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Saturday, July 02, 2005 · posted at 12:30 AM

diatribe, part 2

Cruise: There is no such thing as a chemical imbalance.
...But what happens, the antidepressant, all it does is mask the problem. There's ways, [with] vitamins and through exercise and various things... I'm not saying that that isn't real. That's not what I'm saying. That's an alteration of what I'm saying. I'm saying that drugs aren't the answer, these drugs are very dangerous. They're mind-altering, antipsychotic drugs. And there are ways of doing it without that so that we don't end up in a brave new world.

If there's no such thing as a chemical balance, how would vitamins and exercise, which have very chemical influences upon the body, solve the problem? That drugs can mask the problem is a valid issue, however, a physician would be extremely irresponsible to prescribe a drug such as an anti-depressant without coupling it with something such as cognitive-behavioral therapy. There are ways of using psychiatric drugs (an anti depressant is a different class of drugs from anti-psychotic drugs by the way) in an effective way. Psychiatrists are medical doctors who have completed 4 years medical school, 3 years residency, plus any additional specialized fellowships and training. They're not just some drug dealers off the street.

You don't even know what Ritalin is. If you start talking about chemical imbalance, you have to evaluate and read the research papers on how they came up with these theories, Matt, okay? That's what I've done. Then you go and you say where's the medical test? Where's the blood test that says how much Ritalin you're supposed to get?

Oooh! Oooh! Pick me, I know what Ritalin is! Ritalin is the brand name for methylphenidate, a stimulant that comes in short-acting and long-acting forms. There's no blood test that says how much Ritalin you're supposed to take, in the same way there is no magical medical test that tells you how much insulin you need if you're diabetic, how much antihypertensives to take for chronic high blood pressure.

While doctors and researchers still aren't exactly sure why stimulants improve symptoms, there is strong evidence that shows stimulants increase the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine in regions of the brain that previously showed poor activity. With growing research and technology (such as functional MRI studies in the brain), it won't be long before we are able to understand many disorders and diseases better. Afterall, science didn't start off knowing what Human Immunodeficiency Virus was, or why moldy bread cured colds.

Cruise: But you're saying this is a very important issue.
...It's very — and you know what? You're here on the "Today" show.
...And to talk about it in a way of saying, "Well, isn't it okay," and being reasonable about it when you don't know and I do, I think that you should be a little bit more responsible in knowing what it is.
...Because you communicate to people.
...So, you're advocating it.
...Matt, but here's the point. What is the ideal scene for life? Okay. The ideal scene is someone not having to take antipsychotic drugs.
...Okay. So, now you look at a departure from that ideal scene, is someone taking drugs, okay. And then you go, okay. What is the theory and the science behind that, that justifies that?

Oh Tom, I miss the days when you could string words together in a coherent sentence and make sense... Of course it would be ideal if psychiatric disorders didn't exist, in the same way it would be ideal if cancer didn't exist, if poverty and discrimination didn't exist. But that's not the case.

It is very real that the way your brain functions has a direct effect on your actions, your thoughts, and your moods. Take a look at people who suffer strokes or other traumatic brain injuries and become a different person in terms of their behaviors. Do you believe in seizures - a misfiring of brain signals that result in loss of consciousness and uncontrolled body movements?

Would it be so unreasonable to believe that not every brain is equal in terms of its efficiency and effectiveness of sending electrical messages throughout the body? That perhaps sometimes imbalances in the brain result in seizures, bipolar disorder, depression, ADHD? You're telling me that that's something vitamins can fix?

Yeah, let's put you in a room with a schizophrenic who is having a break from reality and you use logic to reason with him. You use your vitamins and exercise regimes to "fix" him rather than a medical drug like Haldol. And while you're at it, do that with all the people on the streets who are homeless because their mental problems went untreated.



	Saturday, July 02, 2005 · posted at 12:30 AM diatribe, part 2 Cruise: There is no such thing as a chemical imbalance. ...But what happens, the antidepressant, all it does is mask the problem. There's ways, [with] vitamins and through exercise and various things... I'm not saying that that isn't real. That's not what I'm saying. That's an alteration of what I'm saying. I'm saying that drugs aren't the answer, these drugs are very dangerous. They're mind-altering, antipsychotic drugs. And there are ways of doing it without that so that we don't end up in a brave new world. If there's no such thing as a chemical balance, how would vitamins and exercise, which have very chemical influences upon the body, solve the problem? That drugs can mask the problem is a valid issue, however, a physician would be extremely irresponsible to prescribe a drug such as an anti-depressant without coupling it with something such as cognitive-behavioral therapy. There are ways of using psychiatric drugs (an anti depressant is a different class of drugs from anti-psychotic drugs by the way) in an effective way. Psychiatrists are medical doctors who have completed 4 years medical school, 3 years residency, plus any additional specialized fellowships and training. They're not just some drug dealers off the street. You don't even know what Ritalin is. If you start talking about chemical imbalance, you have to evaluate and read the research papers on how they came up with these theories, Matt, okay? That's what I've done. Then you go and you say where's the medical test? Where's the blood test that says how much Ritalin you're supposed to get? Oooh! Oooh! Pick me, I know what Ritalin is! Ritalin is the brand name for methylphenidate, a stimulant that comes in short-acting and long-acting forms. There's no blood test that says how much Ritalin you're supposed to take, in the same way there is no magical medical test that tells you how much insulin you need if you're diabetic, how much antihypertensives to take for chronic high blood pressure. While doctors and researchers still aren't exactly sure why stimulants improve symptoms, there is strong evidence that shows stimulants increase the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine in regions of the brain that previously showed poor activity. With growing research and technology (such as functional MRI studies in the brain), it won't be long before we are able to understand many disorders and diseases better. Afterall, science didn't start off knowing what Human Immunodeficiency Virus was, or why moldy bread cured colds. Cruise: But you're saying this is a very important issue. ...It's very — and you know what? You're here on the "Today" show. ...And to talk about it in a way of saying, "Well, isn't it okay," and being reasonable about it when you don't know and I do, I think that you should be a little bit more responsible in knowing what it is. ...Because you communicate to people. ...So, you're advocating it. ...Matt, but here's the point. What is the ideal scene for life? Okay. The ideal scene is someone not having to take antipsychotic drugs. ...Okay. So, now you look at a departure from that ideal scene, is someone taking drugs, okay. And then you go, okay. What is the theory and the science behind that, that justifies that? Oh Tom, I miss the days when you could string words together in a coherent sentence and make sense... Of course it would be ideal if psychiatric disorders didn't exist, in the same way it would be ideal if cancer didn't exist, if poverty and discrimination didn't exist. But that's not the case. It is very real that the way your brain functions has a direct effect on your actions, your thoughts, and your moods. Take a look at people who suffer strokes or other traumatic brain injuries and become a different person in terms of their behaviors. Do you believe in seizures - a misfiring of brain signals that result in loss of consciousness and uncontrolled body movements? Would it be so unreasonable to believe that not every brain is equal in terms of its efficiency and effectiveness of sending electrical messages throughout the body? That perhaps sometimes imbalances in the brain result in seizures, bipolar disorder, depression, ADHD? You're telling me that that's something vitamins can fix? Yeah, let's put you in a room with a schizophrenic who is having a break from reality and you use logic to reason with him. You use your vitamins and exercise regimes to "fix" him rather than a medical drug like Haldol. 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