Kirsten Dunst 'trying to take a break'

Kirsten Dunst's pal says it's the lingering effects of being a young Hollywood star and the pressures from constant media scrutiny that have lead the actress to check into rehab.

"It's cruel the way people have put her under a microscope," says a friend of the 25-year-old actress. "She's trying to take a break. It's a great thing."

The friend adds: "She's an incredible woman – so giving of her time, her money, her soul. That's the story that should be told. Everyone has problems, but not everyone is forced to deal with them in a fishbowl."

The 'Spider-Man' star is being treated at Utah's exclusive Cirque Lodge Treatment Center  - the same facility where Lindsay Lohan spent nearly two months last year; and where Eva Mendes recently checked in.

Kirsten's pal notes that she had spent most of her childhood working as an actress.

"There's probably less than a half of a percent of people in the world who understand the issues of being a child star and the pressures that come with it," the friend tells People magazine. "You have to figure out a lot of lessons later in life, ones you didn't learn in school. The socialization is very different."