People News
Tom Cruise Criticizes Brooke Shields
By Cindy Locke May 25, 2005, 17:21 GMT
Actor Tom Cruise doesn’t approve of Brooke Shields’s method to get through postpartum depression after giving birth to her first child, daughter Rowan.
In Shields’s new book, Down Came the Rain, she admits to taking medication to cope with the depression.
Cruise had a small role in Shields’s movie Endless Love 24 years ago. In an interview with TV show Access Hollywood, Cruise said, “I care about Brooke Shields because I think she is an incredibly talented women, but look at where has her career gone.”
Cruise’s religion, Scientology, does not approve of mind-altering medication of any kind. “When someone says medication has helped them, it is to cope, it didn't cure anything. There is no science. There is nothing that can cure them whatsoever.”
Cruise went on to say that women should "take vitamins and exercise" and that Shields was "irresponsible" for promoting anti-depressants.
Cruise also talked about Shields’s career: “Look, is she happy? Is she really happy?”
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people who so passionately launch their campaign against mood-altering drugs, have probably never been depressed to the point that life seemed beyond bearable
I do not agree with Brooke Shields promoting the intake of anti depresants. I am a woman who has also suffered from depression. At times it was devastating. I knew I was fine in my self but that something was going on with my body which caused the depression. I had a course of natural hormones and the depression went away! Unfortunately there are doctors who are happy to just prescribe and promote an anti depresant instead of really taking care of the person in front of them and finding out the exact cause of the problem. The data that the drug 'helps' is utterly false. It appears to relief the symptoms but is in fact masking the problem and causing other damage. Ask anyone on street drugs how they feel when they take the drugs, at first they might get high but afterwards the lows can be much worse. And with antidepresants the 'solution' does become the problem, and people sooner or later have to try and deal with the original problem plus the newly created havoc from the drug.
People (including Tom Cruise) who critize others for having the courage to try and improve themselves are over simplifing a medical condition. Medication for depression is rarely given to someone who just has the 'blues'. As with any medication one should always look into the side effects and benefits of the drug. Unfortunatly this is not the case with 'herbal remedies'. The side effects from so called natural remedies can be just as servere as prescribed meds.If Tom Cruise had talked to or read Brooke Shield's book I really hope that he would change his quick judgement.Her condition was severe and both she and her family were suffering greatly.In similiar cases drugs are the quickest and least harmful method to control the symptoms.For Tom Cruise to ask a depresed person if she's HAPPY is rude and condescending.I sincerly hope he apologizes to Brooke Shields for his ignorant comment-'Is she really happy?'
It is so funny that people have nothing else to do but type about celebrity lives or their images, lol makes me laugh...and not even mentioning the topic of interest.
-Well anyways
I think that mind-altering drugs 'do not' help people. All they do is curb the feelings.... numb the moment. The body is like a machine it can over come many things, the mind is even more magnificent. I was 7 mo. pregnant and in a tragic car accident. My left leg was amputated and then I gave birth, 3 weeks later; then spent another month in the hospital -- and I didn't take anti-depressive medication. The first thing the 'doctors' tried pushing on me was to take some form of anti-depressive medication, in addition to the morphine that was already being pumped into my veins. The first 3 months of my daughters life is one big blur. Yes, of course, the morphine helped with the pain but man when the pills wore off it was 100 times worse. So with people taking anti-depressants all they do is help the moment -- the depression is still there.
I take no medication at all and have relatively no pain -- who knows how much pain i'd feel if I was still on 'medication'. OR are they all drugs?? Hmm just something to ponder... Say NO to drugs... remember people - learned this in elementary school. lol
I think it is better to take an anti depressant medicine than to kill innocent children and commit criminal acts which one might commit if not medicated. Scientology is not a cure-all for medical conditions. Mr. Cruise is an actor not a doctor.
There are only two reasons why people take drugs or alcohol --- 'to ease pain and avoid problems'. Simple. Have I been there? Yes. Did I solve it with drugs? No, but I did try them out for a short time. Did my problems go away? No. Did my situation get worse? Yes. Did I catch it in time? Not without the help of a friend who said 'Black people have enough problems in America without adding DRUGS to the list'. Made sense so I knocked off the drug use.
Never took the psych meds though. I wasn't that STUPID.
Now neither drugs nor alcohol gets to the source of life's difficulties.
And if you look at any of the drug ads in the magazines these days and then turn the page, you'll see a bleep load of fine print that includes side affects that are worse than the problem the person is trying to 'ease'... or 'avoid'...
Tom Cruise is right. These mind altering drugs are making the pharmaceutical boys really really really rich. (AND PLEASE CHECK THIS OUT FOR YOURSELF.)
Anyone who wants to truly change a personal condition is at the mercy of these DRUG PUSHERS and unfortunately depressed people are not in shape to look at all of the ramifications of these psych meds.
So hats off to Tom for alerting folks so that they can minimally 'take another look' and find an alternative that is not full of harmful and even deathful side affects.
Oh, and one needn't be a 'doctor' to know that something is crap and harmful and presented as 'help' when it's actually 'betrayal'. Being able to READ and think LOGICALLY is the only prerequisite.
I totally agree with TC on the issue - speaking as someone who had a severe postpartum episode and successfully resolved it with nutrition and vitamins. I have not known a single person who was 'cured' with anti-depressants. Once you get caught up in that scene it's often endless medication and 'treatment', bilking your insurance and your sanity.
Plus, these 'anti-depressants' often cause 'homicide' and 'suicide' as their listed side-effects.
My Father In Law takes Prozac and it clearly alters his personality enough to make him unpredictable. We don't talk to him anymore because between his meds and his psychiatrist he's become an irrational loon.
People are different and respond to different types of treatment. Generalizations are useless.
While waiting for the doctor in the hospital I saw a medical 'dictionary' (I am sure it has a technical name) I browsed thru it and I came upon the name 'Ritalin' I was curious as I heard the name before as a drug given to children so I read on. I was amazed to read that one of the side effects can be, extreme violence and the development of suicidal tendencies.
I am a mother of two children and one of them was hyperactive. I did a lot of research and my son had many medical tests, etc. I met many families whose lives had been destroyed by the use of mind altering drugs, in one case the child was hyperactive and very disruptive, after the drug he became calmer to the point of being too depressed to even move and shortly afterwards committed suicide. Another boy while under 'medication' took a knife and hurt his own father, later he killed himself. This is not something I read. I saw the families and I am still in touch with them.Before the drugs they had big problems with their children now they have no children. Knowing that I would never touch those drugs. Some say that every one reacts in different ways to different things. But why risk it? There is plenty of evidence to suggest that these drugs are much more harmful than useful. The only ones who benefit greatly from these drugs are without a doubt the pharmaceutical companies and psychiatrists who are becoming increasingly rich exploiting other people's pain and suffering.
When you are a parent, you do not have the luxury of risking the side-effects of anti-depressants - regardless of how you think you 'may' respond to them. You are putting your children's lives in danger by doing so and that is totally irresponsible, reprehensible behavior. Drugs are drugs, whether medical or street drugs. How can one tell their kids not to take drugs when one solves their problems with drugs? That's such a bad example to set.
Hey, CP!
You crack me up. You say you were stupid to try street drugs, but not stupid enough to try medically investigated/blind-study-tested legal psychiatric drugs? Yeah, that makes sense.
let tom cruise comment on post partem depression and the cure for it after he has given birth.
It's time for the Cruise to go to his nearest Scientology center: I think his micro-chip has malfunctioned and he needs to be reprogramed!
Many of you have been lumping anti-depressants with street drugs and saying how they dull the pain for the moment and when they wear off, things are worse than before. Do you know anything about these drugs and how they work? They are not 'as needed nerve pills' that you take when you feel bad. They are medication that corrects a chemical imbalance in you body, just as other medicines control problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and thyroid disease. Just because ONE of the symptoms of this disease called 'depression' is feelings of sadness, doesn't mean it isn't a disease worthy of medication. I, too, have suffered from depression, including post-partum depression. I suffered for over a year after my daughter was born, with feelings of utter hopelessness, inability to sleep or eat, basically 'checked out' of life. Was this fair to my children? I refused to take any medication because I thought they were 'mind-altering' drugs that would make me worse. I WAS WRONG! After I thought my life was back to 'normal', I had another episode of depression. There was no crisis going on in my life, my family was happy and healthy, I had a busy, productive life, and no childhood traumas in my past. The depression came on like a flu, and continued to get worse until I had no interest in anything, and anxiety about everything. I didn't want to be dead, but I wanted to make the feeling go away and didn't know how. I finally agreed to try anti-depressants and have never regretted it. They do not alter my mind. They make me normal. The way I used to be before depression. I can think clearly, laugh REAL belly laughs, enjoy my children and husband and lead an active social and professional life without irrational anxiety and spells of crying. I'm LIVING life the way I'm supposed to. This is not a pill that you pop when you start to feel bad and then sit there and wait for the 'buzz'. It is a preventive medication that I take every day. Those of you that posted comments here: Please educate yourselves before you critize others. You have no idea what they are going through or how their doctor has diagnosed them. Brooke did the right thing and her book was a real comfort to me, knowing that someone else went through what I did, and is doing great now. And by the way, when did Tom Cruise get his degree in medicine? Last time I checked, he was neither a doctor nor a woman. Maybe he should stick to subjects he IS knowledgable about--like acting, maybe.
AP
“Psychiatric drugs are not illegal”. So?! If something is legal does not always mean is the right thing to do! “the drugs have been tested” Yeah…right… there has been some tests done on them but not enough and many of their findings, such as severe side effects that can lead to suicide, have been ignored. Unfortunately it takes many years and many lives to finally remove some of these drugs. Read the evidence for yourselves. They are many, many, mind altering drugs that have now been withdrawn and made illegal.
