I’m with Brooke Shields…
…on this. Tom Cruise’s evangelistic opinions on anti-depressants has rather changed my opinion on his being squirted with water. Last night (and rather childishly) I felt like I would like to drench him myself.
I thought long and hard about starting to take the SSRI sertaline. I was terrified about taking something that would change my brain chemistry. Eventually I decided that I already had an illness that was doing that and I would take the chance it would help. It has. Not all by itself maybe, but in conjunction with everything else I’ve been doing to improve and care for my energy. Today, I’m far more able to function than I was before sertraline. For that I’m very grateful.
Tom Cruise’s opinions are far from helpful. If he stops even one person who could benefit from taking an anti-depressant that strikes me as very dangerous. I think I might skip his War of the Worlds film and read H G Wells’s original with a cup of tea and a pill instead…
June 26th, 2005 at 10:01 am
In the words of Brooke Shields:
““Tom should stick to saving the world from aliens and let women who are experiencing postpartum depression decide what treatment options are best for them.”
The silly arse needs a slap - apparently “he knows the history of psychiatry” - sadly Tom - THAT DOESN’T MAKE YOU A PSYCHIASTRIST. It sounds like you’ve thought long and hard and made an informed decision M - also remember, you can choose to discontinue your treatment (supervised of course). Sorry to soapbox but this kind of thing makes me furious (been there done that etc).
I’m very glad you’re feeling better
June 26th, 2005 at 12:28 pm
MIchael I’m so glad that you feel the medication is making a difference along with the other changes. The Summer and autumn I spent lying on the sofa feeling hellish is not one I would wish onto anyone.
its such a gorgeous day here - I hope it is in wales
June 26th, 2005 at 3:18 pm
They were talking about this on the radio last night. Like you, many people said they aren’t gonna go see his new movie because of his remarks. And they were people who wanted to see it.
You do what you need to do to feel better. You are the one inside your body, not Tom Cruise.
June 26th, 2005 at 5:27 pm
There’s a scientific term for the likes of Cruise…I believe it’s ’smug, self-serving, spoiled celebrity.’
June 26th, 2005 at 5:30 pm
“Psychiatry is a pseudo-science” , said the “Scientologist”. The man is an idiot.
June 26th, 2005 at 6:14 pm
Hmm.
Sometimes I think people should read more.
In the case of Tom Cruise however, a little info is too much.
keep him away from the books.
makes me cross that when people are so called ‘celebrities’ they feel they can advise others on life.
Very dangerous. He is good at acting; he is not an academic.
(sorry. Am I ranting now?)
June 27th, 2005 at 12:26 am
Anti-deps saved my sanity a few years ago - and returned the feeling to my legs.
And to think I used to be a Tommy girl.
June 27th, 2005 at 3:22 pm
Brain chemistry changes my moods, often quite “naturally”, When my Seratonin levels drop, it can trigger a migraine attack or start a downward spiral into depression. Even my blood sugar levels need watching.
I too have thought long and hard about taking prescribed drugs from an excellent, trusted doctor. There was a time when I needed them to kick start me back into living normally. I do without them now, but only because they allowed me to manage my health.
Our choices in life are our own. We must make them in order to learn about who we really are.
Michael, I believe you are doing just fine by simply doing it your own way.
Peter Bryenton.
June 27th, 2005 at 6:54 pm
American Psychiatric Association issued a response to Tom’s rantings: http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=49450
I notice that salon.com is doing an indepth series now on Tom.
I’m with Brooke Shields on this also. All of us have the right to find our own way, to do what works best for us.
Sarah
June 27th, 2005 at 9:10 pm
I must agree with the fact that too often–in the past and probably still–kids and adults have been misdiagnosed and mis treated with prescription drugs
BUT
I’m worried about all of the young, and perhaps not so young people who unfortunately, just like Katie Holmes who “always dreamed of marrying Tom Cruise” idealize as well as idolize misguided celebrities–like Tom– who say too much about things they obviously know too little. Obviously drugs used properly can save lives…all kinds of drugs.
I wonder if Tom has any clue to the horrible responsibility he heaped upon his misguided self with his words…his influence on other people’s lives. Sadly, misguided people like Tom are not bound by medical ethics such as:
“First, do no harm.”
