Hi My name is Henry, I am really impressed with the good advice this article has about the dangers of listening to these space anlien cults give medical advice, they are not doctors they are the only "weird" people talking here so who ever wrote this article (good job)...
sincerely, your homie - Henry
Posted by: Henry Victory at September 6, 2005 09:04 PM
I was very offended when Tom Cruise stated what he did in that interview, I was horrified about the possible implications for people that would listen to such advice....
This article Tom Cruise should read, I can only hope he takes advice as easy as he gives it ;O)
Posted by: HiveChild at September 7, 2005 02:18 AM
Cruise is entiled to his opinion. Here in America we have rights such as "freedom of speech" and "freedom of the press". I think what is questionable here is not only what Cruise said, what is really questionable is the fact that we hold these people in such high regard and they are just actors!
Posted by: Steve at September 9, 2005 02:19 PM
I don't understand how these people (Scientoligists) could believe such nonsense. Although, I guess some of them are trained to brain-wash the vulnerable and insecure. Even at the height of my psychotic breakdown, the Scientology beliefs would have seemed too crazy, even for me.
Without anti-depressants I unable to function at all. They have truly been a miracle drug for me.
Tom Cruise, the ignorant and talentless "actor", should publicly admit his mistake and vanish from public view forever. I wish!
Patrick
Posted by: Patrick at September 10, 2005 04:04 AM
Well its interesting how Mr. Cruises advice is actually very sound. Exercise stimulates a process called neurogenisis. Which is the growth of brain cells. It also reduces stress and the end result stimulates the production of serotonin. Exercise is a natural antidepressant. And is much more effective than medications.
Antidepressant medication is infact dangerous. 1/1000 people contract serotonin syndrome which is an excess of serotonin in the brain and there is a 90% chance of death. Would you call that safe? Secondly placebos work better than antidepressants.
Psychiatry has a long history of inhumane practice. In Canada a female psychiatrist took 50 kids from their homes claiming that they were schizophrenic. They were given ECT treatment 3 times a week against their own will. After 2 years her "research" was questioned and she fled the country. Another example is the epidemic of tardive dyskinesia about 30 million people have this disorder that is caused by all antipsychotic medications including the new ones. Its a permanent movement disorder that consists of tics involuntary facial movements and twitches and is caused by brain damage brought on by neuroleptics. This is only a small example of what psychiatry has done.
Depression has still not been thoroughly researched and is not properly understood. Infact the whole human spectrum of emotion has not been thoroughly understood. So being a psychiatrist doesnt make you an expert on depression or human emotions. It only makes you a drug dealer that spent 7 years in medical school. I am pretty sure that all states of human emotion have some sort of pathological "disorder" and reducing them to chemical imbalances takes away the humanity from it.
Finally if you want to take psychoactive drugs its your choice but there are a multitude of ways to treat psychiatric conditions. In Sweden they treat acute psychosis with directive therapy with the patient and his/her family. The patient is allowed to go home. And I believe that in a majority of the time the psychosis dissolves after 3weeks.
Posted by: max at September 10, 2005 11:00 AM
Tom Cuise has succeeded in making himself appear a fool during his conversation with Matt Lauer.
Cruise is a good actor, that's it.
Posted by: mandisa at September 10, 2005 02:03 PM
Hello Max
You mentioned in your message:
"In Sweden they treat acute psychosis with directive therapy with the patient and his/her family. The patient is allowed to go home. And a majority of the time the psychosis dissolves after 3weeks."
I REALLY question the validity of this claim. If the psychosis "dissolves" after three weeks with directive therapy, then why are the vast majority of psychotics taking anti-psychotic medication, which they NEED, and are unable to function normally without. (It's not a conspiracy between the pharmacuetical companies and psychiatrists.) Most people who experience a psychotic episode receive therapy and it DOESN'T cure them. Psychosis is a brain disease - talking about it won't cure it. In the vast majority of patients psychosis doesn't "dissolve" after a matter of weeks. Some are lucky and they only experience one episode. But those, for example, with schizophrenia face a life-long battle, because it's INCURABLE, but thankfully it can be successfully treated with anti-psychotic medication. The message you posted was totally irresponsible. I don't know where you got your information - I'm guessing from a Scientology website - but it's WRONG, and if you aren't well informed in these matters, you really should not be posting misguided information on a website that is for the benefit of those (or people who care for those) with mental illness. You're giving false hope and you obviously must not have ever experienced seeing someone who copes with a psychotic illness stop taking their medication. It can be incredibly distressing to the sufferer and their carers, friends, etc. Please don't spread any more of your potentially harmful propaganda - Mr. Cruise has already caused enough damage.
Patrick
Posted by: Patrick at September 11, 2005 01:50 PM
In retrospect, the amount of time that passed before I went on medications from the onset of my symptoms was very long, maybe even a year. During that time I recieved psychological therapy for depressed feelings. I don't know how the thing they do in sweden is very different. When the symptoms became severe, I stuffed pieces of toilet paper in the holes in the wall to block hidden cameras that I thought were spying on me. I also thought that my sons (I've never been married) had come back from the future to send me a message about a theory. This is a real disorder. If you are having problems with taking the medication, I would recommend that you take it, though no one can force you and it is definitely 100% honest to God absolutely your decision. At first, I was reluctant to take it.
Posted by: Michael at September 11, 2005 08:06 PM
Scientology is nuts, but schizophrenia is not necessarily so.
The term "schizophrenia" simply means "broken brain". Anyone who undergoes acute trauma of any sort, are oftentimes diagnosable with schizophrenia in the immediate aftermath of the trauma. It's not really that different from post-traumatic stress disorder, otherwise known as "PTSD", which results from some acute life trauma.
It's utterly wrong to use the label of schizophrenia to dismiss L. Ron Hubbard's ideas. His ideas are wrong for logical, objective reasons that have nothing to do with schizophrenia. It's childish, underhanded and lazy to throw the term "schizophrenia" at Hubbard, rather than expend the energy to logically decipher his stated facts as impossible -- or at least highly unlikely -- paranoia.
Along these lines, the mental health system, as practiced today, is largely mystical rubbish whose purpose is little more than intimidating and stigmatizing society's dissenters into frightened conformity to the status quo, no matter how corrupt that status quo.
Had Hubbard based his denunciation of the industry on this sort of rationale, it would hold water. But because he chalked it up to "space aliens" or whatever, all subsequent criticism of the industry has been falsely dismissed as "crazy" talk, simply by association with these mad notions of one deranged man.
The automatic dismissal of the notion that the mental health industry is corrupt, based on the preachings of one maniac, is a logical falsehood known in philosophy as an "ad hominem" attack, meaning "attack against the person, rather than the merits of their argument". It's a dishonest and unethical form of attack, in addition to being just plain false.
