Depression Information

Manic Depressive Episodes And Scientology


Scientologists believe that chemical imbalances do not exist. In their view manic episodes should be treated with periods of introspection and audits; a notion which is particularly bizarre and scientifically untenable.

Chemical imbalances do exist in the brain. Everyone has them, not just those with clinical instances of mental illness. A perfect chemical balance would be unnatural. However, every balance goes through a series of sinusoidal curves, these are commonly known as mood swings. Mood swings can leave the charted path of the sinusoidal normality and become instances of depression or mania. While small shifts in mood are normal, and a complete lack of them would point to a certain psychosis and a lack of balance in the brain, large shifts can be devastating.

Scientologists believe that these large swings can be controlled without chemically interfering with the brain. This is utter nonsense. From one of my case studies a patient with an acute manic episode was hospitalized for two weeks and given a heavy does of psychotropic drugs, such as haldol, seryquil and depacote. If given to a person in the natural swing of emotion, seryquil for example would knock a healthy person out for about a day. These drugs had no effect on the patient in the study. As time passed the patient convinced the doctors that he could be released, however the relapse was swift and within two weeks the subject was once again in a mental hospital.

Although the medications could not prevent the subject from going off them, what eventually saved him was the realization that perhaps it would be best to seek help and more drugs to control the condition. While the hardest part for the patient was to come to grips with the diagnosis, the only thing that was able to eventually bring down the mania was a heavy drug cocktail and several weeks of lockdown.

Arguing that such severe episodes can be controlled through meditation is absurd. Depression, like mania on the other end of the spectrum, can be an equally debilitating condition. While a manic patient exhibits uncontrollable amounts of energy, one that is depressed lacks this very energy. Depression can lead to suicide, just as mania could lead to reckless behavior and end with equally grievous consequences. Not medicating a severe case of depression can mean the difference between life and death. The quality of life of people on medication is significantly better then of those who are not on medication and are attempting to self medicate. Scientology claims are largely based on science fiction, claims that are highly harmful those suffering from mania or depression.

Gene Leshinsky http://www.enkitel.com A prepaid marketing company with an emphasis of helping new e-entrepreneurs take off.


MORE RESOURCES:

Economic View The New Deal Didn’t Always Work, Either
New York Times, United States - 2 hours ago
By TYLER COWEN MANY people are looking back to the Great Depression and the New Deal for answers to our problems. But while we can learn important lessons ...
No new New Deal National Post
all 2 news articles


Talk of a Recession, Maybe a Depression
FOXNews - 7 hours ago
How the recession, maybe depression, would drag on and on. It was over in months. My point is not to pick on TIME, but remember such prognostications rarely ...


Financial Post

GM shares hit lowest price since Great Depression
BusinessWeek - Nov 20, 2008
Shares of General Motors Corp. plummeted to a low not seen since the days of the Great Depression as hope that the automakers could receive a financial ...
US senators unveil US$25B plan for auto bailout Financial Post
all 298 news articles


And You Thought 1931 Was Bad for the Market
New York Times, United States - 6 hours ago
The S.& P. 500 has lost more than a third of its value in a calendar year only twice before, both during the Great Depression. It fell 41.9 percent in 1931, ...
Remembering the Dustbowl Wall Street Journal Blogs
all 3 news articles


Everybody’s Business What if a Slowdown Is a Never-Ending Story?
New York Times, United States - 2 hours ago
This, at least, is the pattern of the large recessions we have had since the Great Depression, which was a special case, as we shall see. ...
Pushing On A String And An Imminent Economic Catastrophe. Motley Fool
all 2 news articles


The Associated Press

The Big Three Depression risk
CNNMoney.com - Nov 20, 2008
Some fear a loss of GM, Ford and Chrysler would take US into another depression. Even if that doesn't happen, a major auto failure would clearly hurt. ...
Big Three’s Top Three Living in Bygone Age of Laudable Excess casavaria sentido
In swirl of bad news, Michigan asks 'What's next?' DetNews.com
Big Three do not have their act together Seattle Post Intelligencer
The Daily Voice - KXMC
all 611 news articles


An Eight-Point Plan to Avoid a Depression
TheStreet.com - 19 hours ago
It will take the Great Depression II off the table once and for all. This must be done now. Today. January is too late. Another depression will not be ...


The Daily Voice

Are We Headed For Another Great Depression?
The Daily Voice, NY - 17 hours ago
Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman sees a parallel between today's economic woes and the Great Depression era. "In 2008, as in 1932, ...
Obama's One-Time Opportunity: to Restructure the American Economy Huffington Post
all 2 news articles


The worst downturn since the depression
On Money - Chicago Tribune Blog, IL - 6 hours ago
In fact, on Thursday the market was down more sharply than any time since 1931 (the Great Depression.) Today brought some relief as it appeared that ...


Gov. Gardner made major changes to North Carolina during Depression
Triangle Business Journal, NC - 18 hours ago
As governor of North Carolina from 1929 to 1933, O. Max Gardner was dealt the hand of confronting the effects of the Great Depression. ...

Depression - Google News

home | site map
© 2006