Amanda Bynes has been released from that mental health facility, after all

It was recently revealed that Amanda Bynes would remain in a mental health facility for an additional 30 days of 5150 hold after she was evaluated by professionals and deemed to be seriously ill. However, that seems to have gone out the window since she went before a hearing officer on Thursday asking to be released… a request which was granted since she seems to be taking her meds and is somewhat lucid at the moment. And off she went, out onto the Sunset Strip. I’m afraid.

From TMZ:

Sources familiar with Amanda’s treatment tell TMZ … she went before a hearing officer at the psychiatric facility Thursday, asking to be released.  Amanda has been on her meds and sounds lucid, even though doctor’s say she is seriously mentally ill.

The hearing officer felt Amanda was stable enough so she could NOT be held involuntarily, so he ended the 30-day hold that had been granted last week and Amanda walked out the front door.

Amanda walked down Sunset Blvd., searching for a place to stay.  She then went to a diner where she ordered a ton of food which she devoured — fried chicken, salmon, caesar salad with guacamole, and a house salad with Italian and ranch.  She was chit-chatting with the waiter and said she was shy because she had a procedure on her face which required a bandage.

She was alone in the diner and was talking to herself.

Ugh, this is a tough one. On one hand, if she really was dedicated to getting the help she needs – taking her needs, visiting mental health professionals as an outpatient, not taking any other drugs or drinking, etc – but if there’s one thing that’s clear, it’s that Amanda will do what she needs to for as long as it takes to get out, and then she goes off the rails again. It must be really difficult for those who love and care about her, but how much control can you have over an adult? Again, 5150s exist for those who are a danger to themselves or others, but somehow, she manages to NOT be for long enough to get away, until she’s inevitably brought in again. I don’t think this is going to end well at all.