Posted by: Jerry Ross at September 11, 2005 10:03 PM
To Patrick:
Different countries have different approaches in tackling mental illness. Sweden, Norway, And Finland lean towards talk first and little drugs and they get great results(not only that but Scandinavian diets are rich in fish oils). In America its more drug orientated and they seem to have the worse outcomes. So maybe thats why people arent doing well on the medications alone. And maybe that is why they must constantly take it to function normally. Also american doctors tend to prescribe large doses of medication relative to European doctors. Which means more side effects and worse withdrawl symptoms.
If medication is the only key, why do people with schizophrenia in third world countries cope better?
-Better food(not processed), More exercise, more intergration, less stigma(infact in some countries its considered a blessing) And no drugs.
If it is an organic brain disease the people would have the same outcomes everywhere else. No matter what the enviroment. Schizophrenic researchers have been trying to find something biologically wrong with schizophrenics for decades and they always turn up with juxtaposed results. So Stating that it is an organic brain disease is fraud because if you cant find a global pathology(ie flus are caused by viruses) you cant state and find a disease.
Psychitary is full of contradictory opinions and messed up statistics. There are lots of people out there who have schizophrenia who go on to do good things, without the help of medication. Here is an example of different thoughts in psychitary.
Dr.Patrick Mckeon(ireland) in his book on mental illness states that ECT is a safe and effective way to treat depression and other mental illnesses. In slovenia it is forbidden because numerous tests show it causes brain damage and can lead to heart dysrythmias that are fatal(1/200). Notice, how one doctor, a university professor infact, states that its safe and a whole country has forbidden it.
Finally, the only thing Tom Cruise caused was a massive backlash on himself. Do you think he is the main cause of people being anti medication? What have his comments caused? The dramatic decrease in psychitatric drug use!? I think not! Your being highly irrational. Finally i have schizophrenia(symptom free) and i am not on medication. And i am in Univeristy.
Ps. Micheal noticed i said the majority you might not be in that! And if the psychosis doesnt dissolve after 3 weeks they suggest medication and they only use is to releave symptoms then it is discontinued.
Posted by: Max at September 12, 2005 09:22 AM
Hello again Max
So, once again, you have chosen to, inadvertently, give us an insight into the alien-infested, make-believe world of the Scientology propaganda machine. If you have come to recruit, I'm afraid you've really chosen the wrong place.
Firstly, I'm being irrational? I don't think so. I am schizophrenic, and mentally well, thanks to psychiatric drugs (and perfectly rational) and I have a lot of experience with those who are mentally ill. Just because you don't take medication and you're symptom-free (and by the way, you're one in a TINY minority) it doesn't mean that most other schizophrenics can eat fish like the Scandinavians and talk about their problems to a therapist, and cross their fingers and be rewarded with a speedy recovery. In reality, schizophrenia is mostly a life-long illness (it's called chronic schizophrenia) - a brain disease - and the only road to recovery is psychiatric drugs and cognitive therapy. Admittedly, most people don't want to take psychiatric drugs because of side-effects and withdrawal effects, but they take them because they know they will be mentally unstable without them. Newer anti-psychotics (atypicals) have much less side-effects and they are working to improve them all the time. Anyway, ALL medications usually have one or more side-effects.
Tom Cruise is famous (now, infamous), and a role-model to a lot of people. We don't know how his comments have affected people suffering from mental illness or those in the future. Alot of people are at serious risk if they are not taking the medication their doctor has prescribed them. Suicide, acting on hallucinations, psychotic breakdowns: these are the type of repercussions that are possible. After hearing his absurd comments, it's not implausible that many people have stopped taking their medication, because, now they have a good excuse: Tom Cruise, their role-model, has said that anti-depressants are "dangerous". For some reason, this man has influence, whether people like it or not.
I noticed in your second post that you now admit that Scandinavian doctors give their psychotic patients psychiatric drugs, albeit, as you say, "little".
As for your little horror stories about people in the psychiatric profession: there are bad apples in every cart; most psychiatrists are compassionate human beings. There are many, many horror stories and tragedies, with MUCH worse consequences, about mentally ill people who don't take their prescribed medication.
I'm happy for you that you are symptom-free. Maybe you only had a brief psychotic episode(in which case, it's deceptive to label yourself as schizophrenic). Some schizophrenics make a full recovery without medication. Again, this does NOT apply to everybody (in fact, most people) with schizophrenia.
As for your point about people with schizophrenia in "third world" countries who cope better(actually, they are known as DEVELOPING countries - I really hope it wasn't your intention to offend anyone). Actually, they don't cope better; many just can't afford access to psychiatric services and therefore aren't included in the statistics.
Another point you made was about a doctor (who you "helpfully" pointed out was from Ireland - I have no idea why his nationality has any significance, but then I'm getting used to being bewildered by your messages) who believed ECT was a safe and effective way of treating mental illnesses. Well, Max, if that's your name, the vast majority of psychiatrists believed this to be true, as did most people in general. Psychiatry has come a long way since the 1950's. The method used today is VERY different and does actually help a lot of people.
You mentioned that you are at university - I suggest you study in the Psychology department for a while or contact a few people on this website, to actually gain an insight on the subject of mental illness, before you make any more misleading comments. Judging from the content of your messages, I think you would be a successful writer of fiction, like your hero, L. Ron Hubbard. I am only writing this message because there may actually be people reading this thread who might believe it's possible to cure schizophrenia (a BRAIN DISEASE) with fish oil and a cosy chat with their psychiatrist.
Patrick (Also, by sheer "coincidence" from Ireland - and very proud of it!)
Posted by: Patrick at September 12, 2005 02:10 PM
Also, to Max:
In your last message you stated:
"And i am in Univeristy."
You are at a university and yet you cannot even spell the word, university? How do you expect anyone to believe a word you say? Really, you are just embarrassing yourself.
Patrick
Posted by: Patrick at September 12, 2005 02:32 PM
I am going to be blunt like a good Schizophrenic.
1. Thinking that i am trying to recruit people for my "cause" is paranoia, its also futile. What am I going to do ask for peoples bank accounts over the forum?
2. Saying that everything i said is basically worthless because of one typo is pretty pathetic. Thats really desperate.
3. Search google for Dr. Loren Mosher and his project Soteria.
4. Read up on the aquatic ape theory. Then read up extensively on omega 3 fatty acids.
5. I did things differently from what the Psychs would normally do and i am better. And no i did not have a brief psychosis i was locked away for 3 months.
6. The World Health Organisation did those statistics on people with Schizophrenia in developing countries, and they did a very good job in highlighting the fact that Juju magic is better that antipsychotic medication.
Finally if you would like to meet we can do so after my lectures in UCD. State a time and we can have a friendly discussion. Unless of course you live outside of Dublin then the logistics gets in the way.
Sincerely Max
Posted by: Max at September 13, 2005 03:15 AM
Hello Max
Thank you for the offer of meeting at some point. I live in Belfast, but I'm in Dublin regularly. I'm sure it would be a very interesting discussion, and if we meet, we may actually actually reach some sort of agreement, however unlikely that may seem at present. I will find out more information at the university and will look forward to attending one of your lectures, and will hopefully meet you afterwards.