Some say that one should be informed about mind altering drugs before criticizing them. I wish people making such comments would follow their own advise. I am a qualified counsellor and I have had literally hundreds of cases where mind altering drugs have caused devastating effects. There are many books written by psychiatrists and scientists themselves against these drugs. The only reason they are still in circulation is because the make huge amounts of money for the pharmaceutical companies and their minions . Please read the overwhelming information and case histories about people whose lives have been destroyed by these drugs. Do not just go by the “success stories” of the very, very, lucky few. The fact that these drugs “seemed to work” with some people is sheer luck. (ask any drug addict or alcoholic how they feel while taking drugs or alcohol, most of them get high, that is the purpose of these chemicals!) With most others, the effect is lethal. It is extremely irresponsible for someone to give out their “success story” about taking mind altering drugs as it could be read by someone who might be considering taking them and destroy their livesand the lives of many others around them. Do not ignore the thousands and thousands of people who have walked that path and never come back. Do not ignore those who are now are lost in the total agony, despair, and death these drugs bring with them. Any drug addict could give “success stories” at some point or another about taking the drugs. Anyone who in one way or another promotes drugs, any drug, is a drug pusher. Period.
I see all the $ clambots are posting. The goal of is to make money and then make more money. They have hundreds of front groups. They don't believe in mental illness and worship a clown who claimed these people were better off dead that unable. To get an idea of how they treat the mentally ill see www.whyaretheydead.net
They virtually tortured Lisa McPherson to death and got away with murder by settling out of court.
Tom Cruise is a souless boy who never entered into adulthood. If you don't agree with Cruise or his cult they have a nice fair-game policy which involves destroying by ANY means their enemies.
The subject under discussion is the use of psychiatric drugs. Please, stay on the subject. I personally do not care about what religion , political or sexual tendencies people adhere to. But I do care about people who are taking drugs I care for them from the humanitarian point of view but I also what others are doing can affect us all in one way or another. A lot has been said about getting the right information about drugs etc. I have actually copied and pasted information from the FDA regarding these drugs. Here it is..
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) can cause headaches, nausea, anxiety and agitation, insomnia and bizarre dreams, loss of appetite, impotence, confusion and akathisia. It is estimated that between 10% and 25% of SSRI users experience akathisia, often in conjunction with suicidal thoughts, hostility and violent behavior.
There is evidence of increased suicidal thoughts and behaviors and other side effects in young people taking antidepressants. So SSRI antidepressants, with the exception of Prozac, are not approved by the FDA for use in people under 18.
In fact, in 2004, the FDA ordered the strongest safety warning possible:
Antidepressants increase the risk of suicidal thinking and behavior (suicidality) in children and adolescents with major depressive disorder (MDD) and other psychiatric disorders. Anyone considering the use of [Drug Name] or any other antidepressant in a child or adolescent must balance this risk with the clinical need.'
In regards to that last post with the side effect information: Brooke Shields is not a child nor adolescent. There are a lot of drugs other than anti depressants that should not be given to children.
Many people who are depressed already have suicidal thoughts before they even begin medication. Sometimes, medication gives them just enough energy to get out of bed and finish what they had already planned to do. These people SHOULD be monitored closely and given great consideration before starting any kind of medical treatment.
However, there are MANY success stories in regards to SSRI's, not just a few, as mentioned in another post. If there weren't, there wouldn't be so many people taking them. There have been devastating cases where families have been horribly affected, but I would guess there were many other circumstances involved other than a prescription they were taking. I know of other cases where someone didn't get the help they needed in regards to medication when suffering from post partum depression, and ended up killing their child or children.
For info on Cruise, Scientology, and Cults visit 'Operation Clambake' at www.xenu.net
To Alba and all her scientology sockpuppets:
You are sent here to handle negative comments about Tom Cruise's shameful behavior toward Brooke Shields. I know exactly who you are. You and Tom and the rest of your cult are responsible for the brutal murder of Lisa McPherson after she sought psychiatric/medical treatment at a non hospital. You are responsible because you back and condone that practice.
www.whyaretheydead.net for the many murders you have condoned because of your hatred of psychiatry. Why do you hate psychiatry. Because in order to take over mental health you have to get rid of people that hold degrees. By the way your little doctor that murderered Lisa lost his license.
Do a search for Lisa McPherson and Scientology and you may come across her autopsy photos. You and your clams are evil to the core.
Everyone has the right to their opinion but I absolutely disagree with Tom Cruise on the issue of antidepressants. I read Brooke's book and I think she was incredibly brave to talk about what she went through. I am currently on lexapro for severe postpartum depression and I believe it has saved my life and my marriage and it has made me a much better mother. I wound up in a psychiatric unit when my baby was five months old because I wanted to kill myself. I felt I had nothing to live for and was making plans to end my life. My doctor prescribed lexapro and after a month I started feeling stable again. I am also in therapy with a social worker who specializes in postpartum depression. She is helping me learn coping techniques to deal with the anxiety and negative thoughts. Antidepressants may not be a 'cure' but they can help you deal with your postpartum depression in a healthy way. PPD is also a 'temporary' depression that in most women goes away with time. I don't want to discount vitamins, but there is enough shame for women regarding this issue. Tom Cruise exerts is incredibly popular and talented, but he does not have the right to make women feel shamed for asking for help in the form of an antidepressant. I felt so awful about the things I was thinking about and feeling that I did not even admit them to my own husband until I wound up in the hospital. All women who are going through this need to ask for help and receive it. I am a good person who eats well, always exercises, and I do not drink or smoke. I did nothing to bring this on myself, nor does anyone else. Until you become a medical doctor, Tom, stick to what you do best, making movies and entertaining.
As someone who suffers from depression, and somebody educated about anti-depressants, I have to agree with the others who support Cruise--at least when he says that AD's are dangerous. They ARE dangerous, no doubt. Don't believe? Ask someone weaning from Effexor. Ask someone agitated from Lexapro. Ask someone that's numb from Prozac. Ask someone that's gained 90 pounds from Paxil. Ask someone who hasn't slept for 3 nights after taking Welbutrin. Ask someone who's had an anxiety attack from Zoloft. Ask a friend of someone that committed suicide after starting an AD. Ask someone who's run the entire spectrum of AD's, because nothing worked--or because something only worked for a short period of time. Ask someone who will have to pay the pharmacuticals to be on an AD for the rest of their life, because they can never feel normal without them. Ask someone who felt better before taking AD's. Ask somebody who has extensive liver damange from AD's. Visit any depression forum, and you will find many that are suffering from their antidepressant. For those who are helped, great--but what about the great majority that get hurt?
My personal experience was with Lexapro. It took my doctor under 5 minutes to prescribe it. All I did was tell him that I was depressed. Voila. No evaluation. No blood work. No questions asked. After 3 weeks of taking it, I felt like sh*t. When I went in for a follow up appointment and described the myriad of side effects I was experiencing, I was told to continue taking the Lexapro! I honestly believe that had I not chosen to self wean, I might have killed myself.
I think that if Tom's message can get people to try alternatives BEFORE rushing into AD's, then maybe it's for the better. I treat my depression with a variety of supplements, and though I have my share of blue days, I SURE feel a heck of a lot happier than I ever did taking the Lexapro.
Yes, I believe that everyone thinking of taking AD's should educate themselves, as one poster mentioned before. (By the way, how soon do you wean from you medication? Let us know how it goes.) People should educate themselves on the dangers, the side effects, the effectiveness--and do it by researching real stories from those that have been there--because the companies that MAKE the AD's are NOT going to give it to you straight.
And to 'Note,' I don't give a crap about Scientology--I hardly know a thing about it. Believe it or not, people can have opinions without having agendas. I can't stand closed minded people like yourself that think that if people don't think exactly as you do, then we must all be stupid sheep hailing some clown. It's called free thinking. How, exactly, does Scientology profit from people using vitamins and/or other herbal remedies for depression? I can tell you, without a shred of doubt, how the pharmacutical industry profits.
I'm sorry that Imho had such a bad experience with AD's. I don't necessarily think that everyone should take them. I just know that I have suffered with depression on and off for the last 10 years. I tried vitamins that my obgyn recommended, and herbal remedies--none of which worked. Actually, the b vitamins that I was taking had worse side effects than the antidepressants for me. The last episode of depression lasted four months and since I've started on anitdepressants, I haven't had a relapse since--and it's been three years. There were side effects with the AD's, but after a couple of weeks, they went away. You have to work closely with your doctor and make sure your doctor is very familiar with these kinds of medicines. My life has been greatly improved and all of the people I know of that are taking them have had positive experiences. Antidressants don't cure depression. They keep it under control, so that you can think clearly enough to keep things in perspective and use coping mechanisms. If you think you can just sit back and wait for the medicine to do everything, you will be disappointed. There is help for depression, and people should not be scared to try medication if nothing else is working. I personally know that antidepressants have saved lives.
Scientology drug coctails (massive doses of vitamins and Niacin) cost their prey thousands of dollars for the fraud. It costs many others their lives.
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What a bunch of sadly ill-informed people. Statistically, the number one cure for major depressive episodes is talk therapy and medication.
Yes, some doctors are quick to prescribe a pill and be done with you, but any knowledgeable and responsible doctor will be sure to send you to a therapist as well. The chance to feel better is far more succesful for most people with the addition of anti-depressants.
I agree with the person who said if you have not taken anti-dpressants before you don't know what you are talking about.
Tom Cruise is entitled to his ridiculous opinions and so are all of you, but speak from facts not fiction and you will be more believable.
SSRI's (If you don';t know what this stands for than stay out this discusssion) and SSNRI's have saved millions of depressed people from a life of constant turmoil and they prevent suicide everyday.
