Psychiatrist on Lark Voorhies Bipolar Rumors

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Former Saved By the Bell star Lark Voorhies spoke exclusively with ET to refute claims that she is battling mental health issues. Now we've recruited a mental health professional to weigh in.

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With Lark's permission, the interview was reviewed by respected psychiatrist Dr. Charles J. Sophy, who acts as the medical director of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services.

"I wasn't sure what we were seeing today," said Dr. Sophy, whose major concerns were Larks's sleep patterns, previous (if any) psychiatric care and possible history of substance abuse. Without further information, Dr. Sophy wasn't able to give the most accurate analysis of Voorhies' mental health.

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Last month, Voorhies and her mother Tricia spoke to People, with Tricia claiming that the 38-year-old former teen star has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Likewise, former co-star Dustin Diamond told the magazine that he felt Voorhies "wasn't the Lark [he] knew" when he met with her in 2003 to record commentary for a Saved By the Bell box set.

People stands by their story, telling ET that they "spent hours with Lark Voorhies and spoke to those closest to her." Voorhies adamantly denies being in poor mental health.

As a showbiz veteran who has weathered a few storms in her life (she divorced in 2004, remarrying three years later), Voorhies explains how she stays strong in the face of adversity, saying, "It's much like fighting ... when you enlist in the Army, you get yourself physically fit, mentally fit and informational-wise fit, so it's just the same. It's like stage boot camp. You know, you put all the right elements together and you keep them going ... we have to be entertainers. This is our particular angle."