Tom Cruises' take on Psychiatry

ZASHAGALKA, RN · Jun 26, 2005

I THINK he's trying to give some press to his so-called religious beliefs, scientology with a little s.

But if he's the poster-boy for scientology, I think we can all breathe a sigh of relief that it's not coming to a strip mall location near you.

~faith,

Timothy.

live4today, RN · Jun 27, 2005

In all my adult years, I don't recall praying specifically for a celebrity, but TC will be added to my prayer list because he's a little scary in his behavior lately...not to mention what his behavior may be doing to his children's psyche. It's not all about his religious beliefs either, but about the TC I'm seeing now in the media that I don't recall ever seeing before in years past. I'm talking specifically about his behavior. I believe he is closer than he might imagine to a breakdown.

HillaryC, RN, CRNA · Jun 27, 2005

I am not sure that Katie and Tom will be able to have kids---his kids with Nicole Kidman were both adopted. Don't know which one of them, if either, was infertile--maybe they were just both too busy with their acting careers to go through a pregnancy; who knows.

Just wanted to point out that sometimes people choose to adopt not for lack of other options but because they want to (to help parentless children, to not contribute to overpopulation, etc.). :)

talaxandra · Jun 27, 2005

SHUT UP AND ACT

:yeahthat:

Interview with Prof. Hugh B. Urban, by Alice Chasan
What are the central tenets of Scientology?
Dianetics was originally more a self-help therapy, superficially pretty similar to psychoanalysis - basically an understanding of how the mind works and how to remove problematic memory traces from the mind. Then by 1954, it had grown into a more recognizable religious movement as the Church of Scientology. And that's when Hubbard introduced more clearly religious kinds of beliefs But the basic principles of how the mind works stayed the same from Dianetics to Scientology.
And Hubbard's basic idea is that human beings have two kinds of mind: what he calls the analytic mind, which he describes as a flawless computer, and the reactive mind, which is sort of like Freud's model of the unconscious, even though Hubbard didn't like Freud much.
And even though Scientology has a long history of hatred of psychoanalysis, it sure looks a lot like Freud's model of the mind. It's interesting that psychoanalysis and Scientology hated each other for so long and still do. I mean, from the psychoanalytic perspective, Scientology is kind of hokey. And in turn, Scientology has accused psychotherapy of basically numbing people with drugs. Scientology is especially opposed to drugs and still today goes after Prozac and other antidepressants.
In addition to psychotropic drugs, does Scientology oppose other kinds of medical treatment?
No. They are particularly opposed to antidepressants because they see them as a kind of Band-aid that's just superficially treating the problem rather than getting to the root of the problem, which is what auditing claims to do. So auditing claims that it can actually get to and pinpoint the exact origin of the problem and get rid of it.
http://www.beliefnet.org/story/169/story_16925_1.html

The article is four pages long and very enlightening, if you're interested in knowing anything more about Scientology. If you don't already know about theatans and engrams... well, there's nothing I can say to prepare you for the concept.

talaxandra · Jun 27, 2005

Oh, and around the time they split up, Kidman miscarried; Cruise initially denied being the father, but it was tested, and was him, so maybe they have impaired fertility rather than either or both being infertile.

HealthyRN · Jun 27, 2005

On the Today Show this morning, they had a follow-up from the interview and the controversy that it sparked. They invited two psychiatrists, one who is the president of the APA and one who is a fauculty member at Harvard. One supported the belief that psychiatric drugs are not based on science. The other disagreed, but did not provide any factual information.

However, I was surprised that one of the physicians was so adamant that there are no biochemical imbalances and the use of these medications is not based on science. Is there any truth to this? What about the effect of the medications on neurotransmitters, such as serotonin or dopamine? I'm just hoping that someone can clear this up for me.

talaxandra · Jun 27, 2005

Because I just can't leave well enough alone, I've been checking out a few sites on the topic, and found this interesting letter from L Ron Hubbard, who used psychiatric meds most of his life: http://www.clambake.org/archive/ronthenut/beg.htm; according to Operation Clambake, he was diagnosed with paranoid schitzophrenia: http://www.clambake.org/archive/ronthenut/

grannynurse FNP student · Jun 27, 2005

On the Today Show this morning, they had a follow-up from the interview and the controversy that it sparked. They invited two psychiatrists, one who is the president of the APA and one who is a fauculty member at Harvard. One supported the belief that psychiatric drugs are not based on science. The other disagreed, but did not provide any factual information.
However, I was surprised that one of the physicians was so adamant that there are no biochemical imbalances and the use of these medications is not based on science. Is there any truth to this? What about the effect of the medications on neurotransmitters, such as serotonin or dopamine? I'm just hoping that someone can clear this up for me.

I watched today's interview, as well as passed ones. I am uncertain as to what the one physician was referring to, when he made the comment there was not scientific proof of biochemical imbalances. I suffer from Bi Polar Disorder. It is characterized by low amounts of lithium and is treated with the same. I know, that the serotonines had no impact on my depression but that lack of serotonine was not the root cause of my depression.