All you judgemental, naive people should just keep your narrow minded opinions to your self unless you actually know what you are talking about.
I hope to God none of you actually become CLINICALLY depressed and shun anti-depressants because you will likely shun your own cure.
Tom Cruise has lost his marbles. How dare he presume to comment on someone else's medical condition, prescription, and treatment?! He is an actor, not a doctor. Whew he's going down the road to eccentricity fast.
Tom is very passionate. He knows people as do I who were duped by doctors and psychiatrists into thinking that an addictive mind altering substance will cure their ills. It only masks the inner problems. Paxil, Xanax, Prozac, pot, heroin, cocaine, meth, ritalin are all addictive... all do something to mind and brain which is probably irreversible. Here!! Here!! Tom!!
Before criticizing the use of any medication one should be knowledgeable of the facts. Medications such as Paxil and Prozac are NOT 'mind altering drugs'. People should not be prescribed these medications (or any other) unless they need them and should stay on them only as long as they need them to function. Every person is different and no one, especially a person that has never had any pharmachology training, should comment on someone else's medical care. This could be seen as practicing medicine without a license in some instances. I hope that Tom Cruise never experiences the horror of clinical depression. I admire Brooke Shields for wanting to be the best mother that she can be for her children. If people want to cite research, they need to also cite their sources.
TOM CRUISE can jump on Oprah's Couch all he wants to and tame any woman he wants to, however, until he has depression, and has to deal with it, he better stay shut. It is a very hard, undealable situation. Brooke you should proud and keep moving forward. I am very proud of you. I know what you were going through. How can he even judge.
Wait, lets date a young girl and all of probs goooooooooo away. I can still not express my angrer. Dont force drugs, but if an adult feel it is working, sooooooo be it!!!!!!!!!!
Who the hell does Tom Cruise think he is?
Here's a woman talking openly about her postnatal depression and drugintake.
How brave!
Who the hell is Tom Cruise.. a man who doesn't know what it's like to give birth ,
second:not in a relationship with her so what's it of his bussiness,
third:apparently not being able to produce biological offspring to begin with himself so who is he to judge with his scientology babble?
Let him take some vitamines himself ,the arrogant bastard,in order to heal his sterile way .Let the men shut the hell up!
I worked in a psychiatric hospital and it is pretty obvious that anti-depressants ARE mind-altering drugs. They definitely make some people feel better on a temporary basis. And people often have bad reactions. Drugs are like that whether they are legal or illegal. Most of us figured this out in college. Here's what you do. Go out to a major university and check out some of the published research behind Prozac, Paxil, etc.. Don't worry - you don't have to be a med student to follow along what they did and their conclusions. It's crap! Take any leading society in the physical sciences and give them editorial control over a psychiatric journal and nothing would ever get published! It's just horrible science! The 'emperor' has no clothes! 'Chemical Imbalance'? - oh, my God, somebody please refer me to the study that proved 'chemical imbalance' causes depression! Yeah, they know that drug X will slow you down or drug Y will make you feel this way or that, but, please don't tell me they're addressing anyone's mental state or the actual reason's behind it in any significant way. Tom Cruise can take his vitties and Brooke Shields can take whatever pills she wants, but for sure 1. the pills are there because there is a multi-billion dollar industry behind it, not because there is any real high quality science behind it; 2. those pills will never give her any insight into what is really going on that is causing her to be depressed. Hey, is your car coughing, sputtering and backfiring? Hmmm, sounds like MMDD (Mechanical Metabolism Deficit Disorder). Fill up the gas tank with Elmers glue and that car will roll just fine on the downhills and give you no troubles at all.
Perhaps Tom Cruise can be there when people like Andrea Yates kill their children because they do not take any medication for their problems, too. Thanks, Tom, but no thanks.
There is a clear difference between post partem blues and clinical depression resulting from pregnancy and childbirth. I experienced the blues with the birth of my first child, but with the second and third, a devastating depression which only worsened with the third pregnancy. I was not just depressed, but wanted to leave my husband and children. I took vitamins, tried exercise, and went to a wonderful therapist, but my depression worsened to the point I had thoughts of suicide. At that point, I was prescribed Zoloft, which combined with exercise, vitamins, proper nutrition and rest helped me back on the road to finding myself again.
There are scientific studies which prove when certain chemicals in the brain are sharply decreased, the individual suffers extreme depression, which leaves women with a shattered and battered sense of self and certainly takes away the confidence of Motherhood.
Depression can not always be treated with vitamins and proper nutrtion. People all react differently to medications. What may not be appropriate for some may just be what saves another. Each condition is unique and cannot just be categorized under Post Partem blues or depression. It's not the same for any woman, but the one common thread is the feeling of falling into a bottomless pit with no hope of getting out.
Mr. Cruise is a very talented actor, but basically just a guy with an opinion who truly hasn't walked in anyone else's shoes. His judgement of Brooke Shields is just that...a judgement. Is Mr. Cruise really happy? One wonders when he so easily is able to cast judgement on others.
Thanks you CEM. Very well said!
I suffered from postpartum depression and an anti-depressant, therapy and exercise saved my life. Brooke Shields had courage to come out and bring this little discussed illness out in the open. How dare that idiot Tom Cruise judge any woman who has experienced the horror of having intrusive thoughts that she may harm her child. Brooke is lucky she survived this experience and lived to tell about it. By the way, isn't Brooke the one that graduated from an Ivy League University? And after Tom's performance of the Oprah show, just where is his career going? He seemed a little manic to me.
Anti-depressants do not just work for a 'very few' lucky people. They correct chemical imbalances that cause depression and allow MANY, MANY people to live normal lives. A friend of mine who is a pharmacist says that prozac is a miracle drug. I agree. I'm here today because of it.
I can sum this up in a few sentences. Tom Cruise is an asshole. Until he has endured pregnancy, childbirth and post-partum depression, he has absolutely no business commenting on Brooke Shields. Same goes for all of you joining Tom in his view. There is absolutely nothing wrong with Brooke sharing her own experience.
Well isn't Mr Cruise sitting on top of the world?! We all know there's only one place to go once you have reached the top… and shooting one's mouth off while putting someone as lovable as Brooke Shields down for her beliefs is quite dangerous.
Tom better be careful, his million dollar smile isn't buying my vote… Brooke just needs to hold her head up high and consider the source.
Cruise is just full of himself. I mean - come on! Does anyone really think he is truly happy? His interviews lately just come off as this vain ass, playing to the camera.
Tom is love with himself and Brooke doesn't even need to make comment.
In January 2004, I had to deliver my 17 week fetus because she had died in Utero. After 12 hours of labor, and agony, to give birth to a dead child that took years to conceive, I held my baby girl in my arms to bid her a fairwell. I was very sick for those 17 weeks, dehydrated, and put on I.V. nutrition for my own survival. Unfortunately, my baby died. As many can understand, I went into a deep depression, some would say post partum depression. I ended up taking anti-depressents for 6 weeks. After 6 weeks, I stopped because I wanted to try to get pregnant again. However, I would not have survived those 6 weeks without medication as a combo with counceling. Since then, I recently, again in Januare a year later after my loss, gave birth to another daughter, however, a healthy live beautiful baby! This time around, I only felt joy and did not need medication.
As far as Tom Cruise, he should not speak about a situation he could never possibly understand! Brooke shields could have hurt herself,or far worse, her daughter without the assistance of medication.
I strongly believe that some people truly do need these medications for survival. However, they should only be used short term coupled with medical supervision. Nutrition, vitamins, and excercise can all be added to that, because they help make anyone feel good!
Whether antidepressants are 'right' or not, who is he to say a thing about shields. we all make choices and decisions and no one, not even the Pope, has the right to judge. in my personal opinion, people who arent doctors (re: cruise) should take their amazing non-religion (re: scientology) and shove it. People who get into this scientology become geniuses overnight about everything. Too bad he hasnt learned how to come out of the closet yet.
oh, and just for the record; after 22 years of psychological and physical abuse from my parents, I finally broke down. Prozac and counseling therapy for a whopping total of six months changed my entire life around. three years later I am healthier than I have ever been in my entire life.
speaking as a registered nurse and a mother of two grown childre, i suffered from post partum psychosis...had i not been encouraged by my family to seek medical treatment, i doubt i would be around today. suicide was always on my mind and i could not take care of my children.
i am also manic depressive whose reaction to lithium those many years ago was a sure siggn of a biochemical problem. i am off the lithium, but aking medication still. i enjoyed my children's lives thanks to caring doctors. are there side effects...yes. there are side effects to 'natural' cures, too. did you know that woodbark breaks down into caffeine? check your pharmocology. also, why is taking something'natural' not the same as taking a manufactured drug? the 'natural substitution' you take is not something you would normally take.
let tom cruise get pregnant, go through a pregnancy, give birth and suffer post partum depression or psychosis and then let him tell me all that he knows.
how dependent is he on scientology? did it save his marriage to nichole kidman? does he sleep with women apart from marriage? what did he or scientology teach his children about commitment to a marriage relationship? he is 'in love' with ms. holmes...wasn't he 'in love'with ms. kidman or ms. cruz. what if his children vehemently oppose scientology at some point? i don't believe mr. cruise knows what commitment means nor does he know what postpartum depression means.
mr. cruise, experiment...have yourself shot up with tons, and i mean tons, of female hormones or even tons of testosterone...tell me what it is like when it is over. tell me if scientology helped you 'come off' or deal with the effects these natural side effects of pregnancy have on many women.
doesn't sound like scientology is teaching you 'tolerance', mr. cruise...something so popular in hollywood these days...
Mr. Cruise.......
