I stumbled across a quote by Tom Cruise yesterday while doing some research on 'supposed' Autistic Celebs, and it really made my blood boil. I posted the link on Facebook but every time i saw it on my wall i felt myself getting more and more enraged, so i deleted it today.
http://www.entertonement.com/clips/qlnqmpngyl--No-Such-Thing-as-a-Chemical-ImbalanceTom-Cruise-Scientology-Drugs-?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=share&utm_term=-&utm_content=-&utm_campaign=fb_8632
Click the link above to see what i mean, he says and i quote "there is no such thing as a chemical imbalance" and i say HOW THE HELL CAN HE COME OUT WITH A STATEMENT LIKE THAT AFTER MAKING THE FILM RAIN MAN? Surely they spent a huge amount of time researching Autism and what it entailed before making the film?
Ok, so Chemical Imbalance isn't a diagnosis for ASD but technically it's the same thing. I've heard a lot of people (even professionals at times) refer to ASD's as forms of Chemical Imbalances and others say it's like wiring a circuit board the wrong way, certain things don't work as they should and others go into meltdown. I personally prefer to relate to it as a Chemical Imbalance, as i hate to think my son's brain is gunna melt down and blow up!! But when they are trying to put these things into 'simple terms' as a lot of us ask them to do, i can see the logic's in their descriptions.
I am also extremely intrigued to see what he'd have to say if one of his children where to suddenly be diagnosed with ASD or another form of Mental Illness/Disability. Makes me chuckle to myself when i think of his reaction to the Paediatrician's. There's no such thing as a Chemical Imbalance, it's all in their head!! Well DUH!!!!!!!!!! Try telling that to a 5yr old. Scientologist my arse more like brainwashed sociopath!! xXx
there is speculation as to the exact causes of autism (as I'm sure you well know, and probably know more than me about), however it is certain that it is not made up. An under 6 just wouldn't have the social/psychological knowledge to suddenly feel the need to 'fake it'.
ReplyDeletethere is a big mess up when it comes to explaining mental illness, and a lot of it is caused by doctors attempting to put things in layman's terms so that the average Jo with mild depression understands why they need to take anti-depressants, or similar such problems.
The issue is that it isn't as simple as a chemical in a brain isn't working right, so we put this drug in or research drugs for this... simply because the chemical level is not the only way mental illness affects the brain. Especially with life-long conditions or complex disorders. Cells, proteins and neuron connection development all play a part in mental illness. There is also a chicken-egg argument, did the chemical imbalance come first or was it the brain's reaction to either environment, genes or both?
So don't worry about Cruise and his ignorance. Its not his fault he doesn't understand complex research and isn't in any way a scientist (much as the religious name sound like one, it isn't)
Smile: its like Gordon Brown claiming he understands the phrase 'extrovert'!
Weirdartist
Hey there,
ReplyDeleteI apologise I did not reply to your comment earlier. I changed all my settings a while back so I don't get updates anymore as to when people have commented. I think I may change it back actually!
I was very annoyed at the article yes, but it didn't really bother me too much. Just thought at the time it was such a dumb ass thing to say after the film he made, and all the research that would have had to have been done regarding it before hand. Him saying that is like saying these disabilities don't exist and if that's the case then his whole career has been a fake, because it was that film that put him on the map!!