Why does scientology hate phsychiatry?

Answer 1

The Church of Scientology's world war on psychiatry arose from its zealous founder, L. Ron Hubbard. For reasons known only to Hubbard himself, the science fiction author and budding church leader conceived a violent hatred of psychiatry. Perhaps his animus took root when the American Psychological Association, following the 1950 publication of Hubbard's self-help treatise, "Dianetics," advised its members against using Hubbard's psychological techniques with their patients.

In a 1969 article, "Today's Terrorism," published in a Scientology journal, Hubbard claimed that "the psychiatrist and his front groups operate straight out of the terrorist textbooks. The Mafia looks like a convention of Sunday school teachers compared to these terrorist groups." The psychiatrist, Hubbard went on, "kidnaps, tortures and murders without any slightest police interference or action by western security forces." Later, Hubbard wrote that, in society, "there's only one remedy for crime -- get rid of the psychs! They are causing it!"

David Figueroa, president of the group's Florida chapter and a practicing Scientologist, states that mental illness, as defined by the psychiatric community, does not exist. He takes particular offense at the mention of attention-deficit disorder and attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder. "Our contention from the very beginning is that these mental disorders are a scam," he says. "We know that there has never been any biological proof to any of these so-called mental illnesses these kids have been tagged with, whether it's ADD or ADHD. They don't exist. It's 100 percent fraud."

Advocates of the psychiatric care of kids say that's preposterous. "It is a bona fide condition recognized and diagnosed around the world," writes Dr. Peter S. Jensen, director of the Center for the Advancement of Children's Mental Health at Columbia University.

The argument that children are overmedicated, critics say, constitutes a fig leaf concealing the Scientologists' more radical agenda: destroying psychiatry. "Scientologists have gotten behind an attitude that's out there in general society that too many kids are on medication," says Jim Daughton, a lobbyist for the Florida Psychiatric Society. "Legislators and policymakers have that general concern. Nobody wants to have these kids hopped up on medication if they don't need to be. So Scientologists are able to get on that bandwagon and take it a step further, saying there's no test for mental illness, that mental illness doesn't exist."

Answer 2

Not only does Scientology hate it, but many do. The major reason is because psychiatry claims to be a science but it is not at all. The diagnosis of any mental illness is done by the psychologist/psychiatrist consulting a book called the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. The DSM describes how to diagnose mental illnesses.

However, the method for determining if something is included in the DSM is not at all scientific. For mental illnesses, they do not give a blood test or any other objective test to determine the illness. Psychology (which is really the "science" itself) can never do that. The diagnosis is based purely on a person's opinion. If a person goes to several different psychologists, they can receive varying reports as to what, if any, mental illness they have. In fact, studies have been conducted where mentally "healthy" people have gone to various professionals in this area and have been diagnosed with a variety of mental illnesses.

To include an "illness" in the DSM, the psychological community gets together every so often and votes on whether something is or isn't a mental illness. This is why I say it is not at all a science. Science doesn't vote on whether appendicitis is an illness or not. It is an illness and it will remain one, no matter how many doctors I go to. There are objective, biological tests that can be given to diagnose it. Whether you have it or not is not a matter of someone's opinion or how long you've been feeling this way.

I'm not a Scientologist and I disagree with them on many points, but they have a real point here. If people would just go back and study how psychology originated, they would see that it is not at all a science and should not have the power we've given it in our lives today. It's a sham.

Answer 3

Scientology is a pseudo-psychological cult based on the the science fiction writings of L. Ron Hubbard. Scientologists are threatened by psychaitry.

Of course, in Clearwater Florida, a young woman who was being cured by the methods of the Church of Scientology died in their custody. How nice. I'll take a xanax instead.

Answer 4

Scientology is a crank outfit as mentioned by #1.

Scientology has a psychologic aspect to it. They focus on abnormalities of the mind. Their theories put them in competition with modern Psychiatry. That's why they attack it.

For example when prozac first came out, they attacked it. It later turned out to be a miracle drug and they had to eat their words. Strange.

Answer 5

I think it has something to do with the axioms of psychiatric normality. Hubbard's view was that the contemporary model integrates flaws into it's system and basically, his is better; many of Psychiatry's normalities equate with his idea of "engrams", and the point of psychiatry is to establish normality which equates by his reasoning to "engramming" people.

Read up on Dianetics and you'll get the drift.

Answer 6

Tom Cruise is a prime example of why scientology NEEDS psychiatry.

Answer 7

Because Scientologists believe that any problems in your "head" are really things that can be "cured" by looking more to the religion - that any sickness - mental or otherwise - means that you're essentially not praying hard enough.

Answer 8

I think most or all of Psychiatry is based on the assumption "There is no God". Which is contrary to the scriptures And all Christian faith.

Answer 9

I think it's obvious. Cranks hate people with the knowledge and ability to diagnose them as cranks rather than people with valid beliefs.

Answer 10

Scientology hates anything that exposes it for the sham it is.