Regards
Patrick
Posted by: Patrick at September 13, 2005 04:25 AM
Hello again Max
I checked with the universities in Dublin, and for some "strange" reason there are no lecturers who go by the name of Max. I was willing to give you a chance but it's now clearer than ever that reality never seems to intrude upon your fantasy world. I think it may be time to reconsider taking the anti-psychotic medication. Really, they CAN work. Just give them time. You may be experiencing severe delusions...either that or you are a liar.
The point you made about the fact that you made a typo, and that's how I basically implied that everything you said was rubbish. Not true! I systematically ripped apart all of your silly notions in my message. You really are intellectually incontinent. In one of your messages, you said you were in university and then in the next one, you said you were a lecturer at a university, and bearing in mind the fact that you know I'm Irish (as I told you), you are, again by sheer "coincidence", a lecturer in Dublin! Are you a compulsive liar? Do they teach you that at your Scientology "church"? I have implied at least twice that you are a Scientologist and of course you haven't denied it; perhaps your name is Tom Cruise (or maybe that's just in your world). STOP polluting this forum with your nonsensical, deluded, and worst of all, misleading "research". Go and plague some other website where your, frankly bizarre and disturbing, and worst all of, misleading comments are welcome. I have even gone to the trouble of finding you an alternative website, which deals with conspiracy theories such as aliens controlling the world:
http://www.infowars.com/
I think you would be very welcome there.
Finally, in your last message you stated that the World Health Organisation highlighted that: "Juju magic is better than antipsychotic medication". Seriously, Max, I think it's time you left Hubbard's mothership, returned to Earth and made an appointment with your doctor. Sooner or later you may have to take antipsychotic medication, whether you like it or not. Keep me updated!
Take care.
Patrick
Posted by: Patrick at September 13, 2005 11:09 AM
A message directed at Tom Cruise and his fellow "Scientologists".
Tom, there is a better chance of outerspace aliens landing in my garden tomorrow and performing an Elvis song in pink lycra hotpants, than there is of you ever winning an Oscar. To say your acting range is limited is an understatement. You simply cannot act! In every film in which you have had a role you are Tom Cruise, the insufferably smug and offensive wannabe "actor". You bring NOTHING to any role you have ever played. I am so glad your ex-wife, Nicole Kidman, won an Oscar shortly after divorcing you. Why she married you is a mystery. I can only imagine that she pitied you. It seems to be quite apparent that you really are talent-free as well as being intellectually-challenged (I realise I am being overly polite). Why don't you, with your equally simple-minded and deluded fellow "Scientologists" actually start to question your beliefs instead of following the herd? For anyone who is not informed on the subject of Scientology, the so-called "religion", here's a little morsel from L. Ron Hubbard (from "The Times" newspaper), founder of Scientology and diagnosed (and obviously, unmedicated)
Schizophrenic: "Xenu, an extraterrestrial, brought aliens to earth and exterminated them with hydrogen bombs but their souls stuck to the bodies of humans." It's perfectly natural to believe in the existence of other-worldly beings - maybe they really are out there. But, to believe in such (badly written) absurd, science-fiction that would have the most imaginative and obsessed sci-fi addict laughing out loud in disbelief, is just incredible and quite sad, really. If you want to believe in the psychosis-induced ramblings of Hubbard, that's up to you. But, PLEASE, keep your anti-psychiatry opinions to yourselves, preferably in the privacy of your cult "church" or at least avoid mental health websites like this.
Posted by: Patrick at September 13, 2005 05:38 PM
Patrick,
You're not being at all fair towards Max. You're scapegoating.
He's not arguing for Scientology. He's arguing against the mad profiteering use of drugs to address all conditions of psychological unrest.
Posted by: Jerry Ross at September 16, 2005 12:23 PM
Max,
Aside from your atrocious spelling, your arguments seem highly logical and articulate.
If someone with your control of ideas has "schizophrenia", then schizophrenia must be little more than a condition of profound existential anxiety.
Posted by: Jerry Ross at September 16, 2005 12:25 PM
To Max
I have lived and worked as a doctor in Asia. Even here people who have schizophrenia are treated with antipsychotics. They have counselling, behaviour therapy etc., but majority are on antipsychotics. Whatever the reasons are, it is highly irresponsible of you to post something like you have done, in a website meant for patients of schizophrenia. If you have never come across someone who has had 'difficult to control schizophrenia', you don't even begin to understand the enormity of what might happen if someone like that took your advice (god forbid) and stopped taking medicines. If you want to make your opinions known, well, you have - please stop reiterating them as there are many people here who (jusitfiably) do not want you to post any more rubbish.
Thanks
Posted by: victoria at September 20, 2005 11:39 AM
Victoria,
None of what he's saying is rubbish, and you know it. He has made sound logical arguments.
You either work for the so-called mental health industry, or are just another loser who likes jumping on the bandwagon of powerful organizations and sucking up to them.
Posted by: Jerry Ross at September 21, 2005 08:56 AM
I was diagnosed with schizophrenia when I was 12. I am 38 now. I went though many many years of total and complete hell because medication was not working for me. I am one of the not so rare people who are medication resistant.
I get angry when so many people want to discount the very true fact that a person can learn to live with this disease without drugs. Because if I had known there was hope for me, I wouldn't have tried to commit sucide so many times.
When the drugs didn't do anything for the voices( and it took ten years of switching medications, trying different ones, residental treatment centers, contstant hospital stays ..etc) I wanted to die because I had always been taught that the only way was medication..and so there was nothing that would help me.
Well anyway when I was 23 I got lucky. I talked with a therapist who was able(she was extremely talented) to teach me to ignore the voices using different tools (for example I was told to write down everything they said and I found as soon as I did that, they became my own thoughts)
Anyway so it has been over years since I have been hospitalized or on medication.I still hear the voices but ignoring them is second nature now and If I could have just popped a pill I would have.
I am so mad at those posters who are trying to shut up the people who describe or who talk about schizophrenia without medication because medication is not the answer for everyone!!!
some of you guys would be suprised at how many schizophrenics are medication resistant.
Posted by: CB at February 12, 2006 11:45 PM
My personal experience with having treatment resistant schizopherena (since I was twelve)has led me to believe that medications are snake oil! That is how little they have helped me!!
On the web you can find many articles about treatment resistant schizophrenia. Here is a small clip from one of them:
Despite recent advances in antipsychotic agents, there remains a significant proportion of patients who do not respond well to pharmacological intervention. Such patients are commonly labelled "treatment resistant", despite little consensus as to the definition of the term.1
The label "treatment resistance" is used particularly to refer to patients whose positive symptoms of schizophrenia (including delusions and hallucinations) have not responded to treatment.1-3 (For definitions of "positive" and "negative" symptoms, see Lambert and Castle [page S57].4) The focus on positive symptoms has arisen largely because other domains were either not clinically well recognised or understood (eg, cognitive symptoms),5 or were considered to be unresponsive to treatment (eg, negative symptoms such as amotivation, apathy, social withdrawal, blunted affect and poverty of speech).6 Thus, pharmacological treatment for psychosis has been predominantly evaluated for its effect on positive symptoms,7 a narrow focus that may ignore other important outcomes such as community integration, quality of life or return to meaningful occupation.8 These latter outcome measures are particularly important for systems of care in Australia, with their emphasis on community-based treatment.
