BellaOnline Forums Family Early Childhood Tom Cruise Vs. Brooke Shields & pseudo-science

I saw the interview with Matt Lauer and having experienced Post-Partum depression for myself (after my son was born last year), I was pretty ticked. I couldn't believe that he was presenting his opinion as facts!! He should stick to making [censored] movies and leaving the medical research to someone who went to medical school!!

You are so right! I've ordered her book! I wasn't going to see his movie, anyway, but it made me feel better to do that!

Psychiatrists: Cruise being �irresponsible�

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Actor's harsh words about treatments are unfounded, docs say

Updated: 6:34 p.m. ET June 27, 2005

LOS ANGELES - The American Psychiatric Association Monday sharply criticized actor Tom Cruise for televised remarks in which he called psychiatry a �pseudo science� and disputed the value of antidepressant drugs.

�It is irresponsible for Mr. Cruise to use his movie publicity tour to promote his own ideological views and deter people with mental illness from getting the care they need,� APA President Dr. Steven Sharfstein said in a statement.

During interviews promoting his latest film, �War of the Worlds,� Cruise has discussed his deep skepticism of psychiatry to explain his belief in the teachings of the Church of Scientology, founded by science-fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard.

In one such interview last Friday on NBC�s �Today� show, Cruise was asked about his recent criticism of actress Brooke Shields for revealing that she had taken the antidepressant Paxil to cope with postpartum depression.

�Before I was a Scientologist, I never agreed with psychiatry,� Cruise said. �And when I started studying the history of psychiatry, I understood more and more why I didn�t believe in psychology. ... And I know that psychiatry is a pseudo science.�

Disputing the effectiveness of antidepressants generally, Cruise said, �all it does is mask the problem.� He added, �There is no such thing as a chemical imbalance.�

While there haven't been too many posts here that disagree with my article, I have gotten several negative emails. One man said I needed to "up my dose" for my aggressive attitude. My response: he positively didn't "get it".

Another woman wrote and told me I didn't do my research because Andrea Yates WAS on medication. She went on to say that postpartum depression is hormonal not mental. My response: She obviously didn't thoroughly read the article. In essence I said the same thing. Cruise is the one who said vitamins were the answer for postpartum depression. It's my firm belief that postpartum depression is indeed a medical condition and if not properly treated can lead to devestating circumstances.

Yet another email told me I needed "to get a life". My response: thankfully I recovered from my postpartum experience and I have a life that makes me pretty happy. <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Am I wrong for taking such a strong stance regarding postpartum depression? I don't think so. Women shouldn't have to fear being called "irresponsible" or anything else negative for taking care of themselves and their children.

At the age of 17 I was diagnosed schizoaffective. My parent's like Mr. Cruise thought that no medication was needed and removed me from a psychiatric hospital assured that the doctors just wanted to fill there wallets with my prescription money. Three months later I had been rushed to the hospital 5 times for suicide attempts and 8 months out of the hospital and off the drugs I attempted to kill my family by opening the vale on the back of the gas oven during the middle of the night and shutting all the door and windows in the house. Had my father not woken up shortly afterwards I might have killed my entire family in just one psychotic episode. And I personal dare Mr. Cruise to meet with my mother now 2 years later and tell her that the daughter, who tried to kill her and was literally a self destructing time bomb off of medication, could have become the successful happy person I am today by taking my VITAMINS!!!!!

Give us all a break Tom, any integrity you may have had is completely gone now that you and Scientology have joined forces. Because any religion that was started by a science fiction author and reads like a badly written science fiction novel, is just a joke. Because like they say; walks like a duck, talks like a duck, must be a duck. And that is exactly what Scientology is a science fictional cult created to make its creator very wealthy!



Sorry had to get that out there

See, at 19 you are already wiser that Mr. Cruise!
I told y'all he should have finished High School. <img src="/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Congratulations to you and your family on getting through the rough times and sticking together. You sound like you have made an amazing turnaround.

Synarps, bless your heart! I'm so very very glad that your parents finally allowed you the help you needed. Thank goodness none of the suicide attempts worked. And as Musicalmom says, you're wise. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Thanks for posting and please continue in the positive direction you seem to be heading in now.

Exactly! Surprising how many people hide their problems when if they reached out - support, help, and the answers an be found!

Exactly! There is help available. The problem is that we've had postpartum depression stuffed in a closet or behind closed doors for too long. If more women talked about their experiences as mothers of newborns, it would make it more and more ok to seek help.

Even if we took the focus off the mother and put it on the newborn, it would be better than saying a mother is "irresponsible" for choosing to get help. Point out that in order for the new baby to be happy and healthy, moms have to take care of themselves too - that's what I mean by putting the focus on the newborn. Knowing that my baby needed me to be healthy helped me more than anything in the long run. Because she needed me, I was more open to trying coping techniques, relaxtion and breathing, and just flat out staying with my mother-in-law when it was really necessary.

I saw an interview with a Christian Scientologist on Anderson Cooper yesterday. It's my understanding from that interview that they are opposed only to "mind altering drugs" and Psychology and Psychiatry. The Scientologists belief is that Psychology and Psychiatry are based on "lies". Anderson Cooper asked if "talk therapy" was acceptable and the answer was no. I really couldn't believe it.

Why are we as a society giving so much air time to Cruise? He is an uneducated, immature man who happens to be a celebrity. If he were some Joe Blow standing on a soapbox on the street corner the airwaves would not give his babbling a second thought. Because of his celebrity status and the media's constant attempts to entertain (rather than inform) us, we are subjected to him over and over again. I personally am going to boycott all things Cruise from here on out - not that that will take much work, I don't care much for him as an actor anyway. Spielberg on the other hand...sorry I will have to miss his latest flick.