Stick to acting...it is the only thing you are half-way good at. You are definitely not aware of how women feel after having children....because you HAVE NONE WITH WOMEN OF YOUR OWN. You definitely HAVE NO CLUE how to keep a woman because you have been married and dated so many times. Stick with what you know....and we all know it is not medicine.
Considering the fact that Tom is jumping around on couches and acting like he has lost his mind I believe HE may want to look into getting himself some medication, OR start taking some vitamins and exercising as he is preaching for others to do. The man needs to do something I believe he has finally flipped his ever-loving lid. And who is he to talk about Brooke's career? He's hanging by a thread.
ileft out one very important thing...i am praying for katie holmes...please, God...don't let her get pregnant...any mood swings during pregnancy will be severely 'frowned upon', and heaven (or l. ron hubbard) only knows how tom cruise will treat her should she experience the tiniest bit of emotionality or depression post partum....or any time in her life.
i think the difference would be that a woman would be more likely to be caring and underestanding than a man.
and finally, i don't generally follow 'hollywood' information, but this topic blew me away. tom, you don't mind if i call you tom, do you....i don't know you very well...i don't think you know ms. shields very well either, how can you possibly be so unkind as to make remarks about someone who has been struggling with somehing about which you know nothing? if this is the kind of 'kindness' and 'positive' thinking and attitude scientology promotes...i think people should be a little frightened of your group...watch it a little bit more closely, investigate before considering 'joining' and...watch out when scientology groups start purchasing large amounts of Kool-Aid.....
You can take your support of and Tom Cruise and stick them both up your brown eye. As a husband of a woman with such sever depression that she doesn't respond to medication at times where she needs to have ECT (as she did today) to prevent her from harming her self, I can tell all you Tom Cruise believers that your all full of shit. How dare he critize someone for promoting potential cures or aids and people who have actually experienced it when he's had none. I swear to God that these Scientoligist are a bunch of freaking wacho cultists and I think you all are a bunch of nuts that do more harm than good.
Good for you for finding 'something' to believe in and help guide your life, but how dare they speak out about subjects they know nothing about esp. when you have high profile people like Cruise spouting off to young impressionable youth who's very live's could be saved with medication and counciling.
What nerve to say vitamins are better off.
By the way Tom, do you drink coffee, cola, smoke, etc? Those are mind altering also.
Tell you what, I hope you or someone close to gets to experience what real depression is and then you tell me that a One A Day kept you out of the Emergency Room.
I agree with lisa, he should stick to acting.He is not a women and never will be and he has no idea what a female goes through during and after birth so shut up tom cruise and realize that brooke shields knows what kind of help she needs ,not you , you go finish playing daycare with your girlfriend(katie holmes is a beautiful actor and you tom are just plain critical) and maybe brooke shields is happy with the way her life is going and you are probably the one that is not.
OK, Tom believes that he's derived from Aliens, and we're supposed to listen to him harp about Brooke's psy-drug problem? Yikes.
Tom Cruise is an idiot. His 'religion' has let children die that could have received help through medical help and treatment. His English and grammar are atrocious. He needs to 'Shut Up'. He has no clue what a woman in postpartum depression goes through. Ms. Shields did not ask for his opinion nor seek his advice. As for career problems, both of his ex-wives are far superior actors than he will ever be. His movies must involve action and/or sex. He has no range. I think his search for a younger and younger woman is also a search for someone who is below his intelligence level and doesn't infringe on his 'famous' act. Shut up, Tom. You look better with your mouth closed and your clothes off. We don't care what you think. Brooke is a graduate of Princeton, did you even graduate from high school?
jillian,
Have you ever wanted to end your life? Have you ever been scared to be alone because of what you might do? Have those thoughts terrified you so much that you couldn't function? Until you have do not judge. Your comments could have shamed someone into not taking medication and ending their lives! I have been battling depression for nine years. Exercise, therapy, vitamins, diet...They did not help. Medication finally did! I have just wasted 9 years of my life. And this is bad how? Is it bad that I am finally making relationships, taking risks, being creative, enjoying my family? Do any 'street drugs' have these side effects? If there are sign me up! For now I will stick with my perscription meds.
I commend you that you did not take medications during your trying time in the hospital...But I would guess that you were not in a deep clinical depression. Because if you were there is no way out. It is dark and terrifying.
Don't judge my decision and I will not judge yours.
Joan, I have been there, too. Thanks so much for telling it like it is. I couldn't have said it better myself! Take care and God Bless!
I would just like to repeat what Brooke said;
Tom Cruise, mind your own business!
-even if you were under the influence of drugs or alcohol when you made the comments.
Maybe you meant that medication was never going to help the 'brainwash disorder' that you have. In time(hopefully) you will realize that you have indeed been sucked into a money-spinning sect and that you have been very foolish. Your biggest mistake in life is to have gotten involved in scientology. Why can't you just do the right thing and say the right things and then you won't have to go to church to wash away your sins every week. The world is tiring of people like you. Just be good and relax. Live life to the full. You and I know only know of this life. Nobody and I repeat nobody has ever been to the other side and come back. If I were you, I would be giving Brooke an apology. Why don't you try and help people like her rather than criticize them?
At least this is the image you have fought so hard to portray. I would like to help you Tom by saying - keep trying and never give up. You will become a very good person if you really want to be. I say, give it your best shot in this life because we may never get another chance.
I've gotten bad vibes from Tom Cruise for years now, and now this? I'm actually embarassed for him, touting vitamins as a means to deal with severe postpartum depression and criticizing the use of anti-depressants that have helped so many people. Yes there are risks associated with them but that is true of all medications. The Pill for example has fatal blood clotting as a possible side effect.
I suffered from post-partum depression after my first baby was born and didn't do anything about it other than talk it over with my husband. I was miserable. I loved my baby yet at the same time couldn't bond with him and had intrusive, repetitive violent thoughts. It took me at least 9 months to begin to bond. With the second I took Zoloft as soon as he was born. It was a completely different experience. I spent hours gazing into my baby's eyes :) I took it for about three months but probably should have taken it a bit longer. With my third, I began taking Paxil during my eighth month of pregnancy when my depression got so bad I was snapping at my older children and was just miserable. Repetitive thoughts of suicide, etc. Feelings that aren't normal for me. About a week into taking it my oldest child said, 'Mommy you're happy!' That sealed the deal for me. My body just doesn't cope with the lurching hormones associated with pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding as well as those of other women. I'm on a very small daily dose of Zoloft at the moment and it's enough for me to feel happy at the appropriate times, yet I still was very cranky a couple of days ago when I was PMS'ing, and also consumed way too much chocolate ;)
Any medicine whether it's Tylenol or Ritalin needs to be carefully assessed for side effects. Yet all can be extremely effective at treating what they are intended for and have helped countless people. I am so blessed being alive in a time where disorders such as postpartum depression and premenstrual dysmorphic disorder are both recognized and treated.
Would people deny medication to people with diabetes, high blood pressure or
any other illness? I think not, unless you've experienced the devastion of depression, you don't know what you're talking about...If a person could
'SNAP' out of it, don't you think they would, ridiculous question!!!!
Mr. Cruise is a member of a religion founded by a science-fiction author!!!
Give me a huge break and also give me his vitamins!!!!!! Wow is he high or what!!!! We are all entitled to our opinions, but not at anothers expense,
have a little tact, Mr. Cruise, you're rude!!!
OOPS, faux paus, the scientology crowd doesn't believe in medication, they let the aliens cure them......good luck to you all.......hint, I think they are a
C-U-L-T!?
I'm sure there are many things people could criticize about Tom Cruise's life.
Obviously he knows nothing about anti-depressants. Perhaps if he did, he would seek help regarding his mid-life crisis.
About the comment that the psychiatric drugs are legally tested --
Most people don't know the nature of this testing. Take 100 test subjects. Give them a psychiatric drug. Ok, 28 of them become suicidal the first week. Ten of those are plotting the murder of their family members. Remove those subjects from the test group. Now you've got only 62 test subjects. Fifteen of them develop some serious reaction during the course of the test - say, erratic heart beats. Remove those from the test. Now you've got 47 test subjects.
You finish off the test with just 47 subjects - you can therefore state that no one who completed the course of the testing had any suicidal or homicidal problems, and you don't have to mention that 'little' side effect in the test results.
This is honestly how it works. Take a good look at the insert that comes in your next medicine bottle. They only report the side effects of those WHO COMPLETE THE COURSE OF THE STUDY and they REMOVE THE PEOPLE WITH SERIOUS COMPLICATIONS FROM THE STUDY BEFORE IT IS COMPLETE.
Now, these psychiatric drugs - Prozac, Luvox, Effexor, etc. - are most dangerous and the BEGINNING and WHEN GOING OFF THEM. So they remove people who have problems at the beginning of the test - AND THEY DON'T HAVE THE PEOPLE GO OFF THEM DURING THE TEST!!!!
Luvox - given to many children in the US - is now illegal in England because it makes people - including children - suicidal and homicidal.
Take a look at the school shootings. MOST of the murderers were either on or just gotten off these drugs. (Don't think it's the 'oh he is not taking his medication, that's the problem' - because the psychiatrists say 90% of the people who need them aren't medicated - but the 'unmedicated' children aren't going around shooting people, are they?)
These drugs are very, very, very dangerous. Effexor is a real witch to get off of, extremely addictive, with horrible effects upon withdrawal. I know women who are pregnant, and trying to get off it so their newborn babies won't have to suffer withdrawal - but they can't do it. That's one of the drugs Andrea Yates was dealing with when she drowned her 5 kids.
These things make people crazy. All you have to do is do the research.
I, too, have suffered post-partum depression, but Prozac is NOT a cure. It simply masks the underlying physical condition causing the depression.