The prevalence of treatment resistance is hard to determine given the lack of agreement on defining the term. It has been estimated that 20%–45% of people with schizophrenia of over two years' duration are only partially responsive to antipsychotic medication,2,9 and 5%–10% of patients derive no benefit at all.1 However, these figures reflect treatment outcomes with first-generation ("typical") antipsychotics (FGAs). With second-generation ("atypical") antipsychotics (SGAs) now available, we need to reconsider what constitutes "non-response" (SGAs are further considered by Lambert and Castle [page S57]4).
This is why I am so ANGRY with the posters here who are tryin g to shut up anyone who has anything to say about non medication treatments for schizophreia. These assholes think they know so much..and they don't realize that when they promote so aggressively medication as the OLNY way they are encouraging a feeling of hopelessness for the %5-%10 of us who have no hope with medication.
I wanted to die and attempted suicide so many times over many years because I believed medication was the only way.And I believed that since medication was not working for me..there was no hope.
But I recovered with out medication and have been out of the hospital for 10 years now!! There is hope without medication. John Nash did it and I did it, and you don't have to be a genius.
You guys posting about alternative treatments please don't shut up. Please keep posting and ignore those suppressive comments you have been getting. You just might be preventing a suicide by giving hope to an important minority. Thanks
Posted by: cb at February 13, 2006 12:14 AM
Thanks to everyone who has commented here - quality stuff. I really like hearing from people trying to spread hope to others, who have found ways other than medication to deal with their illness. I think all too often folks are pushed into thinking there is no hope for them without meds, which may be true for some, but not all. I do not suffer from any major psychological problems but I am sympathetic and very interested in the effects of psycoactive drugs both on the afflicted as well as society as a whole.
To a degree I agree with aspects of what Tom Cruise was saying with Matt Lauer. Good nutrition, positive attitude and excercise should be a part of ANY healthy lifestyle...body and mind. But those things don't necessarily fix every problem and there are other things, Mr. Cruise, that should be part of a healthy lifestyle such as compassion, respect, balance, research and humility. Cruise displayed his own societal illness, delusions of grandeur and self-obsessed ignorance/intolerance when he jumped all over and insulted a calm, respectful Lauer and then proceeded to arrogantly trash Brook Shields and any other person who's ever taken medication or seen a psychotherapist for depression or anything else for that matter. We should all feel sorry for Tom Cruise, despite his riches/fame, because he has locked himself in a cell of self-justified apathy and indifference. His lack of interest and respect for the situation of his fellow man make him a miserable angry little shell of a man, hiding behind the ramblings of a madman like Hubbard, and worst of all he doesn't even have a sense of humor about it...what a shame. All that talent and opportunity to make a difference and he just acts like a big selfish dunce. Go sit in the corner, Tom...you should be ashamed you've wasted an opportunity to make a difference.
Eating a healthy diet, excercising and a positive mental attitude are all going to have a positive influence on one's mental state. For some, these things alone are not enough. That said, here in America, people are often diagnosed as this or that...depressed, ptsd, adhd or schizophrenic when really they just have problems. For instance, prescribing drugs to someone for depression, who has problems with drug addiction, may not be the best way to solve that individual's problem with depression...often it turns out that the addict becomes dependent on "legit" drugs but essentially just continues being an addict. A hyper-active kid, for instance, might need more time to play outside, art, individually suited activities and more attention from family rather than adderol or ritalin. These scenarios happen over and over here, and it's wrong! We should not use the drugs to treat the patient...we should use the drugs to get the patient in a state where their real problems can be assessed and addressed. The problem is that the doctors have become nothing more than high-profile drug pushers complete with kickbacks from the drug companies who make the drugs they prescribe. Most don't even run tests for actual physiological imbalance...just throw meds and see what happens.
True mental ailments, like chronic schizophrenia, should be respected and approached with an open mind if we ever hope to have any way of treating them. Tom Cruise has obviously never seen a true psychotic go off their meds...his arrogance and disrespect towards a friendly and thoughtful Matt Lauer was not necessary and completely misinformed. It's a shame because some of what he was saying is often quite accurate with regard to irresponsible treatment in this country and it's too bad that the more reasonable points he was making will forever be obscured due to his apathetic ignorance induced by a misguided, arrogant, selfish religion.
Posted by: Skye at March 23, 2006 11:41 AM
As everyone is well aware of the fact that vitamins and exercise is essential to healthy living, it is absolutly ridiculous for anyone to believe in their right mind that it would be a cure all. If what scientologists really believed was true then none of us would die, and we would all live happily ever after in "teegegack"(what scientologist believe earths name use to be). Having worked and been envolved not only in the health care but also the mental health care field, I can assure you that L. Ron Hubbard's writings truly are classic examples of a paranoid schizophrenic's grandiose delusions. People who suffer from mental illness generally have grandiose delusions revolving around religious oriented issues. Also because of the parnioa that they suffer from, it is typical for them to also believe that people are "out to get them" or that "phychiatrist are evil and they are trying to kill them with drugs". In fact the statements that I have quoted to you I have heard from countless patients over the years that suffer from schizophrenia, so it is no suprise to me at all that L. Ron Hubbards disdain for mental health is one of his key roots in scientology. It is also very typical for mentally ill individuals to write down rambled and garbled statements or "word salad" writings. Seeing these sort of writings from mentally ill individuals is also something I have seen. And to all those who support scientology well I will simply state that the evidence is so overwhelming against your false claims that truly you have to ingnorantly beleive these statements since even an anatomy 101 class will show people that these supposed truths of scientology holds no varacity.
Posted by: julie at April 25, 2006 06:34 PM
I have found this interesting to read, I don't suffer this particular mental illness, but come from a family who have suffered emotional illness of bipolar a mood disorder. Which is another brain imbalance. I have so much had a counselor throw the book at me on Louise Hays, you can heal your life. I think it has some scientology overtones. The book is great for positive thinking, exercise, diet, all have a role in taking care of that central computer which is our brain. But I have to agree it is very dangerous territory to tell someone they don't need medication. Unfortunately we all have a long way to go understanding why we all have different routes to follow, hopefully one day I hope both extremes will embrace each other instead of fight, as both are nneeded in someones road back to healing. Drugs for the crisis, as from personal experience I look back and what would I have done without XanAx in the middle of severe panic atttack, but now I am drug free. Because I have worked on these other alternative ways, plus with prayer. There is hope when you sincerely ask the God,to help you and lead you. He is the greatest hope there is in this life and next life he offers to all of us in Jesus.