I believe and the two physicians only skirted this issue, that too many PCP are prescribing anttidepressants. And not referring them for apprpriate treatments. This is treating the symptoms and not the root causes.

As for our friend, Mr. Cruise and his Church. The leader, Hubbard was a fairly good science fiction writter, as a religiousleader, I found him highly suspect.

Grannynurse :balloons:

HillaryC, RN, CRNA · Jun 27, 2005

On the Today Show this morning, they had a follow-up from the interview and the controversy that it sparked. They invited two psychiatrists, one who is the president of the APA and one who is a fauculty member at Harvard. One supported the belief that psychiatric drugs are not based on science. The other disagreed, but did not provide any factual information.
However, I was surprised that one of the physicians was so adamant that there are no biochemical imbalances and the use of these medications is not based on science. Is there any truth to this? What about the effect of the medications on neurotransmitters, such as serotonin or dopamine? I'm just hoping that someone can clear this up for me.

I guess what I don't get is, why does a lack of complete understanding of the pathophysiology of mental illnesses mean that no psych drugs work? We can still use good double-blind placebo controlled studies to know THAT these drugs work, if not HOW or WHY they work. I'm not saying we shouldn't continue to search for answers about the etiology of mental illnesses. I just don't buy Cruise's argument that psychotropic drugs don't work because we don't fully understand mental illnesses yet. Also, TC calls them "dangerous", but what kind of danger is he talking about? The relatively small number of suicides that happen when SSRIs start working, but before they've taken full effect? (probably explained by people getting their energy and ability to plan back before they actually feel less depressed, thus facilitating a suicide they previously didn't have the mental energy to carry out).

Hillary

TTM01 · Jun 27, 2005

Okay, here is my reply.....I don't fully agree with TC making his opinion public, but ML forced him to give his views on mental illness, so that is what we all got. Anyway, I am doing volunteer work for a family right now, and I have the pleasure of visiting with one of the family members. This family member I visit with is working towards her Doctorate in nutrition. She is VERY well schooled in the knowledge of nutrition. She offers me information that is very helpful in my understanding of illness,depression and overall health. I just finished reading a book by Dr Null, entitled "Food, Mood, Body Connection" It explains the symptoms that people have based upon the foods that they eat. This author also denounces psychiatric drugs as well. So TC is not alone. It got me thinking about how everyone just wants a simple fix to their mental illness while they continue to eat fast food, drink Starbucks daily and surround themselves in stressful situations daily......it all seems to make sense to me and I'm not a scientologist or aspire to be one. What I'm saying is that people today don't try to take an active role in their mental health. You can rid yourself of the viscious cycle of mental disease. I beleive that. Just try for one day ....monitor what you eat and how it makes you feel. Most people are overweight, do not get exercise, never eat the daily nutritional fruits and vegatables.....they expect that because they are sick on carbs,sugar,caffeine, stress...that this is all normal.....they can simple take a drug and it will all go away. People really need to start looking at their diets....and not quick fad diets but nutritioanl ones to help control their diseases and mental illness. That is my opinion and I'm standing by it.

TTM01 · Jun 27, 2005

sorry for all the spelling errors! I was typing fast.

Tessa

Okay, here is my reply.....I don't fully agree with TC making his opinion public, but ML forced him to give his views on mental illness, so that is what we all got. Anyway, I am doing volunteer work for a family right now, and I have the pleasure of visiting with one of the family members. This family member I visit with is working towards her Doctorate in nutrition. She is VERY well schooled in the knowledge of nutrition. She offers me information that is very helpful in my understanding of illness,depression and overall health. I just finished reading a book by Dr Null, entitled "Food, Mood, Body Connection" It explains the symptoms that people have based upon the foods that they eat. This author also denounces psychiatric drugs as well. So TC is not alone. It got me thinking about how everyone just wants a simple fix to their mental illness while they continue to eat fast food, drink Starbucks daily and surround themselves in stressful situations daily......it all seems to make sense to me and I'm not a scientologist or aspire to be one. What I'm saying is that people today don't try to take an active role in their mental health. You can rid yourself of the viscious cycle of mental disease. I beleive that. Just try for one day ....monitor what you eat and how it makes you feel. Most people are overweight, do not get exercise, never eat the daily nutritional fruits and vegatables.....they expect that because they are sick on carbs,sugar,caffeine, stress...that this is all normal.....they can simple take a drug and it will all go away. People really need to start looking at their diets....and not quick fad diets but nutritioanl ones to help control their diseases and mental illness. That is my opinion and I'm standing by it.

LydiaNN · Jun 27, 2005

sorry for all the spelling errors! I was typing fast.
Tessa

Your spelling errors are the least of the problems I have with your reply. There may be some symptoms of mild mental illness that can be alleviated (not gotten "rid of") with changes to diet and increased exercise. Nonetheless, mental illness is a disease best treated by those trained to do so, with decisions made in parternship with the patient and his family.