resource-center/psychological-studies/not sure if I got the site up correctly but, some interesting research and literature finds on shoplifting, some of you might find interesting.

[notnowimbusy]

Wow those eyes look vacant.     She looks like a homeless dog.

[harrie]

I think her delusions run deep but I think she really thought she could get away with stealing this garbage by using reusable Target bags she stole and filled. Maybe leaving the un-bagged items with the cashier was a (failed) distraction tactic by Kim, I don't think this is her first time stealing/shoplifting.

 

 

 

I think that was the photo that Target took in their security office before the police arrived, LAPD already said they will not release her mug shot.

 

 

I can't think that she consciously wanted to be caught, but maybe unconsciously she did. Also, I have to think she's done this sort of thing before, she had a plan, even though it wasn't a good plan. I always love a new set of school supplies or art supplies because it gives me a lift, a feeling of possibility. She stole a bunch of shiny, sparkly stuff, I wonder if she was looking for some sort of high, as has been suggested? It is all the dollar stuff, but it all has a fun look.

 

I hope someone is able to help her, but I don't really think that's going to happen.

 

I read a blind item - not that blind, actually - that said she's been shoplifting forever.  Reportedly, when she was young she would get out of it by begging the store manager not to press charges because it would ruin her career, etc. and so things were always quietly settled.    If you search "Kim Richards shoplifting blind item" it's the Blind Gossip item that pops right up.  I don't know if that's an appropriate thing to link here, so.....

[SwordQueen]

Her getup reminds me a bit of when she and Brandi got all dressed up to to stalk JR in the bushes.  Minus one wacky wig, of course.  

[cork dork]

I've seen that look in her eyes before. It's the "do you see what I did this time and when is someone going to step in and help me" look.

 

As deep as it seems she is, Kim is nowhere near her rock bottom yet. She's been propped up for so long, she doesn't believe that no one's going to swoop in and rescue poor widdle Kimmy. She has no reason to think otherwise because she still has private legal counsel and she's not had to answer yes when they get to the part about if she can't afford an attorney, one will be provided for her.

 

This is a frightening game of chess being played because addiction/self-medication is only one aspect. At this point, I can't help but think how freeing it would be for everyone if they just spilled the truth about what's going on with Kim as maintaining secrecy while constantly worrying/cleaning up behind the scenes has to be exhausting. Just buy her a tiny house, have groceries delivered every two weeks, and hire a security guy to keep watch from a slight distance. They can still remain no/low contact while she does whatever she does without constantly having her on their brains.

[bosawks]

I consider that hat a cry for help.

[zulualpha]

Her shoulders look so thin in that picture.  She's pathetic and I mean that in the non snarky way.  I feel sorry for her, she's completely out of control.

[Lura]

This is so sad that I can't even comment on it. 

[Satchels of gold]

Oy vey. What a mess. Kim has been in a slow unraveling for years but recently things have gone to DEAFCON 5. For so many reason I think this is the end of Kims using one way or another. She will either get sober or die in short order. I feel so sorry for her family. They must be worried sick about what she will do next or if she will take any innocent victims with her on her way out. This whole situation makes me heart sick for them. They will be dealing with the "what ifs" for years to come. I wonder if Kim even cares if she lives or dies. There is just so much public humiliation and disapointing people that a person can take.

[izabella]

I look at Kim's Target headshot and see Johnny Depp as Hunter S. Thompson in "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," minus the cigarette...it should be an electronic one...

 

[notnowimbusy]

OMG Izabella you're killing me.  

[SwordQueen]

I look at Kim's Target headshot and see Johnny Depp as Hunter S. Thompson in "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," minus the cigarette...it should be an electronic one...

 

 

 

I can see it.  And we all know how things turned out for HST.  : (

 

 

This is a frightening game of chess being played because addiction/self-medication is only one aspect. At this point, I can't help but think how freeing it would be for everyone if they just spilled the truth about what's going on with Kim as maintaining secrecy while constantly worrying/cleaning up behind the scenes has to be exhausting. Just buy her a tiny house, have groceries delivered every two weeks, and hire a security guy to keep watch from a slight distance. They can still remain no/low contact while she does whatever she does without constantly having her on their brains.