Posted by: Julie Perason at June 27, 2007 03:09 PM
Hi My name is Henry, I am really impressed with the good advice this article has about the dangers of listening to these space anlien cults give medical advice, they are not doctors they are the only "weird" people talking here so who ever wrote this article (good job)...
sincerely, your homie - Henry
Posted by: Henry Victory at September 6, 2005 09:04 PM
I was very offended when Tom Cruise stated what he did in that interview, I was horrified about the possible implications for people that would listen to such advice....
This article Tom Cruise should read, I can only hope he takes advice as easy as he gives it ;O)
Posted by: HiveChild at September 7, 2005 02:18 AM
Cruise is entiled to his opinion. Here in America we have rights such as "freedom of speech" and "freedom of the press". I think what is questionable here is not only what Cruise said, what is really questionable is the fact that we hold these people in such high regard and they are just actors!
Posted by: Steve at September 9, 2005 02:19 PM
I don't understand how these people (Scientoligists) could believe such nonsense. Although, I guess some of them are trained to brain-wash the vulnerable and insecure. Even at the height of my psychotic breakdown, the Scientology beliefs would have seemed too crazy, even for me.
Without anti-depressants I unable to function at all. They have truly been a miracle drug for me.
Tom Cruise, the ignorant and talentless "actor", should publicly admit his mistake and vanish from public view forever. I wish!
Patrick
Posted by: Patrick at September 10, 2005 04:04 AM
Well its interesting how Mr. Cruises advice is actually very sound. Exercise stimulates a process called neurogenisis. Which is the growth of brain cells. It also reduces stress and the end result stimulates the production of serotonin. Exercise is a natural antidepressant. And is much more effective than medications.
Antidepressant medication is infact dangerous. 1/1000 people contract serotonin syndrome which is an excess of serotonin in the brain and there is a 90% chance of death. Would you call that safe? Secondly placebos work better than antidepressants.
Psychiatry has a long history of inhumane practice. In Canada a female psychiatrist took 50 kids from their homes claiming that they were schizophrenic. They were given ECT treatment 3 times a week against their own will. After 2 years her "research" was questioned and she fled the country. Another example is the epidemic of tardive dyskinesia about 30 million people have this disorder that is caused by all antipsychotic medications including the new ones. Its a permanent movement disorder that consists of tics involuntary facial movements and twitches and is caused by brain damage brought on by neuroleptics. This is only a small example of what psychiatry has done.
Depression has still not been thoroughly researched and is not properly understood. Infact the whole human spectrum of emotion has not been thoroughly understood. So being a psychiatrist doesnt make you an expert on depression or human emotions. It only makes you a drug dealer that spent 7 years in medical school. I am pretty sure that all states of human emotion have some sort of pathological "disorder" and reducing them to chemical imbalances takes away the humanity from it.
Finally if you want to take psychoactive drugs its your choice but there are a multitude of ways to treat psychiatric conditions. In Sweden they treat acute psychosis with directive therapy with the patient and his/her family. The patient is allowed to go home. And I believe that in a majority of the time the psychosis dissolves after 3weeks.
Posted by: max at September 10, 2005 11:00 AM
Tom Cuise has succeeded in making himself appear a fool during his conversation with Matt Lauer.
Cruise is a good actor, that's it.
Posted by: mandisa at September 10, 2005 02:03 PM
Hello Max
You mentioned in your message:
"In Sweden they treat acute psychosis with directive therapy with the patient and his/her family. The patient is allowed to go home. And a majority of the time the psychosis dissolves after 3weeks."
I REALLY question the validity of this claim. If the psychosis "dissolves" after three weeks with directive therapy, then why are the vast majority of psychotics taking anti-psychotic medication, which they NEED, and are unable to function normally without. (It's not a conspiracy between the pharmacuetical companies and psychiatrists.) Most people who experience a psychotic episode receive therapy and it DOESN'T cure them. Psychosis is a brain disease - talking about it won't cure it. In the vast majority of patients psychosis doesn't "dissolve" after a matter of weeks. Some are lucky and they only experience one episode. But those, for example, with schizophrenia face a life-long battle, because it's INCURABLE, but thankfully it can be successfully treated with anti-psychotic medication. The message you posted was totally irresponsible. I don't know where you got your information - I'm guessing from a Scientology website - but it's WRONG, and if you aren't well informed in these matters, you really should not be posting misguided information on a website that is for the benefit of those (or people who care for those) with mental illness. You're giving false hope and you obviously must not have ever experienced seeing someone who copes with a psychotic illness stop taking their medication. It can be incredibly distressing to the sufferer and their carers, friends, etc. Please don't spread any more of your potentially harmful propaganda - Mr. Cruise has already caused enough damage.
Patrick
Posted by: Patrick at September 11, 2005 01:50 PM
In retrospect, the amount of time that passed before I went on medications from the onset of my symptoms was very long, maybe even a year. During that time I recieved psychological therapy for depressed feelings. I don't know how the thing they do in sweden is very different. When the symptoms became severe, I stuffed pieces of toilet paper in the holes in the wall to block hidden cameras that I thought were spying on me. I also thought that my sons (I've never been married) had come back from the future to send me a message about a theory. This is a real disorder. If you are having problems with taking the medication, I would recommend that you take it, though no one can force you and it is definitely 100% honest to God absolutely your decision. At first, I was reluctant to take it.
Posted by: Michael at September 11, 2005 08:06 PM
Scientology is nuts, but schizophrenia is not necessarily so.
The term "schizophrenia" simply means "broken brain". Anyone who undergoes acute trauma of any sort, are oftentimes diagnosable with schizophrenia in the immediate aftermath of the trauma. It's not really that different from post-traumatic stress disorder, otherwise known as "PTSD", which results from some acute life trauma.
It's utterly wrong to use the label of schizophrenia to dismiss L. Ron Hubbard's ideas. His ideas are wrong for logical, objective reasons that have nothing to do with schizophrenia. It's childish, underhanded and lazy to throw the term "schizophrenia" at Hubbard, rather than expend the energy to logically decipher his stated facts as impossible -- or at least highly unlikely -- paranoia.
Along these lines, the mental health system, as practiced today, is largely mystical rubbish whose purpose is little more than intimidating and stigmatizing society's dissenters into frightened conformity to the status quo, no matter how corrupt that status quo.
Had Hubbard based his denunciation of the industry on this sort of rationale, it would hold water. But because he chalked it up to "space aliens" or whatever, all subsequent criticism of the industry has been falsely dismissed as "crazy" talk, simply by association with these mad notions of one deranged man.
The automatic dismissal of the notion that the mental health industry is corrupt, based on the preachings of one maniac, is a logical falsehood known in philosophy as an "ad hominem" attack, meaning "attack against the person, rather than the merits of their argument". It's a dishonest and unethical form of attack, in addition to being just plain false.
