[SweetCrusader]

If so, just curious about your beliefs. I've heard a lot of things that make it sound crazy, and I know that things can get skewed from an outsider's perspective. I don't know any scientologists, and am just curious to hear about it from an inside perspective.

[SweetSunshine]

Sweet C.. I dont know much about it .. except that they dont believe that psychiatrists/ psychologists / therapists are needed because they push medications that arent needed. Their reasoning behind that is because our minds dont have chemical imbalances. HUH?!?! I dont believe that at all. They say all our problems come from the soul. I dont see their reasoning ... but I guess everyone is entitled to their beliefs..I just know that I dont have to believe the same things. Sorry I dont mean for this post to be offensive... But I know what my disorders are.. and I dont see how their way of thinking can help me or anyone like me or anyone else that has a mental disorder.

[SweetCrusader]

Hmmm maybe they wouldn't be likely to be on this site then, eh?

[(JD)]

I'm sure googling it will bring up the facts!

[SweetCrusader]

Tks Sky. Although I'm sure googling it would indeed bring me a lot of info, I was hoping for a dialogue with someone of that faith. Something a bit more personal

[(JD)]

Certainly, if you find official sites, they might have forums too or chat rooms?

[SweetCrusader]

Just looking to see if someone here is of that faith and wants to share... PM's welcome as I understand it might not feel particularly comfortable or safe to post here.

[DocJohn]

You're unlikely to find a Scientologist posting to a mental health website, because they very much see traditional mental health professionals as "enemies."

Perhaps Beliefnet has a Scientology forum to engage in such a dialogue? I don't know, it's just a suggestion...

DocJohn

I very much see traditional mental health professionals as 'enemies' more often than not but I'm not a scientologist per say. I do read their materials and I have communicated with a local centre now and then.

I come to PC for support. I know most people here use meds as part of their recovery plan but I don't. I reject meds for both faith based/religious reasons and philosophic reasons. I also don't trust medications or the pharmacutical industry so combined with my philosphic/religious beliefs I look for alternatives to meds and mainstream psychiatry for assistance with my recovery.

Still I come to PC to give and get emotional support. I don't come to PC for advise or counselling from medical professionals. I come to PC to give and get advise and support from people like me who live every day with the effects of life altering symptoms and effects.

I know there is this feud between pdocs and scientology but I have no feud with scientology. I admire anyone who can stimulate enough faith to achieve healing and wellness through a spiritual relationship with Creator. I share that faith with scientologists just as I share that faith with Christians and traditional healers of many faiths.

I'm sorry I can't answer your query SweetCrusader. It's been a while since I've read their books and I'll admit it is all a bit over my head anyways but I do support their position on the over use and mis use of psychotic medication treatment for mental illness.

From what little I've studied it is very much based on recoverying from past hurts and changing thinking patterns. Lots of CBT type stuff with a spiritual base. They are a very close knit community and very supportive of each other. It is like any church in that way.

Just wanted to chime in to suggest one need not trust doctors or prescribe to psych drug medicines to gain from PC. The personal support and acceptance is what keeps me with PC.

[SweetCrusader]

Thank you for sharing your perspectives, Chocolatelover (it's Pam, right? Wasn't positive).

Can you expound a bit on your beliefs re: not taking meds? I'm just curious about that. Why is it against your beliefs? Is it seen like a sin, or is it more like that it's just not necessary or something?

If you are concerned about starting debate about your beliefs, you are welcome to pm

Thanks,
Angela

[SweetCrusader]

ty for your reply & suggestions, DocJohn. I'm actually not interested in going somewhere else at this time to seek that information. I was just curious to see if anyone here was of that belief and would like to share. If nobody is, that's ok.

I hope I haven't offended someone in asking about it here?

[ECHOES]

Here's a link to a Wikipedia entry.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology

Oddly, there are links to www.scientology.org but they don't seem to work.

psst.... don't tell anyone but my real name is Patti. lol.

Debate isn't permitted so I'm not concerned about starting anything by sharing my views.

