Tom Cruise Rips Psychiatry on NBC's Today Show

[Dom Heffner]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8344309/

(Link to story and you can also launch the interview)

Anybody see this? I was embarassed for Cruise personally. Either Matt Lauer was being respectful, or he isn't a very good interviewer.

Cruise called Lauer "glib," and told him that he shouldn't be talking about the benefits of Ritalin without knowing the history behind it. Lauer wasn't doing that, but Cruise was just a jerk to Matt, I thought.

A good cross-examiner could have torn Cruise to shreds, but Lauer was either being polite or he doesn't know how to argue.

Cruise said he always had doubts about psychiatry, and then said once he studied it, he knew it was bogus. Lauer should have called him on perhaps not being the most unbiased source in the world. Descartes set out to prove the existence of god and lo and behold, he did, even though his proofs are as faulty as an I-75 construction project.

As well, Cruise kept saying that he had studied up on all the drugs and research that goes into their development and distribution and has come to the conclusion that they are harmful. What Lauer never, ever questioned Cruise on is what type of publications he used for his study, where he got them, how he tested for truth, etc. The giant assumption in Cruise's argument was that the things he read were medically accurate and unbiased and that he understood them and was representing their contents accurately. Lauer said it was "impressive" to hear Cruise talk, but a good actor could tell him that the moon is on fire, impressively - sounding believable is what actors do for a living.

Call me cynical, but I would have a hard time believing the average person can even begin to grasp modern medicine, yet alone someone who would be doing it in their spare time away from movie sets.

[savafan]

Cruise may be right. I've worked five years in the mental health field, and I've spoken with psychiatrists who say that ritalin is more harmful than helpful.

[westofyou]

Originally Posted by savafan

Cruise may be right. I've worked five years in the mental health field, and I've spoken with psychiatrists who say that ritalin is more harmful than helpful.

I'll dispute that.

[creek14]

Tom is starting to make Jacko look less wacko.

[Dom Heffner]

Cruise may be right. I've worked five years in the mental health field, and I've spoken with psychiatrists who say that ritalin is more harmful than helpful.

Fair enough, and Lauer even was saying that he didn't advocate placing everyone on Ritalin. I personally think Ritalin works for some people - it would almost have to.

Even outside of Ritalin, Cruise said there was no such thing as a "chemical imbalance," and that these things can be cured with vitamins and exercise. Your thoughts on this would be appreciated, if you have anything to share.

I have known people who have suffered from serious depression and I just don't think geritol and a run around the block is going to help

[creek14]

Originally Posted by Dom Heffner

But Cruise said there was no such thing as a "chemical imbalance," and that these things can be cured with vitamins and exercise.

Well Tommy boy, I have a degree in Psychology and I worked in the field for about 10 years and I can tell you there is such a thing as chemical imbalance.

I am so sick and tired of "celebrities" spouting off about things they have no clue about. He reads a few L Ron books and suddenly he's a freaking expert.

Frankly he looked like he was suffering from some sort of imbalance when he was jumping all over Oprah's couch.

[Reds4Life]

Originally Posted by creek14

I am so sick and tired of "celebrities" spouting off about things they have no clue about. He reads a few L Ron books and suddenly he's a freaking expert.

No kidding. I have no idea why he's on this personal crusade against Brooke Shields for taking anti-depressants to help her with post partum. What business is it of his what she takes? Tom needs to keep his mouth shut when it comes to matters that don't concern him.

[Falls City Beer]

Originally Posted by creek14

Well Tommy boy, I have a degree in Psychology and I worked in the field for about 10 years and I can tell you there is such a thing as chemical imbalance.

I am so sick and tired of "celebrities" spouting off about things they have no clue about. He reads a few L Ron books and suddenly he's a freaking expert.

Frankly he looked like he was suffering from some sort of imbalance when he was jumping all over Oprah's couch.

If there were a smiley that performed the Jerry Springer, "Woot, Woot!" fist-pump, I'd give you one right now.

So this will have to do:

[savafan]

Originally Posted by Dom Heffner

Fair enough, and Lauer even was saying that he didn't advocate placing everyone on Ritalin. I personally think Ritalin works for some people - it would almost have to.

Even outside of Ritalin, Cruise said there was no such thing as a "chemical imbalance," and that these things can be cured with vitamins and exercise. Your thoughts on this would be appreciated, if you have anything to share.

I have known people who have suffered from serious depression and I just don't think geritol and a run around the block is going to help

Honestly, it is so very difficult to say. We've come a long way in the last million years, but there is still so far to go. The facts are that there are a lot of theories. There are people who claim that they've been cured by vitamins and exercise. I had a cancerous tumor in my shoulder and got rid of it using vitamins, exercise and an organic diet. It's not that far fetched.

That hasn't worked for everyone that has tried it though. Some have found success with ritalin, however others have regressed further.

The human mind and the human body are such strange things. What works for some doesn't always seem to work for everyone.

[savafan]

I'll also say this.

Cults are a scary thing.

Based on experience.

[RedsBaron]

I had a couple of depositions yesterday. Before the first one started I was chatting with the court reporter, who immediately asked me if I had seen Lauer's interview of Cruise (I hadn't, as I rarely watch the "Today" show). The court reporter then went on at some length about how rude and weird she thought Cruise was.

[MWM]

I watched it online today and Cruise was incredibly condescending and aloof, like he was an expert simply because he's read a few research publications (I'm sure picked out for him by the Scientology leaders). He was very much, "you don't know what you're talking about and I do." He looked ridiculous especially considering the guy never even graduated from High School.

[Dom Heffner]

I watched it online today and Cruise was incredibly condescending and aloof, like he was an expert simply because he's read a few research publications (I'm sure picked out for him by the Scientology leaders). He was very much, "you don't know what you're talking about and I do." He looked ridiculous especially considering the guy never even graduated from High School.

MWM, thanks for saying this. I felt exactly the same way, though some have come to Cruise's defense. What seemed inherently lost on Cruise was that just because Lauer could not defend psychiatry, it did not make Cruise right. He didn't offer any evidence, just that he had done the research and determined that it was bunk.

I truly like Tom Cruise- I think he is an American legend, even- but when celebrities do this, I just want to go bury my head for them out of embarrassment.

[letsgojunior]

Maybe Tom should be forced to go through the symptoms of post-partum depression before he's allowed to comment on how to treat it. If he's such an expert, specifically what vitamins and what type of exercise should be done? There's a number of vitamins/minerals that have been known to regulate various aspects of a woman's mood - specifically magnesium, vitamin B-6, etc. Which vitamins and how much? I've yet to see any literature on depression elucidate a specific vitamin imbalance prevalent in all cases. There is no common "red flag" in all depression cases, at least not one that I'm aware of. That's why "vitamin usage" is as hit and miss as other therapies.

I do agree with his premise that there are a number of dangerous side effects to medications such as Paxil. That said, people should be able to make their own decisions, and he should keep his mouth shut about what Brooke Shields is doing. Just because he's a big movie star doesn't mean he's an expert on mental health. He's consistently coming off as condescending and arrogant on a subject where there are still a lot of unknowns. He should stick to being a fake sports agent and saving the world from aliens.

[Redsfaithful]

Scientologists are insane. Nothing new there.