Posted by: Jerry Ross at September 11, 2005 10:03 PM
To Patrick:
Different countries have different approaches in tackling mental illness. Sweden, Norway, And Finland lean towards talk first and little drugs and they get great results(not only that but Scandinavian diets are rich in fish oils). In America its more drug orientated and they seem to have the worse outcomes. So maybe thats why people arent doing well on the medications alone. And maybe that is why they must constantly take it to function normally. Also american doctors tend to prescribe large doses of medication relative to European doctors. Which means more side effects and worse withdrawl symptoms.
If medication is the only key, why do people with schizophrenia in third world countries cope better?
-Better food(not processed), More exercise, more intergration, less stigma(infact in some countries its considered a blessing) And no drugs.
If it is an organic brain disease the people would have the same outcomes everywhere else. No matter what the enviroment. Schizophrenic researchers have been trying to find something biologically wrong with schizophrenics for decades and they always turn up with juxtaposed results. So Stating that it is an organic brain disease is fraud because if you cant find a global pathology(ie flus are caused by viruses) you cant state and find a disease.
Psychitary is full of contradictory opinions and messed up statistics. There are lots of people out there who have schizophrenia who go on to do good things, without the help of medication. Here is an example of different thoughts in psychitary.
Dr.Patrick Mckeon(ireland) in his book on mental illness states that ECT is a safe and effective way to treat depression and other mental illnesses. In slovenia it is forbidden because numerous tests show it causes brain damage and can lead to heart dysrythmias that are fatal(1/200). Notice, how one doctor, a university professor infact, states that its safe and a whole country has forbidden it.
Finally, the only thing Tom Cruise caused was a massive backlash on himself. Do you think he is the main cause of people being anti medication? What have his comments caused? The dramatic decrease in psychitatric drug use!? I think not! Your being highly irrational. Finally i have schizophrenia(symptom free) and i am not on medication. And i am in Univeristy.
Ps. Micheal noticed i said the majority you might not be in that! And if the psychosis doesnt dissolve after 3 weeks they suggest medication and they only use is to releave symptoms then it is discontinued.
Posted by: Max at September 12, 2005 09:22 AM
Hello again Max
So, once again, you have chosen to, inadvertently, give us an insight into the alien-infested, make-believe world of the Scientology propaganda machine. If you have come to recruit, I'm afraid you've really chosen the wrong place.
Firstly, I'm being irrational? I don't think so. I am schizophrenic, and mentally well, thanks to psychiatric drugs (and perfectly rational) and I have a lot of experience with those who are mentally ill. Just because you don't take medication and you're symptom-free (and by the way, you're one in a TINY minority) it doesn't mean that most other schizophrenics can eat fish like the Scandinavians and talk about their problems to a therapist, and cross their fingers and be rewarded with a speedy recovery. In reality, schizophrenia is mostly a life-long illness (it's called chronic schizophrenia) - a brain disease - and the only road to recovery is psychiatric drugs and cognitive therapy. Admittedly, most people don't want to take psychiatric drugs because of side-effects and withdrawal effects, but they take them because they know they will be mentally unstable without them. Newer anti-psychotics (atypicals) have much less side-effects and they are working to improve them all the time. Anyway, ALL medications usually have one or more side-effects.
Tom Cruise is famous (now, infamous), and a role-model to a lot of people. We don't know how his comments have affected people suffering from mental illness or those in the future. Alot of people are at serious risk if they are not taking the medication their doctor has prescribed them. Suicide, acting on hallucinations, psychotic breakdowns: these are the type of repercussions that are possible. After hearing his absurd comments, it's not implausible that many people have stopped taking their medication, because, now they have a good excuse: Tom Cruise, their role-model, has said that anti-depressants are "dangerous". For some reason, this man has influence, whether people like it or not.
I noticed in your second post that you now admit that Scandinavian doctors give their psychotic patients psychiatric drugs, albeit, as you say, "little".
As for your little horror stories about people in the psychiatric profession: there are bad apples in every cart; most psychiatrists are compassionate human beings. There are many, many horror stories and tragedies, with MUCH worse consequences, about mentally ill people who don't take their prescribed medication.
I'm happy for you that you are symptom-free. Maybe you only had a brief psychotic episode(in which case, it's deceptive to label yourself as schizophrenic). Some schizophrenics make a full recovery without medication. Again, this does NOT apply to everybody (in fact, most people) with schizophrenia.
As for your point about people with schizophrenia in "third world" countries who cope better(actually, they are known as DEVELOPING countries - I really hope it wasn't your intention to offend anyone). Actually, they don't cope better; many just can't afford access to psychiatric services and therefore aren't included in the statistics.
Another point you made was about a doctor (who you "helpfully" pointed out was from Ireland - I have no idea why his nationality has any significance, but then I'm getting used to being bewildered by your messages) who believed ECT was a safe and effective way of treating mental illnesses. Well, Max, if that's your name, the vast majority of psychiatrists believed this to be true, as did most people in general. Psychiatry has come a long way since the 1950's. The method used today is VERY different and does actually help a lot of people.
You mentioned that you are at university - I suggest you study in the Psychology department for a while or contact a few people on this website, to actually gain an insight on the subject of mental illness, before you make any more misleading comments. Judging from the content of your messages, I think you would be a successful writer of fiction, like your hero, L. Ron Hubbard. I am only writing this message because there may actually be people reading this thread who might believe it's possible to cure schizophrenia (a BRAIN DISEASE) with fish oil and a cosy chat with their psychiatrist.
Patrick (Also, by sheer "coincidence" from Ireland - and very proud of it!)
Posted by: Patrick at September 12, 2005 02:10 PM
Also, to Max:
In your last message you stated:
"And i am in Univeristy."
You are at a university and yet you cannot even spell the word, university? How do you expect anyone to believe a word you say? Really, you are just embarrassing yourself.
Patrick
Posted by: Patrick at September 12, 2005 02:32 PM
I am going to be blunt like a good Schizophrenic.
1. Thinking that i am trying to recruit people for my "cause" is paranoia, its also futile. What am I going to do ask for peoples bank accounts over the forum?
2. Saying that everything i said is basically worthless because of one typo is pretty pathetic. Thats really desperate.
3. Search google for Dr. Loren Mosher and his project Soteria.
4. Read up on the aquatic ape theory. Then read up extensively on omega 3 fatty acids.
5. I did things differently from what the Psychs would normally do and i am better. And no i did not have a brief psychosis i was locked away for 3 months.
6. The World Health Organisation did those statistics on people with Schizophrenia in developing countries, and they did a very good job in highlighting the fact that Juju magic is better that antipsychotic medication.
Finally if you would like to meet we can do so after my lectures in UCD. State a time and we can have a friendly discussion. Unless of course you live outside of Dublin then the logistics gets in the way.
Sincerely Max
Posted by: Max at September 13, 2005 03:15 AM
Hello Max
Thank you for the offer of meeting at some point. I live in Belfast, but I'm in Dublin regularly. I'm sure it would be a very interesting discussion, and if we meet, we may actually actually reach some sort of agreement, however unlikely that may seem at present. I will find out more information at the university and will look forward to attending one of your lectures, and will hopefully meet you afterwards.
