Why the admission of guilt? Vinny, a principal cast member, has been suffering from an especially difficult and chronic episode of anxiety. Further, he is being honest about it. He shares this particularly difficult aspect of himself with his roommates, and they, in turn, do everything they can to support, accommodate, and love him.
Anxiety is a serious and life-changing disorder. As Vinny says during interview, it is something he's suffered from since he was 16. More often than not he has short bouts of anixety attacks and is able to roll through them. This time, though, his anxiety has persisted for long enough to roll over into a depressed state. As anyone who lives with this condition knows, sometimes that happens. Sometimes you can't ride the funk to the other side. Sometimes, you don't even feel well enough to tell your closest family and friends what you're experiencing.
Watching Vinny disclose and then discuss his disorder with friends was wonderful. Even if some of the harmfully negative stigma is whittled away at by MTV broadcasting this footage, then some good has been done. I was actually moved to tears by the amazingly supportive and loving response by the other castmates, as well. Each roommate listened and loved Vinny.
In the end, Vinny went home. He had to make a difficult choice and he made it. I hope that the millions of young adults who feel disabling anxiety had a little bit of weight lifted off of their shoulders this week. And that they feel better, more confident and empowered, in making the difficult choices that they must make on a daily basis.
