Brooke Shields in a barb war with Tom Cruise

Brooke's comments "about Tom's move" were also a slight to his religion, blatantly. Bigotry knows no bounds - even by someone whose "depressed". Vitamins DO work on PPD, Brooke - for people who aren't "victims of their chemical imbalances". Start reading and stop listening to pop-psychology.

Spoken like a faithful Scientologist, but you, like Tom, offer no proof for your claims, just random regurgitation of the things Scientology has fed you. Are you a doctor? A scientist? Or a woman? If not, then you should do what Tom Cruise needs to do, and keep your mouth shut about things you know nothing about.

Your ignorance of PPD is appalling! I gave birth a month before Brooke Shields did, and I have battled PPD for two years. I nearly killed myself and my son because of idiotic opinions like those of Tom Cruise. Vitamins don't do SQUAT for a woman who is deeply depressed. Know why? PPD is more than a vitamin deficiency!!!! Tom's religion is wrong, but he is free to pursue it because this is America. However, he needs to keep his ridiculous views to himself!

I wrote a novel about my experience with PPD. It is due out June 2006 through Whiskey Creek Press. http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/comingsoon.shtml

There was a point when I was going through PPD that I thought my son was the Chucky doll trying to kill me. I wrote my book like Brooke did, to bring it more into the open. My book is told in first person, and takes the reader along on the devastating slide into malaise.

Back in the late 1800's, Charlotte Perkins Gillman wrote The Yellow Wallpaper about her experience with PPD, and what was called the "rest cure." New mothers who had severe baby blues or PPD were put on bed rest, isolated, and as you can imagine, with no mental or physical stimulation, many got worse instead of better. Charlotte Gillman went back to work, and soon felt better, but when she tried to get her short story The Yellow Wallpaper published, the publishers balked at it, said it would drive people insane! These publishers of course, were men. She did finally get the story published, and its publication did help other women in similar situations. http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/dept/history/lavender/whyyw.html

Today, the pendulum has swung the other direction... here we have Tom Cruise prescribing vitamins and exercise as a cure for PPD. What is wrong with this picture? Tom Cruise is not a doctor, he is not a scientist, and he is not a woman. His wife never even gave birth. He has absolutely no experience with PPD, and yet, he considers himself qualified enough to speak out about it?

I was wholly offended by Cruise's "glib" attitude. It is that same attitude of men that for years told us that PMS was all in our heads, that we did not experience hot flashes when we go through menopause. For years women were too embarrassed to discuss it. Now these things are finally coming to light, women are seeking treatment and learning that they are not crazy or alone, but Neanderthals like Tom Cruise and his Scientologists would set progress back to the turn of the century. His criticism of psychiatric medications is reprehensible and could even be dangerous if anybody actually bought his bologna. Let your voices be heard, Ladies, don’t let prehistoric ideas like Cruises scare you from seeking help if you need it, and anyone needing support for PPD please join my support group: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/morningstarppd/