June 29th, 2005 at 8:26 am
Ah Tom, you are indeed famous and rich, but are you unhappy? :0)
June 29th, 2005 at 4:14 pm
I relate so totally to your thoughts, words and drawings….thanks for being there.
June 29th, 2005 at 4:24 pm
i’ve been on lustral, and seroxat, and this and that.
I was thinking of getting on something again.
5 bad days and 2 good a week isnt really a balance.
July 1st, 2005 at 1:13 pm
PPD is commonly associated with (Hashimoto`s disease of the thyroid gland),and is commonly ignored by MDs.This condition can be associated with other symptoms of thyroid disease e.g.(hair shedding,Fatigue,sensetivity to tompereature,menstrual irregularities ,panic attacks,headaches or Migrains,Vertigo etc.).It can ONLY be diagnosed by Thyroid antibody profile,TSH,And levels of the FREE thyroid hormones.Threatment MUST include BOTH T4 and T3 (like Armour thyroid pills),and response is AMAZING and FAST.Recommend (WWW.thyroid.about.com) and look for the the DOCTORS DIRECTORY who diagnose Hypothyroidism and use ARMOUR THYROID for Tx. Most interrested to hear back from you or her(Brook). Please pass this to her. thanks drshaalan@medscape.com
July 4th, 2005 at 8:14 am
someone should point out to tom cruise that scientology is a cult, and cultism is one of the most dangerous drugs going.
July 4th, 2005 at 8:16 am
someone should point out to tom cruise that scientology is a cult, and cultism is one of the most dangerous drugs going.
July 4th, 2005 at 3:14 pm
Wasn’t that unhinged, that Cruise comment about depression? Ill-informed, arrogant, condescending (to both Shields and the interviewer), divisive, dogmatic, unsolicited, and worst of all spouted by a man who believes that “…each individual person (called a “thetan”) is considered to be a “thought unit” of the spiritual universe which interacts with the physical universe, usually by inhabiting a human body.” No doubt he will have occasion to savage the laws of physics because he has read the History of Science and found that there is no such thing as a material imbalance. It seems likely that he is spurred into such profound metascientific gestures by the Hubbard College Dropout School of Mendacious Anti-Drug Cures (Narconon), of which one evaluatory statement had this to say:
“…there is no documentation to show that the Hubbard method of detoxification from drug abuse conforms to scientific standards and medical experience. On the contrary, one may from a pharmacological point of view strongly question the idea of using enforced sweating to expel drugs from the body. The risks and side effects of the treatment method have also not been evaluated in a serious way.” [Prof. Folke Sjoqvist, Scientific Advisor in Clinical Pharmacology to the Swedish Board of Health and Welfare, 1996.]
Film stars ought to censor and crush their worldly judgments before they become influential opinions. Who knows how many Cruise fans are going to hurl themselves from windows of tall buildings because, being chemically balanced, they feel that their melancholy is a symptom of madness; or worse, that it is a symptom of some form of divine displeasure? As a Buddhist friend of mine said: Why increase the sum total of suffering? Isn’t there enough of it already in this world?
July 6th, 2005 at 9:06 am
I am a scientologist.
I fundamentally do not believe that mental illness is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. There might be a chemical imbalance that can be proved, but that would be because of the spirit causing it. Adrenalin, another chemical substance, is created by the body when danger occur. It’s CAUSED by the mind detecting danger etc.
Mind over matter, not the other way around. You must understand that the spirit makes the postulates over MEST (Matter, Energy, Space and Time). We, as spritual beings control much more than we think we do.
Psychiatry does not believe in spiritual beings, it believes in biological causes. Right?
I know at least two people that has been fully blown clinically depressed, and a couple more that has been on anti-depressants. A childhood friend of mine developed schizofrenia in his twenties, he was on Leponex and Cipramil (Prozac) for years and I doubt that was healthy for his brain. Although we don’t have much contact nowadays he’s told he’s hearing voices etc. That’s sort of really disturbing and scary to hear from someone you’ve had as a friend for like ten years. He stated that he really didn’t think psychiatry worked. Another person I know spent some time in a mental hospital, she didn’t do medication though which I think was good for her.