Regards
Patrick
Posted by: Patrick at September 13, 2005 04:25 AM
Hello again Max
I checked with the universities in Dublin, and for some "strange" reason there are no lecturers who go by the name of Max. I was willing to give you a chance but it's now clearer than ever that reality never seems to intrude upon your fantasy world. I think it may be time to reconsider taking the anti-psychotic medication. Really, they CAN work. Just give them time. You may be experiencing severe delusions...either that or you are a liar.
The point you made about the fact that you made a typo, and that's how I basically implied that everything you said was rubbish. Not true! I systematically ripped apart all of your silly notions in my message. You really are intellectually incontinent. In one of your messages, you said you were in university and then in the next one, you said you were a lecturer at a university, and bearing in mind the fact that you know I'm Irish (as I told you), you are, again by sheer "coincidence", a lecturer in Dublin! Are you a compulsive liar? Do they teach you that at your Scientology "church"? I have implied at least twice that you are a Scientologist and of course you haven't denied it; perhaps your name is Tom Cruise (or maybe that's just in your world). STOP polluting this forum with your nonsensical, deluded, and worst of all, misleading "research". Go and plague some other website where your, frankly bizarre and disturbing, and worst all of, misleading comments are welcome. I have even gone to the trouble of finding you an alternative website, which deals with conspiracy theories such as aliens controlling the world:
http://www.infowars.com/
I think you would be very welcome there.
Finally, in your last message you stated that the World Health Organisation highlighted that: "Juju magic is better than antipsychotic medication". Seriously, Max, I think it's time you left Hubbard's mothership, returned to Earth and made an appointment with your doctor. Sooner or later you may have to take antipsychotic medication, whether you like it or not. Keep me updated!
Take care.
Patrick
Posted by: Patrick at September 13, 2005 11:09 AM
A message directed at Tom Cruise and his fellow "Scientologists".
Tom, there is a better chance of outerspace aliens landing in my garden tomorrow and performing an Elvis song in pink lycra hotpants, than there is of you ever winning an Oscar. To say your acting range is limited is an understatement. You simply cannot act! In every film in which you have had a role you are Tom Cruise, the insufferably smug and offensive wannabe "actor". You bring NOTHING to any role you have ever played. I am so glad your ex-wife, Nicole Kidman, won an Oscar shortly after divorcing you. Why she married you is a mystery. I can only imagine that she pitied you. It seems to be quite apparent that you really are talent-free as well as being intellectually-challenged (I realise I am being overly polite). Why don't you, with your equally simple-minded and deluded fellow "Scientologists" actually start to question your beliefs instead of following the herd? For anyone who is not informed on the subject of Scientology, the so-called "religion", here's a little morsel from L. Ron Hubbard (from "The Times" newspaper), founder of Scientology and diagnosed (and obviously, unmedicated)
Schizophrenic: "Xenu, an extraterrestrial, brought aliens to earth and exterminated them with hydrogen bombs but their souls stuck to the bodies of humans." It's perfectly natural to believe in the existence of other-worldly beings - maybe they really are out there. But, to believe in such (badly written) absurd, science-fiction that would have the most imaginative and obsessed sci-fi addict laughing out loud in disbelief, is just incredible and quite sad, really. If you want to believe in the psychosis-induced ramblings of Hubbard, that's up to you. But, PLEASE, keep your anti-psychiatry opinions to yourselves, preferably in the privacy of your cult "church" or at least avoid mental health websites like this.
Posted by: Patrick at September 13, 2005 05:38 PM
Patrick,
You're not being at all fair towards Max. You're scapegoating.
He's not arguing for Scientology. He's arguing against the mad profiteering use of drugs to address all conditions of psychological unrest.
Posted by: Jerry Ross at September 16, 2005 12:23 PM
Max,
Aside from your atrocious spelling, your arguments seem highly logical and articulate.
If someone with your control of ideas has "schizophrenia", then schizophrenia must be little more than a condition of profound existential anxiety.
Posted by: Jerry Ross at September 16, 2005 12:25 PM
To Max
I have lived and worked as a doctor in Asia. Even here people who have schizophrenia are treated with antipsychotics. They have counselling, behaviour therapy etc., but majority are on antipsychotics. Whatever the reasons are, it is highly irresponsible of you to post something like you have done, in a website meant for patients of schizophrenia. If you have never come across someone who has had 'difficult to control schizophrenia', you don't even begin to understand the enormity of what might happen if someone like that took your advice (god forbid) and stopped taking medicines. If you want to make your opinions known, well, you have - please stop reiterating them as there are many people here who (jusitfiably) do not want you to post any more rubbish.
Thanks
Posted by: victoria at September 20, 2005 11:39 AM
Victoria,
None of what he's saying is rubbish, and you know it. He has made sound logical arguments.
You either work for the so-called mental health industry, or are just another loser who likes jumping on the bandwagon of powerful organizations and sucking up to them.
Posted by: Jerry Ross at September 21, 2005 08:56 AM
I was diagnosed with schizophrenia when I was 12. I am 38 now. I went though many many years of total and complete hell because medication was not working for me. I am one of the not so rare people who are medication resistant.
I get angry when so many people want to discount the very true fact that a person can learn to live with this disease without drugs. Because if I had known there was hope for me, I wouldn't have tried to commit sucide so many times.
When the drugs didn't do anything for the voices( and it took ten years of switching medications, trying different ones, residental treatment centers, contstant hospital stays ..etc) I wanted to die because I had always been taught that the only way was medication..and so there was nothing that would help me.
Well anyway when I was 23 I got lucky. I talked with a therapist who was able(she was extremely talented) to teach me to ignore the voices using different tools (for example I was told to write down everything they said and I found as soon as I did that, they became my own thoughts)
Anyway so it has been over years since I have been hospitalized or on medication.I still hear the voices but ignoring them is second nature now and If I could have just popped a pill I would have.
I am so mad at those posters who are trying to shut up the people who describe or who talk about schizophrenia without medication because medication is not the answer for everyone!!!
some of you guys would be suprised at how many schizophrenics are medication resistant.
Posted by: CB at February 12, 2006 11:45 PM
My personal experience with having treatment resistant schizopherena (since I was twelve)has led me to believe that medications are snake oil! That is how little they have helped me!!
On the web you can find many articles about treatment resistant schizophrenia. Here is a small clip from one of them:
Despite recent advances in antipsychotic agents, there remains a significant proportion of patients who do not respond well to pharmacological intervention. Such patients are commonly labelled "treatment resistant", despite little consensus as to the definition of the term.1
The label "treatment resistance" is used particularly to refer to patients whose positive symptoms of schizophrenia (including delusions and hallucinations) have not responded to treatment.1-3 (For definitions of "positive" and "negative" symptoms, see Lambert and Castle [page S57].4) The focus on positive symptoms has arisen largely because other domains were either not clinically well recognised or understood (eg, cognitive symptoms),5 or were considered to be unresponsive to treatment (eg, negative symptoms such as amotivation, apathy, social withdrawal, blunted affect and poverty of speech).6 Thus, pharmacological treatment for psychosis has been predominantly evaluated for its effect on positive symptoms,7 a narrow focus that may ignore other important outcomes such as community integration, quality of life or return to meaningful occupation.8 These latter outcome measures are particularly important for systems of care in Australia, with their emphasis on community-based treatment.