How dare any of you judge anothers choice to use prescription medication. Would you tell a diabetic not to take insulin because it doesnt cure diabetes? Would you tell a patient with high blood pressure not to take medicine because its not a cure? So what makes a mental illness any different from a physical illness? Why don't you go educate yourself before you start making uninformed statements. Just because Tom Cruise says it, that doesnt make it law. I almost took my life and antidepressants have been an integral part of my recovery, coupled with diet, excercise, and my spiritual life. So don't you dare make any judgements about my decision. Lets hope the day doesnt have to come when you have a member of your family on their death bed and theyre only hope is prescription medication. Get educated, then come back and make a statement!
Jamnurse, it seems (from the messages I checked) that most of the people who've commented in this thread are in agreement with you. I read very few comments from people who were jumping onboard with Tom Cruise's 'no prescription medications' comments. There are several people who contributed comments based on their own personal experience that vitamins, hormones, etc. have been quite effective in helping them deal with forms of depression.
I agree with you that it'd be absurd for anybody to follow Cruise's lead on this 'no pharmaceutical drugs for women dealing with postpartum depression' thing, but I don't see anybody here following Cruise's lead.
I just wanted to thank Sue for being the voice of reason on this issue. Anti-depressents can really make all the difference for a person who struggles with debilitating depression. And unless you have lived through the feelings that come with a chemical imbalance ....you just don't know how you would react or what methods you might take to be WELL again. It is a matter of health. It saddens me that the negative stigma usually attached to depression is also attached to the medications that can really make all the positive difference in a person's life. Maybe herbs will work for some, but they also have side effects. Maybe therapy, alterations in nutrition, and increased excercise will help. But, it is up to the individual to seek help and decide what is best for them.
Who would take advice from someone who devotes his life to aliens????????
Tom Cruise needs to educate himself. Then he will be eating not only his words but also his stupid beliefs. Katie Holmes is young and Tom knows he can mould her. He couldn't mould Nicole anymore. Nicole wisened up and rebelled, hence briging about the end of their marriage - which could have been saved if Tom had stopped thinking about himself and his fame and his career. Brooke Shields has been an inspiring role model over the years. I grew up reading about her and seeing her grace thousands of magazines. She has always been cheerful and courteous towards the media (and everyone knows by now that that can be very hard). She is someone that millions of women in my generation have looked up to. Tom Cruise has not been around for as long as she has - in showbiz. She has lasted and therefore she has nothing to be disappointed about (referring to Tom's comment that she may not be happy). If only he could have a kid that is really his, Tom would realize that his harsh words to Brooke were really stupid not to mention downright rude.
Brooke Shields went to university and got herself a degree. Not many people who already have lots of money would bother to do that. It says a lot about the great person that she is. It speaks for her intelligence and independence. Tom Cruise has nothing to fall back on if he stopped getting parts in movies. To tell you the truth, I don't know what all the fuss is about when I see him star in a movie. A famous actor once said that a good actor was a good liar.
Should we be putting Tom Cruise on a pedestal any longer?
The drug that Brooke is on, and wrote her book about, is under heavy scrutiny at the moment due to suicidal problems in people taking it. I don't blame Cruise for speaking out. I know a woman who started an SSRI, for weight loss, NOT mental problems. She had no history of mental problems or depression whatsoever. Within one week, she had begun to plot the murder of her entire family, and her own suicide - I mean, she was buying the equipment she needed to pull this off. When her family realized what was going on, they got her off the drug immediately, and she went back to her normal healthy, happy self.
Here is some data about Paxil, the drug Brooke is pushing to treat post-partum depression.
http://www.adrugrecall.com/paxil/suicide.html
'Since this drug was approved for use in the United States, hundreds of reports of Paxil suicide attempts and actual suicides have surfaced in patient cases all over the world. There have been several studies that have found that Paxil suicide risks are double, or even quadruple, for patients taking this medication. Despite a growing body of evidence which suggests that Paxil is unsafe for adults and children, the FDA and GlaxoSmithKline consistently adhere to the false claim their Paxil suicide risks are not significant enough to warrant action that would protect consumers.
A British Paxil suicide study conducted in 2004 found that patients taking Paxil were four times more likely to develop Paxil suicide behaviors compared to trial participants who had not taken this dangerous SSRI antidepressant. Researchers found that a patient's Paxil suicide risks are greatest within the first week to ten days of treatment and again when a patient terminates their treatment.
Several Paxil suicide studies have found that Paxil suicide risks are greatest for children who take this prescription drug. A GlaxoSmithKline sponsored clinical trial found that children who began Paxil treatment often went through 'hellish ordeals of out of control behavior, suicide threats, hallucinations, and hospitalization.' The FDA has stated that more than 110 American children have already committed a successful Paxil suicide attempt. '
http://www.adrugrecall.com/paxil/suicide.html
I suffered post-partum depression, so understand that I know what it is like. It's hell. Adding a drug that has - as a side effect - suicidal ideation is NOT a good idea.
Handling the hormonal imbalances in the body is a much better solution. Getting the mother enough help so she can adequately rest is a good idea. Getting her really high-quality nutrition is a good idea. Giving her a drug that makes her want to kill herself is NOT.
Oh yes everyone. Isn't it so convenient when men, which it usually always is, unless it's some brainwashed, Stepford wife, Republican bitch, are always trying to tell women what they should, or shouldn't do with THEIR bodies.
This all coming from a closet case, supposebly 'impotent' (back to the closet case thing again) guy who has had contractual agreements with every hollywood wife to conceal his homosexuality. This coming from a guy who believes in a religion about space aliens, that was concocted by a drug addict, who used sexual blackmail against his followers, and duped people out of millions upon millions of dollars. This coming from a guy who went on National television and made a COMPLETE ASSHOLE out of himself on Oprah declaring his 'love' for a girl he's known three weeks. Which in actuality was the most desperate, sickening display of closet caseness I've ever seen in my life. So who needs the drugs, Brooke, or Tom?
Ummmmmmmm, I'm not even going to justify that question with an answer. I think Tom Cruise is as messed up as Michael Jackasson, if not more.
Let me ask this, if Tom's dear, loved Katie got depressed after having their child, what would he do? Make her take a One a Day? Say you will get over it. Go exercise. Go run bitch? It will make you feel better? What did Nicole do? It was never said, did she go against his religion?
Let me tell you, if you have panick attacks, depression or something else that controls you, and I mean controls, what should you do. Go seek religion. I am religious, however, I have seen grown men go off their meds, and end up in the County Hospital. They thought they didnt need their meds cause they were feeling well. Let me tell you, after being off their meds for a few days, they were not well. They were trying to commit suicide. It was awful.
Tom doesnt want anyone judging his relationship with Kaite, (not to mention her Herpes on her lips) , so HOW DARE HE JUDGE A WOMAN (BROOKE) what she needed to do in her own life. I think he is a pompus jerk. Again, did anyone mention Katie has herpies on her lips--- oh I mean an out break because of nerves. Which can be transferred to the privates during oral. Opps anyways
Meds are needed many times, to eah their own.
Hey last poster! You're medicine you're defining isn't working if you're comparing Tom Cruise to Micheal Jackson. There's NO comparison AT ALL. And I think you should read the posts on this board of all the serious side effects and suicidal tendancies caused by anti-depressants!
Brooke is currently 'weaning' herself off medication to get pregnant again! If it's not dangerous, why can't she take it while pregnant? And, this means she is promoting pills that can harm unborn babies, to millions of women who are HAVING BABIES! Most women will want to have MORE CHILDREN. (Brooke is!) What about unplanned and partially planned pregnancies?
And she has to WEAN herself off the medication because its ADDICTING. Is she right for doing this?
FOR THOSE OF YOU COMMENTING. BROOKE WROTE A BOOK PROMOTING PAXIL. LOTS OF PEOPLE DON'T THINK IT SHOULD BE PROMOTED. IT'S DANGEROUS TO UNBORN CHILDREN WHILE PREGNANT.
The drugs you are defending aren't working. Your post makes you sound like you're in active psychosis. I think you should call a doctor and try something else!
because meds save lives. Heart patients take meds, diabiete patients take meds, liver patients take meds, high blood pressure patients take meds-- so people with mental health problems should not take meds? that is obsurd
Tom Cruise is using Brooke Shield's name to make a statement for his cult called Scientology. The truth of the matter is Scientology is worse than any drug Brooke Shields is or was taking.Not to mention very expensive. I know people who are bankrupt because of this 'habit' and the 'church' wouldn't let them leave when they wanted out either. How's that for an addiction ?
Perhaps Ms.Shields is vulnerable right now and Tom Cruise is making this an avenue to help lure interest to his cult's beliefs by making such a rude remark in public. Tom Cruise Owes Brooke Shields an apology. He should also keep his big pie hole shut.
When Tom is able to conceive a child and go through all of the hormonal changes the female body goes through, then let him tell Brooke Shields how to deal with her postpartum depression. Mine was very mild (I was lucky) but 19 yrs later I still remember sitting at the table cying my eyes out and not knowing why. My husband looked at me and asked 'is this that postpartum depression?...does it hurt?' All I could do was shake my head no. His response - 'I'm so glad I'm not a woman'. Too bad God doesn't have a Hollywood sense of humor, if he did Tom Cruise would be pregnant - unfortunately the most we can hope for is that he suffers from andropause. We women can only hope that if he does, he gets really big man-boobs, and gets really weepy, the best would be the hot flashes (though I'm not sure men suffering andropause get hot flashes).
I have never heard of this religion that tom cruise is talking about.What kind of religion is it? I also did not know that tom gave birth to a child himself and went through post pardum depression? Is he secretly a women? It sounds like he thinks he is, cause he is talking like he he knows what it is like to have children and go through post pardum depression. Tom cruise should stick to being a male not pretending to be female and worry about what men go through, like his mid life crisis and grey hair that he will get one day and wrinkle cream.