Based on those experiences, perhaps psychiatry has helped sometimes, and sometimes it hasn’t. It clearly and obviously however hasn’t solved the problem of mental illness, that is something we all must agree on. Psychiatry is more about trying to change the patients condition in some direction. It’s like taking alcohol when you feel bad. It might lift you up that evening but the problem reminds next day.
Scientology can however dig deeper due to the fact that the mental images in the mind can get contacted, resulting in negative charges being blown. This can result in a better health condition, when the basic cause of mental illness are removed. I’ve read about cases where epilepsy has been cured for example. Studdering, manic-depressive syndroms etc. most probably origin from the reactive mind. Dianetics then offers a more sustainable way out of mental illness, although the cure for mental illness is not the basic purpose of Dianetics, it might come as a nice side effect though.
You talk about your serotonin and dopamine levels all you want, that’s purely BIOLOGICAL.
I have two questions for you:
1) Do you believe in the human spirit?
2) Do you believe in past lives?
Nick
July 7th, 2005 at 2:36 pm
Michael
It’s Stu, your old school buddy here, just checking your blog, as I like your fluid drawing style - it’s great!
Anyway, just noticed a packet I recognise -
I’ve taken Lustral now for about 3 years and it works better than anything I’ve had before with less side effects - plus it doesn’t meke you put on a load of weight.
Don’t know what you know about my problems, since we’ve been out of contact, but o have been a Manic-depressive for about 15 years.
Giveit a go mate, it does improve your mood and helps you feel more energised. Of course, evryones body chemistry differs , but it’s worth a good go. might work for you.
best wishes as ever Stuart
stuartjebbitt@hotmail.com
I’m about to give up work in 2 weeks to become a stay-at-home dad!
July 19th, 2005 at 1:40 pm
I have used Prozac for four years now and I am sure it has saved my life more than once.
Sirpa-Kaarina
Finland, Europe
July 19th, 2005 at 1:43 pm
I have used Prozac for four years now and I am sure it has saved my life more than once.
Sirpa-Kaarina
Finland, Europe
July 23rd, 2005 at 7:42 pm
anti-depressants work! and THERE IS such a thing as chemical imbalance. and it occurs in families like ours; if only those afflicted would see a doctor right away..i wish there were a way to measure chemical imbalances accurately, but until then, anyone feeling off or irrational for prolonged periods should see a psych asap.
August 9th, 2005 at 10:55 pm
Yes, I do believe in the spirit…inhabiting a very physical body! Chemistry is chemistry, and it definitely applies to (to help or harm) our bodies. As a mother of a kid with ADD, I hate to see people like Cruise spouting off about things that they learned about through propaganda put out by organizations that depend financially on you buying their ideas. It would be similar to my deciding on medication based on the drug companies ads….I don’t make my medical decisions that way. I’m with Brooke on this one.
Stephen’s comment was spot on.
November 22nd, 2005 at 3:35 am
I don’t think it was really wise of Tom to say that because what does he know about post-partum depression? I mean, how can he speak about it if he’s never gone through it, you know? My parents were talking about it and I asked how he even said that comment and my mom said, “Well, someone probably asked him about it and he replied”, and my dad goes, “Right, because, you know, he would know, since I’m sure he knows all about that.” You could really sense the sarcasm! Lol. So I’m not sure if Tom DOES know about it firsthand, but I agree with Brooke. Also, because post-partum dep. just doesn’t sound healthy! Any form of depression is unhealthy, so it’s really up to the person experiencing it if they want to seek treatment or not. And I agree, just because he has a history in psychiatry or whatever doesn’t mean he IS a psychiatrist. And plus, what if Katie goes through something like that after they have their baby? I’m sure he’d want treatment then, don’t you think? I mean, I doubt he’d want her to stay that way, since it’s not healthy! So yeah, I agree with Brooke on this one, lol.
Later.
April 16th, 2006 at 3:46 am
Tom Cruise isn’t the brightest bulb. Have you ever seen him in an interview? His bashing of Brooke Shields taking antidepressants is the rantings of an ignoramous. He is all gloss and no brain. His arrogant stance on antidepressants will influence someone to not take necessary medications. Such an idiot. He needs to keep his mouth shut.