Anonymous asked this question on 4/22/2000:
why is the criminal scientology cult anti-psychiatry? that doesn't make any sense to me. do they want depressed people to kill themselves? what is the cult's alternative? i just don't get it.
desertphile gave this response on 4/22/2000:
The founder of Scientology, L.R. Hubbard, was himself depressive. This is probably due to alcohol abuse and the barbituates he constantly consumed. He was also impotent, which often adds to or causes depression in many men. He wrote the following letter to the Navy's Vetran's Administration, begging for help:
"Gentlemen; / This is a request for treatment.... After trying and failing for two years to regain my equilibrium in civil life, I am utterly unable to approach anything like my own competence. My last physician informed me that it might be very helpful if I were to be examined and perhaps treated psychiatrically or even by a psycho-analyst. Toward the end of my service I avoided out of pride any mental examinations, hoping that time would balance a mind which I had every reason to suppose was seriously affected. I cannot account for nor rise above long periods of moroseness and suicidal inclinations, and have newly come to realize that I must first triumph above this before I can hope to rehabilitate myself at all. I cannot leave school or what little work I am doing for hospitalization due to many obligations, but I feel I might be treated outside, possibly with success. I cannot, myself, afford such treatment. Would you please help me? / Sincerely, L. Ron Hubbard."
As far as historical documents show, Hubbard never received treatment for depression.
Vistaril Intramuscular Solution (hydroxyzine hydrochloride) was found in his blood when he died. It is useful in treating: (1) The acutely disturbed or hysterical patient; (2) The acute or chronic alcoholic with anxiety withdrawal symptoms or delirium tremens; and used (3) as pre- and postoperative and pre- and postpartum adjunctive medication to permit reduction in narcotic dosage, allay anxiety and control emesis.
As to why Hubbard, and therefore Scientology, is fanatically against psychology, psychiatry, and medication, you must understand that he saw his organization as being in competition with those professions. That is, it was and is a money issue: the Church of Scientology wants the money that sick people currently spend on valid treatment, to be given to the Church for useless "treatments."
There is another reason why the Church of Scientology slanders the mental health profession: Hubbard was insane, and he blamed that insanity partly on his inability to acquire treatment.
Hubbard taught, and the Church of Scientology believes, that:
1. Psychiatry originated millions of years ago in an evil alien galactic empire, the Marcab Federation. That empire was ruled over by Lord Xenu. See www.xenu.net for more information about that.
2. The planet Earth is a prison planet which is operated and controlled by evil Marcabian psychiatrists who are located on the planet Mars.
3. The evil Marcabian psychiatrists operate a system of Implant Stations which are located on Mars and the planet Venus. Human beings have been implanted and programmed to return to these Implant Stations.upon each body death. Here they are implanted by the evil alien psychiatrists to forget their past life, then they are programmed to return to earth where they will take over a new baby body. The implants are induced by advanced electronics and humans have been implanted countless lifetimes by the evil alien psychiatrists. Once implanted and programmed the being is packaged in ice and is returned to earth by flying saucers and dumped in the pacific ocean. The being has been programmed to find its way to a new body.
4. The evil Marcabian psychiatrists maintain a telepathic control over the evil earthling psychiatrists.
5. The only way to escape this evil psychiatric imprisonment is through L. Ron Hubbard. Dr. Hubbard is Source... he is the one who made these awesome discoveries. He is the one who has worked out the Golden Technology to free Mankind from the evil psychiatrists and this evil cosmic enslavement. Dr. Hubbard's Golden Technology is only available from the Church of Scientology.
To answer your question, "NO," they do not want people to kill themselves. Most of the Church of Scientology's members who post anti-mental health propaganda believe they are helping people, not hurting them. They truely believe that seeking psychiatric help for mental illness "harms people," despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
The average rating for this answer is 4.2.
Anonymous rated this answer a 5.
Thank you. this a very odd religion.