To the poster commenting on Paxil being dangerous to unborn babies...Did you know you shouldn't take ibuprofen during pregnancy?...use spray paint, clean the cat box, get xrays or eat rare meat? You shouldn't take a lot of cough and cold remedies, either. There are tons of herbal you remedies you shouldn't try if pregnant. ANYTHING you put into your body could have the potential to harm an unborn baby. Does that mean we stop having babies? NO! She is going off medication to make sure the baby will be as healthy as possible. She's not promoting Paxil to pregnant women. Her book is about POST-Partum depression. (POST, meaning AFTER, in case you were confused). There are many drugs that don't cross the placenta. I don't know about Paxil, but the leaflet states the patient should discuss with their doctor the risks and benefits of taking while pregnant. It seems that because we're discussing depression and the medications associated with it, people tend to adhere to that old stigma and somehow place the blame on the person suffering from this horrible illness.
Tom Cruise is not only incredibly rude for negatively commenting on Brook Shields’ career, he is also out-of-line for publicly criticizing her choice of treatment for post-partum depression. He will never feel such naturally induced mood changes caused by a woman’s hormones after her body has gone through such an incredible feat. He will never know what it’s like to suffer post-partum depression and attempt to care for an infant at the same time. It is arrogant and insensitive of him to assume that treatment for any kind of depression is as black and white as he implies. Sometimes the natural remedies aren’t enough to get over that hump. For the sake of the infant needing nurturing, she probably did the right thing. That doesn’t mean it’s the right thing for every woman suffering from post-partum depression. There are varying degrees of severity and each case is to be handled individually. The important thing is to recognize it and to do something about it so that mother and child can bond, and that is an essential first step toward child development.
As both a mother who suffered from post partum depression AND a pharmacist, I believe I can speak with some experience on this subject. Paxil is an FDA approved medication for use in depression, not weight loss. If a medication is prescribed and used per FDA recommendations, it is usually very safe, i.e. it has gone through extensive studies to prove efficacy and safety. On the other hand, you have herbal supplements and what Cruise is calling 'vitamins', very few of which have undergone FDA scrutiny. Hence, there have been NO studies to prove efficacy, side effects, etc. Many, many herbals and supplements have been taken off the market due to severe side effects, that if were tested, would not have been allowed on the market in the first place. The so called 'natural' alternative to Paxil has already been removed from the market. I personally have known many patients who have had to have liver transplants secondary to taking herbal remedies that destroyed their liver. The reason that there is so much information on the side effects of Paxil is that it was scientifically studied. There are a lot more people who commit suicide who do not take antidepressants than who do. What is the cause of their suicide? There are so many variables, that it is impossible to tell, but actually the lack of an antidepressant is a valid explanation. Also, remember that the makers of 'natural' substances can make any claim they want on their bottle whether it is true or not. Many claim to be scientifically tested, but ask the company for a copy of their studies and see what kind of 'credible' information you get, if any. Remember, hemp is a natural substance that also happens to destroy brain cells when smoked. I'm not saying all prescription drugs are completely safe, but I would rather take an FDA tested and approved drug than one that is completely unregulated. Finally, Cruise definitely owes Shields an apology for many of the remarks he made about her. It is unfortunate that he appears to have such a closed mind and it just makes him look bad. What idiot who obviously has no experience on the subject would make a comment like that? Evidentally, his ego, religion, and 'star' power qualify him as an 'expert' in his distorted world. And one last question...what the hell was he taking when he appeared on Oprah!!!???
Well.. the evidence speaks for itself:
'A British Paxil suicide study conducted in 2004 found that patients taking Paxil were four times more likely to develop Paxil suicide behaviors compared to trial participants who had not taken this dangerous SSRI antidepressant. Researchers found that a patient's Paxil suicide risks are greatest within the first week to ten days of treatment and again when a patient terminates their treatment.'
But hey, if Brooke thinks women should take it, more power to her for pushing it.
I simply think EVERYONE who is thinking about taking Paxil should study up on it - thoroughly - first.
Do we know who conducted this study and who is backing it?
First, as a scientist, the wife of a scientist, and the sister-in-law of a nationally known scientist, I'd like to know what package insert happymommy was reading from. (The one that tossed all the negative information outleaving in only the glowing report). Sure, there is some bad science out there . . . as well as bad mythology and herbology. As a person who has suffered off and on from depression, I have read a lot of package inserts. In fact when I pick up a perscription I insist on getting one. Why? Because, unfortunately, I can't take SSRIs or several other medications that most people consider run-of-the-mill. I wish I could but like the PACKAGE INSERT states, a certain percentage of people have the opposite reaction (end up more anxious than less anxious) when taking an SSRI. Yes, I am probably one of those people who would become more suicidal; however, the scientist in me can read the research and determine that they help more people become better. Many drugs react differently in different people. I know tons of people who are up bouncing off the walls all night from taking Nyquel (basically a cough syrup!)and yeap, that is one of the side effects listed on the bottle. I am deathly allergic to anithistamines. Sounds crazy, but if I break out in hives it is clearly in all my health records and known by all my family members and in BIG print in my wallet and on a rather ugly, and unfachionable braclet that I have opposite and possibly deathly reactions to antihistamines - does that mean they should be off the market for all those allergy sufferers out there? I also break out in hives from more than 10 minutes exposure to direct sunlight or from cold below 20 degrees. Clearly, my body has some strange chemical things going on inside it because I am really out of the norm. We all have different bodies and have the potential to react different ways to a drug. I have learned that the hard way several times and sadly, I have to live without meds most people take without even giving it a second thought. The minute I realized that I was in the percentage of people with bad reactions to SSRIs (I read the insert and looked over the side effect carefully before I took it to make sure it had no antihistamine properties - anitdepressents from the old days like Elavil do and so does Zantac for those indigestion sufferers out there) I called my psychiatrist who called me back in 10 minutes, made sure I was okay and was with people I could trust. He then changed me to another medication that was NOT an SSRI - there are other medications out there for depression and anxiety. And changed my next appointment with him so that I was in his office right away (I might add that his call came in on my cell phone while I was in a counseling session with my therapist - I warned her ahead of time that I had left him a message.) I did not walk into the treatment of depression without having considered who I needed on my team (psychiatrist, therapist, supportive friends, family.) Anyone suffering from depression needs to make sure they have a team with them and if you are the parent of a child suffering depression, you need to make sure they have that team too (you may have to put it together) and watch the depressed person closely for signs of negative side effects (they are on the insert and everytime they advertise a drug on TV they read off such a long litany of side effects that you wonder who in the world would consider taking it and, yes, I have heard them read the list for zoloft too. (And they did mention increased anxiety because I was listening specifically for that.)
Second, what Brooke Shields did took guts. She told HER story. She did not tell anyone that it had to be THEIR story. If you suffer from depression, OCD, and many other mental illnesses, you learn to hide it as best as you can. And why is that? Because people who haven't been there just tell you to, 'Snap out of it.' Remind you how good your life is. Tell you how blessed you are and act like you are ungrateful. Believe me, I have tried all those things and end up feeling more depressed and guilty for 'letting depression get in the way' of being a thankful and joyous person (Guess what that does? Makes you more depressed). Oh, did I fail to mention that my father was a very conservative minister who stood by my mother years ago when there were few medications to help with depression and he thanked God when there were medications that could help my sister when she got OCD. I learned through him what a real man is. It is someone who honors his vows. Who stands by you in good times and lots of bad ones. It is someone who quietly and without fanfare keeps his word and love intact. And it is not someone like Cruise who has trouble with his word and comments on a person he treats like a 'fallen angel' whose shoes he has never been in and tries to make her feel like a failure. How cruel. How heartless. How childish. (Cruise may be a grown man but he has no honor about him)
Third, as far as mental illness goes I know a couple of things: First, when did my head detach itself from my body so that whatever is going wrong in my brain is not physical (like heart disease)? Isn't my brain a physical part of my body or does something happen at my neck that I am unaware of? I don't go out and choose to have a 'physical illness' cancer for instance but when the problem is that something is not functioning correctly in my brain, it is 'mental illness' like someting I chose to make my head do and, therefore, it is shameful, Mental illness should not be something to be ashamed of so my hat is off to Brooke for talking about it and setting herself up for comments from buffoons like Cruise. She is braver than a whole lot of people and maybe she decided that telling her story and being ridiculed by some was more important than a Hollywood career - BRAVO! Second, although research on mental illness is making headway, it is light years away from where we are with things like heart disease (let me add here that people on heart meds are routinely checked for any liver damage so it isn't just a side effect of SSRIs and stop for a moment to consider the ravaging effects of radiation and chemo-therapy - yet few choose to throw in the towel and not try). In many instances, we now KNOW what it is that causes heart disease. In my father's case it was lipids that were too small and therefore stuck together. Using a very specialized blood test from Berkley, his doctors could tell him that it was hereditary and that diet and exercise were certainly things he should be paying close attention to but that it would take a combination of medications to really correct his problem. By heavens, I wish we could look at depression - look at the brain, its chemicals, how it functions, and put our finger right on what is causing the problem and fix it either with some sort of surgery or medication just like the doctors could do for my dad. Sorrowfully we are not there yet. Unfortunately if you look at my family tree, you can pretty easily trace anxiety and depression back over a hundred years so maybe it is hereditary (like some forms of cancer). I hope by the time my children are older there will be better medications and treatments available; but for now we have what we have and we have to be our own educators and/or advocates (or have a friend or family member who will be that if we are not strong enough.) And what does that mean? It means that doctors are not gods, and all doctors are not good. You have the right to ask them question after question. You have the right to call them and expect them to call you back. You have the right to insist that they are very educated on what their plan for you (your loved one) is AND if your doctor won't give you that time, won't answer the questions, acts like you are a bother - doesn't take your very serious concern seriously - then you say - 'thank you very much' and go find another one.