 

I don't know.  I don't see how doing any of this would create different results than before, when she was free to do whatever she wanted while everyone else paid her bills.   Her problems aren't external, but internal, so no pretty paid off cottage or Peapod delivery or hired muscle is going to make a difference until/unless she decides that she doesn't want to live like that anymore and puts actual effort into changing her life.  

[What Fresh Hell]

Oh, I don't care if it's officially a mugshot, I'll take it! I felt cheated the last time.

[rehoboth]

Oh, I don't care if it's officially a mugshot, I'll take it! I felt cheated the last time.

 

It's better than a mugshot - it's got the hat!

 

The only thing better than this in-moment picture of Kim and her dime-store heist would be blood test results.

[LotusFlower]

Hats and glasses aren't allowed in mug shots, but damn, if that photo getting released isn't her rock bottom, I don't know what is. I think public shame and embarrassment is her greatest fear. Notice how her #1 goal throughout her tenure on RHOBH was to cover up her addiction, from denying Kyle's accusation in the limo all the way to this past season with the pain pill/"not a relapse," to the Dr. Phil show, etc., etc... In her mind, she always thought she was big-time Kim Richards, and each and every transgression was explained away, and life as her fabulous self could resume. But not this time. As bad as the Polo Lounge story was, there were no photos or videos or mug shots released, so she could put her spin on it. This time around, her spin would be contradicting the evidence, so she'd look like a fool. I think this photo, and any information that comes from the hearing, is as bad as it gets for her.

[Giselle]

She looks like she's been using, drinking or was  hung over.

 

Deserved what she got and I have no sympathy for her. I feel sorry for her kids.

[Cranky One]

Kim must be such a drain on her family. I feel for them more than I do Kim.

 

I anxiously await another AnnA creation with these new photos!

[cork dork]

I don't know.  I don't see how doing any of this would create different results than before, when she was free to do whatever she wanted while everyone else paid her bills.   Her problems aren't external, but internal, so no pretty paid off cottage or Peapod delivery or hired muscle is going to make a difference until/unless she decides that she doesn't want to live like that anymore and puts actual effort into changing her life.  

 

Exactly. I didn't say anything about different results. It's about finding balance in a space where she's safe and can't do additional harm to herself or others at this point.

 

Kim is off balance and has self-medicated for so very long, it makes no sense to expect her to have an epiphany of any type. If, as speculated, she's mentally unwell, too, I think it's absolutely on the family to set up a safe environment for her to live. She's been enabled for most, if not all, of her life (that includes propping her up like she's a fully functional person), so to me it's a familial obligation to do what's best for her. In doing so, it would also allow them to focus on their own lives rather than everything always being Kimcentric.

 

Regardless, it's not my circus and those aren't my monkeys, and for that I'm thankful.

[Gam2]

I don't feel sorry for her family, except for Kyle and Mauricio. I do believe they've been the ones to step up for her and pay her bills and love her children. I may be wrong to not accept that Kathy and Rick Hilton have done the same but we don't see that on the show so I can only go on what we've actually seen. This woman is a train wreck who's worn out everyone who loves her, has supported her both emotionally and financially and has now hit the end. As others have said upthread, when an addict they've loved and helped and supported through many years has finally died, it's a total relief. If you haven't lived through it, don't judge or even comment. You have absolutely NO IDEA what this is like to live through.

[LotusFlower]

Kim is off balance and has self-medicated for so very long, it makes no sense to expect her to have an epiphany of any type. If, as speculated, she's mentally unwell, too, I think it's absolutely on the family to set up a safe environment for her to live. She's been enabled for most, if not all, of her life (that includes propping her up like she's a fully functional person), so to me it's a familial obligation to do what's best for her. In doing so, it would also allow them to focus on their own lives rather than everything always being Kimcentric.

But mentally unwell is a pretty vague term. Even if she has psychological problems or is bipolar, that's not enough to commit her to a mental health hospital or rehab against her will. I think she would have to be mentally incapacitated to do that, and we know from her interviews and her stint on RHOBH that she's not. Her family is not responsible for her stubborn and very lucid refusal to acknowledge a problem and get help for it.

[MissMel]

She thinks she is well, handling everything just fine. I doubt she even thinks about "getting help" because she has no reason to think she needs it. Her brain has been damaged by her own actions. I say this because of the dog situation and now? It's not like she tried to take a vat of vodka or a case of Del Monico steaks. She tried to take $600 of stickers and pencils. And this was after being arrested for kicking a cop. If that doesn't scream unwell, I'm not sure what would. (I'm sure there is mental or emotion issues as well. I just don't see where that would matter much now.)