I'll expand with a bit of history.... I took meds for a while at one point in my journey through mental unwellness. Reluctantly but I relented to take meds to get through the crisis but I got off them again when the worst passed and I was able to find alternatives. I had a bad reaction not to the meds but to the medical system and the doctors who are too quick to prescribe and too busy to know enough about the meds for me to put my health in their hands. The hassle with the process..... time spent sitting in doctor's office while dealing with the anxiety/panic from being there at all. Time spent reminding doctors why I was there. Time spent giving my history again and having new labels added and new scripts to match. Increased my anxiety and made it harder not easier to cope with my everydays. Add the cost of meds and there's another reason I went looking for alternatives. The scripts my doc prescribed for me as my basic cocktail comes at a $600/month price tag. I don't have that kind of money to give to meds and no insurance to cover it for me. My best therapy is to work less not more. That's a lot of extra work that I'd have to be doing to pay for the meds. It was like working to pay for meds. If I didn't have to work so much I wouldn't need so many meds. I opted to cut back my work and stay away from meds.

On the other side of the coin is my 'spiritual' (as opposed to religious) conviction that psych medications are in themselves a negative energy. They desensitize me and separate me from myself. I don't like how they make me feel. I feel poisoned and totally out of touch with myself.

My illness goes in cycles. I can have weeks at a time where I feel totally 'normal'. No negative talk impacting my thoughts, no anxiety limiting my activities, no nausia restricting my eating, no rapid eye/leg/brain activity keeping me awake. No crazy ideas or crazy energies. No suicidal ideations, no hopelessness, no sense of uselessness or worthlessness, no symptoms to medicate.

These periods of 'resession' may only last for a day or two or may go weeks at a time but they are enough to make me want to know that when they happen it is me. Not the meds. It is 100% Patti. I need that. I need to know its me not the pills that is talking, doing, thinking, being okay with the world and myself. If only for a day its a treat. If for a week or so its a blessing. If it could go a lifetime it would be the miracle I pray every day to exerience.

It has been a long time between 'resessions' for me. Haven't felt as well as I do right now for many months and it was many months before then so they are few and far between that I enjoy these respites from the usual struggles. But for me they are worth the wait and worth the struggle.

In the meantime I benefit everyday from becoming more disciplined with my prayers, meditations, nutrition, fitness, thinking and behavioural patterns. I face every symptom with prayer and holistic wellness therapy. I live by the medicine wheel where I learn to practise balance and harmony. I transcend into spirit to cope with and heal my physical realities.

I am a spiritual being having a human experience. I can centre my physical pain until I don't feel the pain anymore. I can mentally travel to the source of the physical pain and take it apart in my mind. I can centre my mental anquish until I don't feel anquished anymore. In spirit I can overcome anything my physical form wrestles with. I'm disciplining and centring myself into a state of greater and greater wellness.

Some call it 'hokky' I call it my spiritual journey to physical and mental wellness. Holistic medicine led by spiritual enlightenment and faith in what I know but can not see.

PS... I was a member of another MI support sight that actually ban scientologists or any discussion of scientology. Little drastic I'd say.

Nice PC isn't one of those places. Least people here are treated like adults who have the ability to make their own minds up about what is outside the walls of the pdocs office.

Take good care.....

[(JD)]

Chocolatelover, I suspect that if the types of posting that are common to those of that bent were to occur here, they would also be unwelcomed. This is a support site first. It's very difficult to feel supported when someone comes on and tells us we're doing it all wrong.

I,too, use all that God provides on the course of my healing. I'm confused a tad about your posting, are you saying you are part scientologist???

TC nonetheless!

[DocJohn]

Let's please keep to the OP's request and answer their question if one is a Scientologist or has something to offer from a Scientologist background or from experiences with Scientology.... thanks!

[nowheretorun]

hi SweetCrusader

hope its ok if i comment on chocolatelovers post?

to make it legit, i tried reading one of the scientolgy books... must have been the most complicated one of all (cant remember the title now) cause i sure didnt get word one...

like you chocolatelover, i'd rather know it was 'me' having an issue or obstacle rather than the meds... and, i'd just rather be fully aware of whats going on and not 'dulled' ...

(((((((doc john)))))

I dont particularly understand scientology, from what I'v HEARD it's rather bizarre, but that's only what I've HEARD....I'm interested in anything people have to offer on the subject ..... someone posted earlier that if one is depressed it is because we don't let God into our lives and that we are self obsessed or words to that effect.... I disagree completely with that ... depression can be a chemical imbalance in the brain, things we have suffered in the past etc ..... I know that was only one persons opinion but it was a strong statement and one I would not personally agree with .....