But as for Cruise, he is what he is. A person with influence who chose to throw out a non-medical opinion without knowing the medical condition of the person he was speaking of. Worse yet, he chose to critize her career (that was just snide) and question her true happiness. And coming from a man who is acting like a 12 year-old (my apologies to all 12-year-old males - by 2 my brother knew that you did not jump on the furniture at your own house let alone in anyone else's place of business), in love and is spouting his 'happiness' all over the media, critically questioning someone else's quiter, more difficultly come upon happiness is simply mean-spirited.
In closing, thanks Brooke. Although what worked for you (paxil) doesn't work for everyone (me included), having the bravery to speak up about mental illness helps the cause and helps it get more of the attention it deserves. And as for Cruise, where I come from, we'd say, 'Well, would you look at that. That boy has no home training!' Drop Hubbard and read some Emily Post for heaven's sake! And believe me, when my daughter is old enough, he'll make a great example of what a REAL gentleman is Not, and I'll use his screen images and real life images to highlight the difference. And I'll use Brooke to show the courage of sharing that what you think you see on the outside of a person's life is not always what is on the inside - and just maybe that by taking a risk and sharing can help someone else who is in trouble.
I have worked in psychiatry for 15 years and am sick and tired of hearing generalizations and stereotypes thrown around as though they were the 'gospel truth'. Severe post-partum depression is not something that can be treated with vitamins and exercise and time. Case in point: PPD patient who was so ill she became psychotic and cut open her abdomen with a broken baby bottle to check and see if her ovaries were still there after giving birth. She was planning on reclosing with scotch tape. This was a professional woman with no history of mental illness. Should we have stitched her up, given her vitamins and sent her home with her baby?? Should schizophrenics be told to exercise more and get a grip on themselves? How about suicidal people? Do we blame them for their weak disposition in the face of adversity? Ignorance on the topic of true mental illness is what has sparked and ultimately fueled this debate. Feeling sad and blue is NOT clinical depression, and clinical depression IS NOT something to be treated lightly.
I agree with the last post. I am a nurse and I see people all the time that take prescribed medicine for their problem and they are just fine. If exercise and healthy eating was the cure the government would be giving away free gym memberships and fruit, cause it would be a hell of alot cheaper on medical expenses.Not all vitamins are safe for us just like not all medicine is safe for us. I do not agree with scientology even though I had never heard of it until a few days ago.What works for some people's illness does not neccessarily work for another person.
The minute Tom gets pregant, goes through 40 weeks of uncontrolled bocy changes (both mental and physical) and then gives birth he will have the right to comment on what a woman does or doesn't choose do to cope with the effects of pregancy. Until then he needs to work on himself and quit judging something he will never experience for himself. When did he earn his medical degree? I thought he was just an actor.
A little late I know, but I just want to point out that, first of all, when it comes to post partum depression, men (including Tom Cruise) should keep their opinions to themselves. They have no clue what women go through during and after pregnancy and therefore are NOT entitled to an opinion.
Secondly, what business does Tom Cruise have to tell ANYONE how they should and shouldn't get treated. While it's true that it seems that doctors are prescribing more and more anti-depressent meds to our children, it is not the same as prescribing to an adult who can think for themselves and make their own decisions. Either way, Tom Cruise is not a doctor and his religious beliefs don't qualify him to have an opinion in medical matters.
Seems to me that this whold Scientology fad has gotten to be just as bad as the Born Agains and Jehovahs Witness knocking at my door to save my soul.
If a church has to 'actively recruit' members or go on national TV to talk about how great they are then I would really question their beliefs.
The great thing is that we have freedom of religion in this country and if Scientology is what Tom Cruise believes, then more power to him. Who am I to say he's wrong. But by that same token, leave others alone as well and let them believe what they want and treat their illnesses the way they want. If Scientology is so great, we'll all find out soon enough on our own right? Or are there people really out there who would join such an organization strictly on a celebrity's endorsement?
i wish i could e-mail this guy to tell him how dead wrong he is on medication. He says there are other ways to cope with these conditions, depression is only one type of medical condition that requires medication - but what about the more severe types, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder? as a family member of an individual with one of these disorders I was infuriated with his remarks (This particular family member is a pain in the ass when it comes to medication, left alone he'll really make our lives miserable, comments such as those made by mr. cruise doesn't help our case). People with these conditions become extremely unruly, self destructive and hard to deal with if they don't take medications. What other ways is he suggesting people do to correct a chemical inbalance they happened to get? What does scientology say about that?
I will never go see a tom cruise movie ever again after his comment about brooke shields. I have always liked brooke shields as an actor and a model tom cruise was just a pretty face that has aged too fast. I think he thinks his beliefs are everyones beliefs. Well I can see why he is marrying a young girl, he can mold her the way he wants, unlike Nicole she was mature enough to not cave under him and his cult. He has no right telling a women what to take.
I get really aggravated when people in the public eye feel that they are qualified to comment on anything and everything. Tom Cruise is pushing the beliefs of Scientology into the picture with his comment about prescription drugs, so those of you who don't think this is about Scientology, yes it is!
As for the issue at hand, no one should be allowed to pass judgments this issue without having personal experience in the matter, including Tom Cruise. And even if you do have personal experience, that does not mean that everyone has shared your same experience.
Medications may not be appropriate for everyone, but they are certainly appropriate for some people. It is up to physicians and therapists to decide, in conjunction with the patients. Global statements that drugs do more harm than good and are never useful are utterly ridiculous! What about schizophrenic patients who need their medications just to function? What about people with seizures, with cancer, and countless other illnesses or disorders? Many mood disorders are indeed caused by chemical imbalances that can be corrected with SSRI's or other medications. Yes there are side effects, which is why different drugs have been created. Everyone's body chemistry is different and people are going to react differently to the same medication. Anyone starting a regime of medication should be monitored closely by a psychiatrist. It may also important to seek therapeutic help - or is that taking the easy road out as well? For those individuals who are able to overcome severe depression or anxiety without medication - more power to them! Oftentimes, recognizing that you need help and having the willingness to seek that help makes you a stronger person. Being too stubborn to consider viable possibilities for treatment does not give anyone the right to judge others who are willing to take the chance to get help.
Oh, but Tom has studied the HISTORY of psychiatry and noone else has, including Matt Lauer, which Tom so aggressively pointed out. Therefore, HE is the only one who can discuss psychiatry meds and the rest of us are just plain ignorant. According to Tom, if we knew the history of psychiatry, we would all change our opinions. So now he's all-knowing and everyone else is wrong. What a pompous asshole!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ummm, seeing Tom jump up on down on Oprah's couch makes me wonder if maybe he doesn't need some Ritalin. But seriously, what a pompous, ill-informed judgemental *sshole. Brooke Shields should have tried changing her diet and exercising instead of using Paxil? OK Tom, tell it to Andrea Yates and her husband. I am sure they would be really interested in your 'knowledge' of pyschiatry.
Should diabetics feel week or ashamed for taking insulin, or people with high blood-pressure feel like failures because they take blood thinners? Is a person using a 'crutch' when they have a cup of tea after lunch to get through afternoon sluggishness? We all take substances into our bodies which alter our chemistry. Sugar and caffeine both change our chemistry severely. What about vaccinations? Should we discard these because they are not 'natural'? What exactly is natural? Is an herb that has been gathered, defused, dried, strained, concentrated into an tincture 'natural'? Believe me, chemists have to use some serious machinery to create some of these 'natural' remedies. And let's not forget that there are some very strong poisons in nature--including arsenic. Might it not be possible that something made by humans, can HELP humans?
It saddens me how little some people understand about depression. Depression is a biological disorder. There have been studies which observe the brains of people who have severe depression. There are regions of these people's brains that are shrunken when compared to the brains of those without depression. The brain is a physical, biological organ. Just like the heart, pancreas, skin or any other organ, it can have defects--whether congenital or developed over time. Serotonin is just one of the neurotransmitters that is low in people with depression. There are other neurotransmitters that are also low or missing in people with depression, such as dopamine and other 'amines'. SSRI's help restore these missing or low neurotransmitters, with a minimum of side-effects.
If anything, I am thrilled that Cruise has brought up this very important debate about mental illness and how (ignorantly) some people view it as different from other illnesses that effect organs 'below the neck' as one writer in this thread so eloquently stated.
As for the increased suicidal tendencies said to be caused by SSRI's. First off, no one should take these medications without being monitored by a doctor, and in my opinion without the help of a talented and caring psychotherapist. Secondly, psychologists believe that one of the reasons that this has been observed is that SSRI's take about 4 weeks to have an effect on mood while the medicine builds up in the body. During the first four weeks that people take SSRI's, they often have a rise in energy level without a rise in mood. As one can surmise, this could lead an already severely depressed individual to have thoughts of suicide. Also, it is very possible that the patients that reported having suicidal thoughts on an SSRI, have those thoughts because of their depression. The ironic thing is that so many of the reported side effects of SSRI's are also symptoms of depression! Depression is very serious and harmful because it effects the WHOLE body causing (among other things) the slowing down of many of the other organs which can induce a decrease in appetite for food and sex, as well as effecting sleep patterns. Does this sound like something vitamins or exercise can correct? If so, why do so many people spend so much money on SSRI's when they could just pop a centrum and go for a jog?
