Cruise'n for trouble

Psychiatry is a legitimate field of medical science despite Cruise's complaints

By: Nicole Hoegg

Posted: 7/18/05

When Tom Cruise appeared on "The Today Show" with Matt Lauer while promoting "War of the Worlds," the two, rather suddenly, got into a tense debate regarding the validity of psychiatry. Once the ball got rolling, Cruise eventually said that he doesn't believe in chemical imbalances. Instead, he thinks so-called disorders can be corrected with good, old-fashioned vitamins and exercise.

Consideration for your work aside: I'm sorry, Mr. Cruise, but I respectfully disagree.

Cruise began to wage his battle against psychiatry by criticizing Brooke Shields for taking drugs to treat postpartum depression. It has since ballooned into a full-fledged war between Cruise and the profession. More disturbing is that Cruise claims to have "researched" the ills of psychiatry, never specifying what type of research he did or what his sources were. Despite Cruise's criticisms, psychiatry is an important health field, and though it undoubtedly has weaknesses, it does a great service to the American public.

The definition of psychiatry explains why psychiatrists practice. According to Healthy Minds, the public information arm of the American Psychiatric Association (APA), a psychiatrist is "a medical physician who specializes in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mental illnesses, including substance abuse and addiction."

Psychiatrists are medical doctors first, specializing in mental health. Like any other doctor, they have to travel the long road through medical school and a four-year residency before establishing a practice. At the end, the education and experiences equip these individuals with the proper credentials to work with people on these issues every day.

The first point, Mr. Cruise, is that it's hard to discredit a medical license.
Since medical practice implies treatment, psychiatrists also work to provide the best possible treatment. However, it seems that modern psychiatry draws most of its critics regarding treatment methods. Just like any other medical practice, these types of decisions are not that easy. The APA's version of treatment consists of "full mental and physical health evaluation and an individualized treatment plan ... talk therapy, medication or other modalities."

The second point is that there is more than one way to skin the psychological cat: reliance upon drugs and other more invasive techniques Cruise criticizes are not the only methods of psychiatric treatment. Psychiatry critics point to medication abuse as one of the primary detriments of the practice. But not all practitioners rely on drugs. The APA acknowledges the use of medication along with other treatment methods. True mental health treatment is well-rounded, and most psychiatrists seem to fit the bill.

The definition of mental health is "a state of successful performance of mental function, resulting in productive activities, fulfilling relationships with other people and the ability to adapt to change and to cope with adversity," according to the Surgeon General's report. This is what psychiatrists are supposed to be doing - maintaining this part of our health and, like every other doctor, trying to treat it when we become ill.
Mental illness is not some idea society should write off lightly. For individuals suffering from a number of diseases including Alzheimer's, bipolar disorder or depression, it's quite individually debilitating. Sometimes people cannot treat symptoms or overcome disorders on their own, and seeking professional help is the only way to get back to leading a productive, fulfilling life.

More practically speaking, those suffering from mental illness can cause other types of losses to society. According to the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, "The economic cost of untreated mental illness is more than $100 billion each year in the United States." Never mind other social ills that can result from untreated mental disease - knowing that help is available should prompt us to encourage others to seek it.

Mental illness is a real problem. Shouldn't we do all we can to try to help these people since it does, in some small way, affect us all?

As Cruise states, "I have never agreed with psychiatry, ever." Where is compassion? Sometimes, it's not about an ideological soapbox but showing mercy for those who suffer from mental illness. If psychiatric treatment, including medication, can ease symptoms or provide a more meaningful life, then, as a society, we should support that.

What ultimately matters is that people make informed decisions regarding their health. Psychiatry tries to fulfill a noble calling in helping and curing those with biologically based mental disease. In the end, we should let those qualified in this field provide information and opinions so that we can make the best decisions for ourselves.