‘In Denial’: Amanda Bynes’ Parents Don’t Believe She Needs Meds, Conservatorship, Claims Source

Amanda Bynes’ DUI arrest came as a surprise to those who believed the troubled actress was on the road to recovery. But RadarOnline.com has learned that as the actress slipped off track behind the scenes in recent months, her parents, Rick and Lynn, were "in denial" about their daughter's schizophrenia diagnosis, and felt it wasn't necessary to extend her conservatorship — or execute other protective measures that could have kept her safe.

The troubled starlet was formally diagnoses with schizophrenia last year, but "her parents never believed she had it,” an insider told RadarOnline.com.

"Rick and Lynn were in total denial about it and didn't think Amanda needed to be on any medication for it,” the source said. "In the weeks leading up to the conservatorship being terminated, Amanda had been fighting with her dad a lot. They have always had a very contentious relationship.”

With the conservatorship lapsed, Bynes moved out of her parents’ Thousand Oaks home into her own apartment, a source said, and " It was only a matter of time until Amanda got arrested for driving under the influence.”

"This all could have easily been avoided if her mom had extended the conservatorship,” the source continued. "Now her family is trying to find her and are absolutely desperate."

On Sunday morning, cops arrested Bynes after she had parked her Mercedes Benz in an intersection in Sherman Oaks, for driving under the influence of drugs.

Bynes flunked several field sobriety tests, and was released on $15,000 bail, pending a October 23 court hearing.

Earlier this year, Lynn Bynes' attorney, Tamar Arminak, told People magazine, "Amanda currently is on zero medication. She's devoted to living her life as healthy as possible. She's never had a history of abusing alcohol or hard drugs, and she's proud to say she's been marijuana-free for the past nine months."

But the source insisted, "Amanda absolutely has schizophrenia and the fact she was prescribed medication for it and didn't take it is just tragic. Having a child with a serious mental health issue must be hard, but you can't pretend like it doesn't exist."

Indeed, Rick Bynes told X17 on Monday afternoon he hadn't spoken to his daughter in three months, since the conservatorship ended. He said, "Once it ended, she’s 28, she does what she wants."

Despite their detachment, the source said Bynes’ family "is desperate to find her, but even when they do, there isn't much that can be done.”

"It took a lot of work to get the conservatorship,” the source explained. "Amanda had been placed on a involuntary psychiatric hold, and a judge wouldn't just sign off on having her mom as her conservator given the recent arrest.”

As RadarOnline.com has reported, she was placed on a three-year probation for her 2012 DUI arrest in February, and this latest arrest could spell big legal trouble.