My Night Out With the CCHR

Thursday I went to a Scientologist event.

And strangely enough…I enjoyed it.

Thursday was my day off and I was lying around the house as usual when JBN emailed me *yeah we email each other all the time* and asked did I want to go to this event named “Psychiatry: An Industry of Death - Touring Exhibit & Documentaries” that was advertised in the Express newspaper.

Of course, he was interested because he is currently pursuing in Masters in the field and I was interested because, well, it seemed interesting.

Now don’t get me wrong the program was very interesting. I do think he lost interest halfway through and started to nod off but I was very intently into the subject.

I was a little suspicious coming in because the people were just too damn happy for me. Just smiling real wide and over zealous with handshakes and hugs.

You know how I feel about strangers touching me.

The gust of the program was the “evils” of psychiatrists and pharmaceuticals companies and how they are modern day drug pushers for mental illnesses, which do not exist. No mental illnesses exists according to the CCHR, which is a subgroup of Scientology, they are made up entities devised by psychiatrists in order to get money.

Which I agree with…to some extent.

There was also a documentary on the history of “mental illness” and the “evil” psychiatrists behind it. It discussed popular psychiatrist and how wrong many of their popular theories were. They also discussed how psychology has entrenched every part of society.

Now I agreed with many of the points the documentary stated. I do believe that there are made-up illnesses just for the purpose of pumping drugs. Some of these illnesses are down right hilarious. I think it is just people who are just trying to get over on the State and collect disability.

Because in that case everyone has some sort of mental disorder.

JBN has 95% of the books they blasted in the documentary and even he sort of agreed that everyone is going to fit in some category in the book.

I don’t believe in the doping of children. Not all children have ADHD, some are just active. I don’t believe drugging a child into submission is the answer. Some children are just generally bored with their class work and needs more stimulation and challenges. Then those are the ones who just need an ass whooping…but that is another story.

Shit their brains are still developing imagine what those drugs would do to their developing brains?

I do believe that some, not all, psychiatrists are nothing more than drug pushers. They’re quick to prescribe pills but not offer any real therapy.

BUT I don’t agree with the notion that mental illness do not exist. I do believe that some mental illnesses exist and I don’t buy their bullshit theory that there is no such things as chemical imbalances in the brain. I believe that some mental illnesses are caused by imbalances in the brain and are not just “made up”. I mean how does a person “make up” schizophrenia if they have never read about symptoms? Who wakes up one day and says, “Hmm I’ll be bi polar today?”

This comes from personal experiences because I do have family members who have mental illnesses and JBN's mother have schizophrenia and I know that something is wrong; I won't say that they are "faking" an illness in order to obtain drugs, because I've found that they stop taking their medications because they don't like the side effects of the drugs, which of course makes their illness worse, but to for the documentary to state that "mental illnesses" do not exist was outrageous. There is a difference between schizophrenia and a so-called Caffeine Disorder.

I thought that was a crock and found that it was very interesting that none of them would answer my questions directly. They brushed them off with no real answer.

The documentaries also were a little bias. They failed to show the good in psychology such as some drugs do help treat certain symptoms of mental illnesses. While they are not a cure, they do help alleviates certain symptoms.

And everyone knows early psychiatrists were crackpots and half-crazy or drugged up themselves but what about modern psychiatrists who have done more good than harm?

I understand where they were coming from but at the same time show both sides not the bad side.

But the Scientologists are crazy though. They smiled a little too much even when I was debating with them. I think they were trying to convert us so I warned JBN not to eat the cookies because who knows…might wake up in the Scientologist basement strapped to a medieval torture device. Um yeah I believe in God, not some other dude. Fuck around and go home talking about I'm a Scientologist, I'd either get holy water tossed on me.

That or asked is that a new job description.

And they wouldn’t answer our questions completely because JBN kept drilling them although I think one guy was starting to get annoyed with us because we kept asking questions and answering a question with a question. He was starting to lose the smile and take on that "Tom Cruise" crazy eye.

Besides the uniforms were ugly. I do not look good in a jean shirt and khakis. Ima need a church hat or something to go with the outfit. The gaudy suits, I mean I would so rock a peacock blue suit with matching stockings and heels...not to mention the church hat with the matching feathers, waving my church fan as I catch the Holy Ghost.

Can you do that in a Scientology Center? I think not.

But an interesting program nonetheless.

Next up...Actually going in the Scientology building. A girl gotta find comedy in something right?