Celebs take on issue of psychiatric drugs
July 14, 2005 08:59

Perhaps Tom Cruise's points hould have been:
1) People do change when they use psych drugs -- they are on drugs! Not medicines! Get the difference? Medicines cure actual illnesses. Drugs mask personal problems or actual physical issues no differently than street drugs or liquor do. LSD was once a psychiatric drug. So the actual problems are never solved unless the individual works it out himself or with friends, or finds real help. But we also have the problem of the side effects of these drugs which brings me to my next point. This is the danger Cruise warned of.

2) In June, the FDA warned that the use of the drugs Concerta, Ritalin, Straterra and Adderall can produce "visual hallucinations, suicidal ideation, psychotic behavior, as well as aggression or violent behavior" in children.

3) The entire premise for the use of these drugs is based on the claim of a "medical" cause for peoples' emotional issues -- the so-called "chemical imbalance." American Psychiatric Association President Steven Sharfstein admitted recently that there is no way to test for a "chemical imbalance" so none is ever done. Again, Cruise is right and they concede.