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Journal of Clinical InvestigationOriginal article: avaiable here: http://www.jci.org/cgi/content/full/115/8/1964 Tom Cruise is dangerous and irresponsibleUshma S. Neill, Executive Editor Several interviews have aired in which Tom Cruise has publicized his
disdain for psychiatry and the mental health profession (1, 2). In one
interview, Cruise claimed to know the literature on the history of
psychiatry, chemical imbalances, and Ritalin (methylphenidate), the
attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) drug (1). In another,
he called actress Brooke Shields irresponsible for publishing a book
on her battle with and treatment of postpartum depression, since he
believes vitamins and exercise are all that is needed for treatment
(2).
Throughout these and other interviews, Cruise spewed a number of
irresponsible statements, attempting to pass them off as facts.
However, several of Cruise’s statements are very easy to dispel as
false.
With regard to the number of children currently taking drugs to
control ADHD, Cruise is quoted as saying "[Psychiatrists] said, ‘Oh,
you know, Ritalin is safe. It’s safe. It’s safe.’ Ritalin is an
amphetamine" (2). The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) begs to
differ. Ritalin (a stimulant, but not an amphetamine) has been shown
to amplify the release of dopamine and thereby improve attention and
focus in individuals who have weak dopamine signals, such as those
with ADHD (3). NIDA goes on to note that ADHD patients do not become
addicted to Ritalin or similar medications when taken in the form and
dosage prescribed by doctors, and it has been reported that
individuals with ADHD who are treated with Ritalin are significantly
less likely than those who do not receive treatment to abuse drugs and
alcohol when they are older (4).
Later in the same interview, Cruise discusses how he "recently helped
a family have their daughter get off [ADHD] drugs . . . We stepped the
[7-year-old] child off the drugs, got her vitamins and food. She has
calmed down now and she has grown seven inches in about four months"
(2). If true, this child should be examined for growth abnormalities,
as a normal growth spurt occurs during puberty (12–14 years old in
females) and is on average 3–5 inches. Hyperbole on the part of Mr.
Cruise, perhaps? One would hope the child was under the care of a
medical doctor.
Cruise believes the education of children is suffering due to
extensive Ritalin use. In connection to the drug, he said, "SAT scores
have gone right down the toilet" (2). Not so, says the College Board,
the non-profit organization that designs, administers, and evaluates
the SAT (scholastic aptitude test) and PSAT (preliminary SAT) among
other tests and advanced placement courses. In a recent article about
trends in test scores, the College Board said, "Consistent with a
decade-long trend, SAT math scores have continued to rise. In 2002,
the average SAT math score rose two points to 516." The report does
note that while "Verbal scores declined in 2002 [by 2 points] to an
average of 504 for the entire test-taking population . . . The average
verbal score for 2002 is just 4 points higher than that of 1992" (5).
I would dare say this report does not indicate that SAT scores are
going down the toilet.
My favorite part of this interview was when Cruise equated
psychiatrists to drug dealers. "You know what? I’m sure drug dealers
on the street, in some way, they are making money. That’s what I
equate it to. Here is the thing: you have to understand, with
psychiatry, there is no science behind it. And to pretend that there
is a science behind it is criminal" (2). In Cruise’s eyes, there are a
lot of us criminals, including the 38,000 members of the American
Psychiatric Association (APA), who have issued several statements
disagreeing with many of Cruise’s exhortations about the mental health
field. I suppose now would also be an appropriate time to mention my
particular conflict of interest — I am the daughter of a
psychiatrist/neurologist. That said, my father, and most responsible
physicians, are well-trained scientists who do not run around
willy-nilly dispensing controlled substances nor filling irresponsible
prescriptions to, in Cruise’s words, "drug the piss" (2) out of their
patients.
Though it is hard to believe Cruise has ample time to help legions of
drug addicts, given his intense movie production and publicity
responsibilities, it is admirable that he tries. But he goes on to
say, "I have an easier time stepping people off heroin then I do these
psychotropic drugs" (2). In his efforts to help drug abusers, Cruise
supports the Scientology-based 9-step drug withdrawal program Narconon
International (6). Step 3 of Narconon is called the "Purification
Rundown," in which drug residues and other toxic substances are
removed from the body through a regimen of exercise, sauna, and
nutritional supplements. In 1989, Everett R. Rhoades, US assistant
surgeon general, was quoted as saying the concepts behind Narconon
could not be considered medically sound. Further, the Board of Mental
Health in Oklahoma concluded in 1991 that the high doses of vitamins
and minerals administered in the Purification Rundown could be
potentially dangerous and therefore declined to certify the program.
While it is commendable for any person with a drug addiction problem
to seek help, state-certified, proven rehabilitation programs should
be sought.