I do think the best bet her family has is renting her a cute little condo and hiring a car service. Maybe invite her to Sunday dinner once a month. Then just wait for everything to take it's course. I know that sounds awful but, really, sometimes there is no other choice.

[SwordQueen]

Exactly. I didn't say anything about different results. It's about finding balance in a space where she's safe and can't do additional harm to herself or others at this point.

 

Kim is off balance and has self-medicated for so very long, it makes no sense to expect her to have an epiphany of any type. If, as speculated, she's mentally unwell, too, I think it's absolutely on the family to set up a safe environment for her to live. She's been enabled for most, if not all, of her life (that includes propping her up like she's a fully functional person), so to me it's a familial obligation to do what's best for her. In doing so, it would also allow them to focus on their own lives rather than everything always being Kimcentric.

 

Regardless, it's not my circus and those aren't my monkeys, and for that I'm thankful.

 

I kinda disagree that Kim is her family's responsibility.  Unless Kim has been diagnosed and deemed mentally incompetent, by qualified medical professionals, she's responsible for herself, still.  The only true "safe" environment would be 24/7 hospitalization with hourly check-ins and 24/7 room video monitoring.  And even then, there's no guarantee she can't harm herself or others.  When I was in a mental health facility, another patient managed to stab a staff member in front of everyone, so, yeah, no grantee of a completely safe environment.  Many treatment centers are also not safe, if one doesn't want to work towards recovery.  I don't know a ton about drug rehab, but in ED rehab, one can learn many new tricks from the other patients and continue old habits in secret to continue to harm oneself with.   

 

I hate to sound like a downer, but this is free will, in action.  Even if her family straight up buys her a house, a car, pays all of her bills, hires security, a driver, a cook, a tailor, a shoemaker, and a ladyistter, they can't stop her from killing herself with drugs and alcohol or via any other method.  If Kim (or anyone) does not want to be sober, there's not one single thing a person or facility can do, baring strapping her down and drugging her into oblivion.  

[hoosier80]

I don't know if Kim can be trusted to be on her own.  The items she took - no rhyme or reason why she would want those things.  Even scarier is that she could be out on the roads driving.  

 

I saw the blind item so maybe the shoplifting is another form of getting high for Kim?

[dbell1]

I'm sure it will somehow be 100% Kyle's goddamn fault. Kimmy must have been told to go get back to school supplies for Portia....

[Cosmic Muffin]

What she needs is rehab for a long time, with lots of counseling. What Kim is sometimes willing to do, 30 days at a place of her choice, where she doesn't miss any engagements and she can demand to be in the nicest rehab possible. And she'll only do this if she has a court date upcoming and the family unites to tell her this is what she's going to do. She won't do anything to help herself. So how can they help her? I think some like Kathy just want to cover things up, and keep up appearances, although maybe Kathy loses sleep over wondering where Kim is, and if she's going to o.d. today or tonight. Her kids are probably torn apart by all this, but what can they do? Kim wants enabling, not help. And she still has some people willing to enable her.

[motorcitymom65]

She actually loaded the items in the first cart into reusable shopping bags that she also stole from the store, that shows she thought this through, it was not an impulsive act. Oh, and she told the cashier that she had already paid for the bagged items!

Damn that picture! I honestly thought I was long past feeling sad about Kim Richards. Then I see the picture. And the items in her cart(s). I don't feel sad for her, but for the people who love her. How horrible for them to look at the evidence of who she is and what she has become. It is heart breaking and she is just someone on a reality show to me. Many of us have had to get through similar situations with addicts in our own lives, but we don't have to see the ugly reality played out in the media. When my father hit rock bottom and was living in his car I didn't get constant updates from TMZ. I could look away, but her family cannot.

I could be wrong, but I find it impossible to believe this is the first time Kim "forgot to pay for something". I have always thought that Kim's issues ran far deeper than anything we were aware of. That she had been protected for years. I remember last year in one of her blogs when Kyle said she would never ever talk about all that they had been through with Kim. I think it is dark and ugly and scary. More than anything I hate the idea that those who have protected, supported, and just kept her alive and out of jail all these years will in some way be blamed by some folks for not doing more. Whatever more is.