fleaflo I'm really at odds with myself about this documentary. On the one hand it really points out how irresponsible the pharma lobbies uses it's power to exploit the people. On the other hand does it downplay the actual mental problems people have (e.g. there is no such thing as a bipolar disorder and depression- everyone has it sometimes...). Most disappointing is the sensational style of the documentation. You wouldn't have needed all these visual and audible effects to reach the audience. In the end I'm none the wiser. That's very unfortunate because this topic really needs to be illuminated so that treatments focus on nutrition, therapy (e.g. psycho- therapy) and systemic approaches (e.g. analyzing social patterns)

Jayashrii My state representatives received this DVD in the mail. I viewed it with one of them. This "documentary," made by one of the Church of Scientology's front organizations, is a boring, repetitious, and bizarre mix of highly selective information, rapid-fire mini-sound bites from people in the street repeating short phrases or single words (e.g. "bipolar" "Zoloft"), "experts" opinions, and ominously-colored and flashing graphs and numbers (e.g. millions of dollars) with portentous-sounding voice-overs. The message is that psychiatry is a mercenary hoax threatening everyone and that psychiatric medications have no good effects and kill lots of people. Since the film provides no research supporting claims made in the film and the "experts'" credentials — and even, in many cases, their actual positions regarding psychiatry — seemed dubious, I looked for facts online. I was saved considerable time because someone else had already checked all the presenters that could be found and had written them asking if they were aware of the nature of the film they appeared in, providing them with the minutes where their comments appeared so that they could check to see what was included in the film. Some seem to have responded. I found an extensive article by University of Texas bioethicist Dr. Howard Brody who appears often in the film. In his article he expresses his positive opinion of psychiatry and psychotropic medication and presents a clear and careful analysis of the entire film. I can't include the URL but it isn't hard to find. I also found a statement by a state representative from another state about how he narrowly escaped publicly endorsing Scientology's anti-psychiatry position, explaining, "They misled me." (not by this film, however). There may be a good documentary somewhere about the very real problems with the pharmaceutical industry: the profiteering, the way they advertise, conflicts of interest by professionals, etc., — but this isn't it. This video merely promotes Dr. Thomas Szasz's incorrect ideas from his half-century old book in complete ignorance of facts and sound subsequent research.

mrtraska If I could give this film a zero out of 10, I would. I'm betting the two good reviews it got here were from Scientologists, considering that they produced this crap. I don't think psychiatry is without its faults, and I think the rest of the medical profession needs to demand more accountability from psychiatry and that hard data from repeatable research will, over time, determine which psychiatric treatments work and which don't. But I want data on that, and NOT from scientologists or their supporters! They're nutcases, and their assertions are neither plausible nor backed up by peer reviewed research. This is a jeremiad riddled with assertions, nothing more, and richly deserves contempt. But it certainly doesn't deserve your time or any of your money.

joe_048 I found this documentary to be extremely informative and important in today's world, what with the flood of drug advertising hitting us daily in the media. There are so many new diseases and disorders it makes one think our doctors have been doing some great research and finding new diseases, and coming up with just the right pill for them...but this is NOT the case. Watch this documentary and find out the real reasons we're seeing so many new disorders and their treatments. It has nothing to do with science nor medicine! If you suffer from depression you would be better off talking with a friend or a clergyman than taking a prescription, psychotropic drug for it. Everyone should get very familiar with this important documentary.