One book that I found to be very influential in defining depression is called 'Listening to Prozac' by Peter D. Kramer. If you have ever wondered what exactly depression is as we define it in our society, and how SSRI's such as paxil and prozac have alleviated this terrible disease, you will find this book to be highly informative.
Last but not least, if you are still reading my post, I want to applaud Ms. Shields. You are brave. I have had depression for the past 9 years, and only my closest friends and family know this. Yet you, have gone public.
Why do people keep their depression a secret? Because of ignorant people like Mr. Cruise who confuse biology with character, and because of the stigma that this attaches to people with mental illness. Hooray for Ms. Shields and also thank you to all you people who have struggled with depression themselves or that of a loved one! God bless you!
i was plain a plain old, died in tne wool believer in only natural remedies. to me antidepressant medication was a pharse,and was a crutch for only weak minded fools. 81/2 years ago, i started the change of life process. i had never had children and was grateful to finally be rid of those awful periods and pms every month. what i didn,t know was what was about to happen to me would almost make me go insane. after four years of incredible suffering i ended up in the psych ward after being given a large dose of steriods for a nasty rash i developed. the combination of the menopause and the steriods had put me into such a depression all i could think of doing was end it all. this was not at all like me, i always had a great love of life and a great zest for living. i was put on two anti-depressants: which i fought taking, but finally tried because i couldn't stand what i was going through anymore. within a week i was feling so much better it was hard to imagine. knowing what going through menopause, and what hormones and the chemistry changes can do to your mind, i can only imagine what brooke shields felt like after how many? rounds of fertility drugs,pregnancy, and loosing all those hormones after childbirth. what it could have done to her chemistry is incredible. for those of you who have the same opinion i had about antidepressants, they do not do what you think they do. actually, they just make you feel normal again and able to handle your life as you did before. they do not give you a high, or have you walking around seeing 'GROOVY COLORS' AND FAR OUT LIGHTS. they do not take away your problems or make you euphoric. they make you feel normal, that's all. it is a shame mr. cruise is so cluleless as to what happens to a woman's mind durnig all the hormomal and chemical changes she has to go through with all these various life stages, and it never ceases to amaze me how males in general cannot seem to realize pregnancy, menopause, monthly periods all change women's chemistry, and that what she feels and how she acts is in direct correlation to what's going on in her body. get a clue, mr. cruise.... if you have not been through it, and you don't have the same physiology, you don't know a thing about it. should be interesting if and when your new wife gets pregnant.... believe me, there are some things vitamins and exersise will not and cannot cure. it takes alot of courage to know when you need help and have the brains to ask for it. for god's sake, GROW_UP. there are some stages of life you haven't experienced yet and GOD HELP YOU when you do... you're in for a rough ride, buster.
I agree with Tom for the most part. As I see it, there are far too many children on medication these days...and I'm not talking about serious medical conditions such as diabetes where the person will likely die without treatment. I'm referring to the kids who are coded as suffering from ADHD and ODD and other such 'trendy' disorders. Where were these diseases thirty years ago? You did not see this many with such behavioral problems. Have we become overzealous in our quest for a 'perfect' child? What is normal? While I do not object to the initial treatment of depression with medication, I do feel that depression is merely a symptom of a greater problem. A person can often be helped by a combination of short-term medication and learning coping skills. Many kids who are put on medications obviously are not fully informed of the long-term effects of these substances, nor can they be expected to make that type of judgement at the age of 8 yrs. old...they are still children! My other concern is for the children who are taking meds at a very young age. If they are not given any type of life skills to deal with problems, what happens when they become 'too old' to take Ritalin or Adderall? They are now very poorly adjusted individuals, with little means of dealing with the complex issues of an adult world. It is an unfair situation to place them in. I feel that if we do not hold ourselves accountable for their futures, we are doing them a disservice.
heather--The topic of discussion is not about kids. It's about adults with post partum depression.
Yeah Heather, I think you are confused about more than just the topic being discussed.
Tom Cruise is rigid and comes across as a person who sees things in terms of black and white. He is right and everyone else is wrong. I thought his approach to the subject of pyschiatry with Matt Lauer showed his ignorance about mental illness. He was using the term anti-pyschotics to refer to anti-depresants. Also, he obviously does not know the difference between severe debilitating depression and situational problems which cause some changes in mood. There is no one answer for the multidude of presentations that come under the rubric, mental illness. I have been a psychiatric nurse for almost 40 years and a counselor for the last 13 and I know that I do not know THE answer for anyone. Diet, exercise, supportive relationships, meaningful work, are all important components of recovery from any illness. If one is hearing voices and they do not go away and they causing unbearable pain, sometimes medication can make the difference. If someone is depressed and suicidal and nothing has worked, sometimes medication can alleviate the most severe symptoms and allow the person to function again. Rarely does one have to stay on anti-depressants for a lifetime.
Karma happens, and Tom Cruise's criticisms of Brooke
Shields are deplorable. I have been helped tremendously
by medication that helped me deal with OCD (Obsessive
Compulsive Disorder) and depression.
This medication allowed me to go through psychotherapy and deal
with the OCD and depression issues. As a result, I am able
to take less medication because I can rationalize my OCD
in some ways.
Tom Cruise has no idea what it is like to have OCD. OCD
can be attributed to serotonin shortages in the brain. No amount of
vitamins or nutrients in the world can make up for the
chemical imbalance of serotonin in the brain. Please everyone,
listen to your therapist or get someone who will help you with
depression, OCD, or any other mental health issues. It is not
a stigma to do so.
Perhaps a closer study by Mr. Cruise of the subject of good acting
would be more prudent.
It is too bad that Scientology does not teach
good acting skills.
Besides postpartum depression, has anyone here actually met anyone with severe depression??? Some things can't be treated by 'excercise and vitamins'...I am sorry, that is a good preventative strategy but in some cases, that is not enough to solve the problem...I have worked with a variety of people that have families, are married, and everything on the outside seems very much flawless. However, the person major depression perhaps has caused major damage to his/her own life (e.g. lost work, dysfunctional relationships, suicidal ideation). It would be lovely to say yeah, just go home and hit the exercise bike and eat better foods, everything will be better for you. I'm sorry folks, this alone is not the answer. The science behind medications are in their pharmacological actions and when it comes to depression, there is a correlation behind a lack of serotonin in the brain. This is where the terminology 'chemical imbalance' comes from. For those who don't believe in drugs, don't take them, however, there will come a time when medications will be necessary for some role. By the way, it is recommended that men over 35, women over 40 take 162 mg (2 baby aspirin) with food for the rest of their life. It very much, in mulitple studies, shows a great reduction in coronary events.
I know this has gotten old but c'mon, really should either Tom Cruise or Brooke Shields be giving advice on whether or not people should take anti-depresants? It's a personal decision for anyone. Also did Brooke Shields actually say that taking anti-depresants was the only way to deal with post partum depression? That it was a cure? And why does Tom Cruise have to comment publicly about Brooke anyway? It's not hurting him, why should he have a say in what she does? If it worked for her why couldn't it work for someone else? And if you don't want to go that route don't. It's not like Shields is going around strong arming women into taking anti-depresants. He didn't have to direct it all at Shields he could have just made a general statement and could someone explain why he was commenting on Shields condition anyway?
I do feel that there is a tendency to over medicate people but I think in some cases it might actually have a purpose. It's when people are too lazy to look into all of their options and trust doctors too much that these issues pop up. It's almost as if Tom Cruise doesn't feel that people can make their own decisions for their families and themselves, like somehow a bunch of witless dolts that can't figure these things out. It's all great and wonderful that he can voice his oppinion but maybe making it a general attack on the situation in the U.S. probably would have been better than a personal rant about a particular person.
Why did someone ask him and what was the context? It's like asking a Moromon if they were upset or offended that Tom Cruise drank caffinated drinks or alcohol, der they're gonna probably say they are against it. Why ask a question with an obvious answer. But someone had to make it personal.
Tom Cruise is COMPLETELY off base here. To say that there is no such thing as a chemical imbalance is simply incorrect and naive. He says he does not talk about what he does not understand. Has he been diagnosed as clinically depressed? He says he has READ about it. HM.
I have suffered from depression since my teens. My mother, grandmother, aunt, and brother all suffer as well. I have read COUNTLESS reports on ALL available antidepressants, been through COUNTLESS treatments and read anything and everything I thought may help me deal with depression without medication. I am a runner, and running does help my medication do its job. However, without medication, I cannot function. I simply cannot function. I have tried many different types and doses of antidepressants, and have forced myself to go without them many times because I don't like the thought of 'needing' them. Well, guess what? I need them.
When I do not take my medication, I am either so lethargic and apathetic that I can't get out of bed, or I am in a blind rage ALL the time. Would you withold insulin from a diabetic? Of course not. Saying there is no such thing as a chemical imbalance shows how uninformed and inexperienced on the subject Tom really is. I enthusiastically agree that antidepressants and Ritalin are grossly overprescribed. However, I cannot be grateful enough that the medication I need to survive is available to me.
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gaby gadiotMay 25th, 2005 - 20:17:12
I do not agree with Brooke Shields promoting the intake of anti depresants. I am a woman who has also suffered from depression. At times it was devastating. I knew I was fine in my self but that something was going on with my body which caused the depression. I had a course of natural hormones and the depression went away! Unfortunately there are doctors who are happy to just prescribe and promote an anti depresant instead of really taking care of the person in front of them and finding out the exact cause of the problem. The data that the drug 'helps' is utterly false. It appears to relief the symptoms but is in fact masking the problem and causing other damage. Ask anyone on street drugs how they feel when they take the drugs, at first they might get high but afterwards the lows can be much worse. And with antidepresants the 'solution' does become the problem, and people sooner or later have to try and deal with the original problem plus the newly created havoc from the drug.
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