Jin xxxxxx

If one persons belief is posted then so should anoters IMHO.....

Jin

No Sky.... I'm not a scientologist or as you say 'part scientologist'..... but I have had some contact with scientologists. And there is much I can agree about and much I feel I could learn. I study a little bit about a lot of different subjects. Scientology is at most one of those subjects that interests me from time to time.

I suspect you are right about someone coming on and 'telling people they are doing it all wrong' would be unwelcomed. The same way that anyone who preaches one point of view or suggests one answer for all is unwelcomed on any support community. That kind of person is distasteful to everyone.

That being said Sky, I don't think its fair to generalize or suggest that a scientologist is any more prone than any one else to preaching a particular point of view or belief.

Take good care Sky..........

((((((((chocolate))))))))

I agree wholeheartedly............

this is not just a Christian thread as it says in the rules ....

jinny xxxxx

[SweetCrusader]

Guys, I just want to hear about scientology beliefs. I don't want there to be a debate I wasn't really looking for conjecture about what a scientologist would or wouldn't do in the forums, or how welcome they would or would not be here.

Pls pls pls, my friends, if you know something about it, share it here. If you're not posting to share information about scientology or a similar viewpoint/practice (like chocolatelover's view of meds), pls just let me hear about those viewpoints. I don't want my thread to be locked.

With respect,
Angela/SC

[bebop]

I agree here let's keep it on topic like doc says and the op.

[nowheretorun]

i didnt mean to offend anyone earlier about the use of meds... i know some of you require them and i have used them but not since '05 ..

im not sure i would have recovered as far as i think i have without them...

and i still dont understand scientology, but if i met one i'd probably meet someone i could like, and even if it took some trying, a great friendship would be worth the effort..

thats the me i want to be.... in real life there's frictions and i just skip the little stuff... and try to smile...

((((((sweetcrusader))))))

I hope you do get some info about scientology, your views and questions are welcome here, sorry if it turned into a bit of a debate.....please dont let it put you off.....

Jinny xxxxxx

[SweetCrusader]

Ok, now to respond to Patti.

You sound very strong and firm, and grounded in your beliefs.

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
On the other side of the coin is my 'spiritual' (as opposed to religious) conviction that psych medications are in themselves a negative energy. They desensitize me and separate me from myself. I don't like how they make me feel. I feel poisoned and totally out of touch with myself

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">

I have never taken psychotropic meds, though I've never really had a conviction per se about taking or not taking them. But when I read that, I thought... sheesh, my whole reason for being in therapy is that I feel so separated from myself, and this causes so much suffering. I certainly don't need meds to feel cut off from me, dissociation does that all to well already!

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
In the meantime I benefit everyday from becoming more disciplined with my prayers, meditations, nutrition, fitness, thinking and behavioural patterns. I face every symptom with prayer and holistic wellness therapy. I live by the medicine wheel where I learn to practise balance and harmony. I transcend into spirit to cope with and heal my physical realities.

I am a spiritual being having a human experience. I can centre my physical pain until I don't feel the pain anymore. I can mentally travel to the source of the physical pain and take it apart in my mind. I can centre my mental anquish until I don't feel anquished anymore. In spirit I can overcome anything my physical form wrestles with. I'm disciplining and centring myself into a state of greater and greater wellness.

Some call it 'hokky' I call it my spiritual journey to physical and mental wellness. Holistic medicine led by spiritual enlightenment and faith in what I know but can not see.

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">

I would really like to learn how to live more in a spiritual way like that. I have this fear and avoidance of it, I think because spirituality wasn't really a grounded, centering, kind of experience for me growing up as a Mormon. It just doesn't fit with my sense of my spirit, you know? It's hard to sort out my spirituality from my past. I told my T that sometimes I judge my spiritual side because I'm afraid of being "flaky." She said that sounded like internalized racism to her (against Native American beliefs).

I don't know much about scientology, and I wouldn't ever become one. But I am a firm believer that just about every religion or pattern of beliefs has some grain of wisdom and truth in it. And I guess in this thread I was seeking for that balanced perspective, because I feel very bombarded with the negative comments re: scientology. The media is in such a frenzy over it with the Tom Cruise thing. I want to find the midpoint between over-acceptance and under-acceptance. I don't want to go to a scientology forum though! lol! I feel quite at home here at PC.