Let us move on to postpartum depression and chemical imbalances.
Cruise pulls no punches when asked about his thoughts on the existence
of chemical imbalances: he claims there is no scientific evidence to
verify they exist, based on his reading of the scientific literature
(1). When asked about drugs like Paxil for the treatment of postpartum
depression, he spoke plainly: "Let me tell you something: it is not a
cure and it is actually lethal. These drugs are dangerous . . . There
is a hormonal thing that is going on that is . . . scientifically, you
can prove that. But when you talk about emotional chemical imbalances
in people, there is no science behind that" (2). Again, I beg to
differ and so does 50 years’ worth of literature (summarized in refs.
7, 8). While indeed other theories have been proffered to explain
depression, the idea that chemical or genetic imbalances may underlie
depression has been widely accepted. I wonder how an actor with
Cruise’s educational background (no course of study noted past a high
school degree) came to understand the medical literature and whether
he would be conversant in the intricacies of the monoamine hypothesis
or serotonin and noradrenaline signaling.
Brooke Shields said it best in her July 1, 2005, New York Times Op-Ed
column: "Comments like those made by Tom Cruise are a disservice to
mothers everywhere. To suggest that I was wrong to take drugs to deal
with my depression, and that instead I should have taken vitamins and
exercised shows an utter lack of understanding about postpartum
depression and childbirth in general" (9). Rather than Shields being
the irresponsible one, I have found most women agree that it is
Cruise’s message that Paxil is lethal and that postpartum depression
does not exist that is irresponsible.
In addition to his unusual thoughts on postpartum mothers, Cruise is
assumed to share his religion’s philosophy about care for newborn
infants, another course of action not condoned by medical care
professionals. Scientologists believe in the "Silent Birth" method, in
which newborns are neither poked and prodded in medical tests nor even
spoken to in the first 7 days of life. According to their theology,
because babies go through so much pain during the birth process,
newborn babies should not be subjected to any further pain or sensory
experiences that could return later in life to haunt them. An
Omaha-based couple even attempted to introduce a bill in the Nebraska
legislature in 2003 exempting Scientologists from medical screening of
newborns. I can find no medical literature on the benefits of silence
in the first week of newborn life.
In terms of the Scientology view of medicine and mental health, I can
only assume that Cruise follows the religion’s principles. According
to a primer on Scientology, followers generally shun conventional
medicine as they believe illnesses are largely psychosomatic. Illness
is a sign of weakness and failure, and followers are encouraged to
treat their ailments with auditing (talking through issues while
attached to a biofeedback device called an "E-meter" that is similar
to a lie detector). Since all illness are psychosomatic in the eyes of
a Scientologist, members believe that everything from indigestion to
AIDS can be cured through auditing and vitamins. L. Ron Hubbard, the
founder of Scientology and the author of their main text, Dianetics:
the modern science of mental health (10), has been quoted as saying,
"Leukemia is evidently psychosomatic in origin and at least eight
cases of leukemia had been treated successfully by Dianetics after
medicine had traditionally given up" (11). Further, he has claimed
that "Arthritis vanishes, myopia gets better, heart illness decreases,
asthma disappears, stomachs function properly and the whole catalogue
of illnesses goes away and stays away [with Scientology]" (10). My
personal favorite quote: "Scientology is the only specific (cure) for
radiation (atomic bomb) burns" (12). It is unclear whether
Scientologists continue to believe that auditing is superior to
medical therapy, though it is clear that they do not condone the use
of pharmacotherapy for mental illness.
But again, back to Tom Cruise. He continued in his Access Hollywood
interview to make note of how popular his methods have been. "You just
have no idea what it’s like being me and all the people that want
help. All the people that call that I talk to at 2 a.m. that ask for
advice." He continued: "People know that they can call me. They are
respectful, actually. They don’t waste my time. They say, ‘Look, I
need help at this. What should I do?’ And I help them. I have nothing
to gain. I just want to see people do well. . . . I get so many
letters from people thanking me. Thanking me for their children and
for themselves" (2). Perhaps we should call Cruise and let him know
what we think? Despite his eagerness to speak with people on the
phone, I found it nearly impossible to find a phone number where I
could reach him to get help with this editorial. But, should you
decide to contact Cruise by mail, he can be reached care of Creative
Artists Agency (9830 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills, California
90212, USA) or care of Church of Scientology International (6331
Hollywood Boulevard, Suite 1200, Los Angeles, California 90028, USA).
References
1. CNN.com. 2005. Cruise, Lauer argue on ‘Today’. Related: See right side bar of the DIANETICS page for links to Scientific and Medical Journal reviews of Dianetics
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