The prevalence of treatment resistance is hard to determine given the lack of agreement on defining the term. It has been estimated that 20%–45% of people with schizophrenia of over two years' duration are only partially responsive to antipsychotic medication,2,9 and 5%–10% of patients derive no benefit at all.1 However, these figures reflect treatment outcomes with first-generation ("typical") antipsychotics (FGAs). With second-generation ("atypical") antipsychotics (SGAs) now available, we need to reconsider what constitutes "non-response" (SGAs are further considered by Lambert and Castle [page S57]4).
This is why I am so ANGRY with the posters here who are tryin g to shut up anyone who has anything to say about non medication treatments for schizophreia. These assholes think they know so much..and they don't realize that when they promote so aggressively medication as the OLNY way they are encouraging a feeling of hopelessness for the %5-%10 of us who have no hope with medication.
I wanted to die and attempted suicide so many times over many years because I believed medication was the only way.And I believed that since medication was not working for me..there was no hope.
But I recovered with out medication and have been out of the hospital for 10 years now!! There is hope without medication. John Nash did it and I did it, and you don't have to be a genius.
You guys posting about alternative treatments please don't shut up. Please keep posting and ignore those suppressive comments you have been getting. You just might be preventing a suicide by giving hope to an important minority. Thanks
Posted by: cb at February 13, 2006 12:14 AM
Thanks to everyone who has commented here - quality stuff. I really like hearing from people trying to spread hope to others, who have found ways other than medication to deal with their illness. I think all too often folks are pushed into thinking there is no hope for them without meds, which may be true for some, but not all. I do not suffer from any major psychological problems but I am sympathetic and very interested in the effects of psycoactive drugs both on the afflicted as well as society as a whole.
To a degree I agree with aspects of what Tom Cruise was saying with Matt Lauer. Good nutrition, positive attitude and excercise should be a part of ANY healthy lifestyle...body and mind. But those things don't necessarily fix every problem and there are other things, Mr. Cruise, that should be part of a healthy lifestyle such as compassion, respect, balance, research and humility. Cruise displayed his own societal illness, delusions of grandeur and self-obsessed ignorance/intolerance when he jumped all over and insulted a calm, respectful Lauer and then proceeded to arrogantly trash Brook Shields and any other person who's ever taken medication or seen a psychotherapist for depression or anything else for that matter. We should all feel sorry for Tom Cruise, despite his riches/fame, because he has locked himself in a cell of self-justified apathy and indifference. His lack of interest and respect for the situation of his fellow man make him a miserable angry little shell of a man, hiding behind the ramblings of a madman like Hubbard, and worst of all he doesn't even have a sense of humor about it...what a shame. All that talent and opportunity to make a difference and he just acts like a big selfish dunce. Go sit in the corner, Tom...you should be ashamed you've wasted an opportunity to make a difference.
Eating a healthy diet, excercising and a positive mental attitude are all going to have a positive influence on one's mental state. For some, these things alone are not enough. That said, here in America, people are often diagnosed as this or that...depressed, ptsd, adhd or schizophrenic when really they just have problems. For instance, prescribing drugs to someone for depression, who has problems with drug addiction, may not be the best way to solve that individual's problem with depression...often it turns out that the addict becomes dependent on "legit" drugs but essentially just continues being an addict. A hyper-active kid, for instance, might need more time to play outside, art, individually suited activities and more attention from family rather than adderol or ritalin. These scenarios happen over and over here, and it's wrong! We should not use the drugs to treat the patient...we should use the drugs to get the patient in a state where their real problems can be assessed and addressed. The problem is that the doctors have become nothing more than high-profile drug pushers complete with kickbacks from the drug companies who make the drugs they prescribe. Most don't even run tests for actual physiological imbalance...just throw meds and see what happens.
True mental ailments, like chronic schizophrenia, should be respected and approached with an open mind if we ever hope to have any way of treating them. Tom Cruise has obviously never seen a true psychotic go off their meds...his arrogance and disrespect towards a friendly and thoughtful Matt Lauer was not necessary and completely misinformed. It's a shame because some of what he was saying is often quite accurate with regard to irresponsible treatment in this country and it's too bad that the more reasonable points he was making will forever be obscured due to his apathetic ignorance induced by a misguided, arrogant, selfish religion.
Posted by: Skye at March 23, 2006 11:41 AM
As everyone is well aware of the fact that vitamins and exercise is essential to healthy living, it is absolutly ridiculous for anyone to believe in their right mind that it would be a cure all. If what scientologists really believed was true then none of us would die, and we would all live happily ever after in "teegegack"(what scientologist believe earths name use to be). Having worked and been envolved not only in the health care but also the mental health care field, I can assure you that L. Ron Hubbard's writings truly are classic examples of a paranoid schizophrenic's grandiose delusions. People who suffer from mental illness generally have grandiose delusions revolving around religious oriented issues. Also because of the parnioa that they suffer from, it is typical for them to also believe that people are "out to get them" or that "phychiatrist are evil and they are trying to kill them with drugs". In fact the statements that I have quoted to you I have heard from countless patients over the years that suffer from schizophrenia, so it is no suprise to me at all that L. Ron Hubbards disdain for mental health is one of his key roots in scientology. It is also very typical for mentally ill individuals to write down rambled and garbled statements or "word salad" writings. Seeing these sort of writings from mentally ill individuals is also something I have seen. And to all those who support scientology well I will simply state that the evidence is so overwhelming against your false claims that truly you have to ingnorantly beleive these statements since even an anatomy 101 class will show people that these supposed truths of scientology holds no varacity.
Posted by: julie at April 25, 2006 06:34 PM
I have found this interesting to read, I don't suffer this particular mental illness, but come from a family who have suffered emotional illness of bipolar a mood disorder. Which is another brain imbalance. I have so much had a counselor throw the book at me on Louise Hays, you can heal your life. I think it has some scientology overtones. The book is great for positive thinking, exercise, diet, all have a role in taking care of that central computer which is our brain. But I have to agree it is very dangerous territory to tell someone they don't need medication. Unfortunately we all have a long way to go understanding why we all have different routes to follow, hopefully one day I hope both extremes will embrace each other instead of fight, as both are nneeded in someones road back to healing. Drugs for the crisis, as from personal experience I look back and what would I have done without XanAx in the middle of severe panic atttack, but now I am drug free. Because I have worked on these other alternative ways, plus with prayer. There is hope when you sincerely ask the God,to help you and lead you. He is the greatest hope there is in this life and next life he offers to all of us in Jesus.
Posted by: Julie Perason at June 27, 2007 03:09 PM