InACorner: a scientologist is someone who believes in no medication and that the only way to overcome an illness is through a healthy lifestyle

Well... I certainly believe that medication should be avoided if at all possible. We already know that most medications have substantial side-effects such as diabetes, tardive dyskinesia, stroke -- even death. To call attention to these well-established facts does not make one a Scientologist and is part of the reason there is tremendous value in studying cultures and settings where drugs are used minimally or not at all, i.e.,

<blockquote><font color=red>Among those who went through the OPT program, incidence of schizophrenia declined substantially, with 85% of the patients returning to active employment and 80% without any psychotic symptoms after five years. All this took place in a research project wherein only about one third of clients received neuroleptic medication.

Source: Dialogue is the Change</font></blockquote>As for a healthy lifestyle -- we could likely all benefit from improved nutrition and regular exercise regardless of whether we have been given a "diagnosis" or not. Again, this may be associated with Scientology but it does not render one a Scientologist. For that matter, a Scientologist, Buddhist, Christian, Pagan, Hinduist, etc. who is speaking such truths is still speaking the truth regardless of their religious affiliation. There is no one-size-fits-all form of treatment which is why it's necessary to critically examine our beliefs surrounding the causes of schizophrenia and the treatments that are used.

Bear in mind that the history of the treatment of schizophrenic is bizarre, barbaric and brutal. Schizophrenics have been burned alive, tortured, jailed, drowned, ridiculed, electrocuted, experimented upon, traumatized, sterilized, locked away and murdered ... treatment that was often meted out at the hands of those who were charged with caring for and helping them. Those practices only ended because others were willing to question the practice and demand change. In that respect, I sincerely welcome voices like wizkid's who are willing to examine, poke, prod, question, criticize, explore and theorize. Are we helping or hindering? Are we producing cure or disease? These are vitally important questions that should be asked by those who have the courage and wherewithal to ask them.

See also: <a href=http://radgeek.com/gt/2006/03/18/over_my>Concerning the Soul of Brutes</a>