Please Bijou Phillips, Say it Isn't So!

I felt like I had been slapped in the face. "My grandparents didn't take any pills and they were fine. Just buck up and get over it. Stop being such a fucking pansy," Bijou Phillips tells journalist Peter Davis for Paper magazine. Ug. She is talking about her disdain for psychiatric medicine. The article is on her and her now fiance Danny Masterson. They both practice Scientology. The faith of Scientology is notorious for their strong feelings against the field of psychiatry. (Who remembers the infamous Tom Cruise interview with Matt Lauer?) Masterson decides to be more tactful in what he says about the religion: "The definition of Scientology is 'the study of knowledge. Obviously, the more knowledge you have in a given field, such as life, the more confident you are as a person. I don't feel any pressure from Hollywood at all. It's 80 percent a community of artists creating art -- there's no pressure making art, it's a necessity."

The reason Phillips' comment shocked me is because I like her a lot. I like every single movie I have seen her in. I like her music. Even though she was born into a family of fame and fortune (her father is the late John Phillips, front man of the band The Mamas and The Papas) she never seems to have a big head or appear to think she's superior to anyone. She's a very smart girl without being pretentious or snobby and I do like the fact that she speaks her mind, even though I may not agree with everything she says. Although the psychiatric drug comment is the only thing I've read about her that I don't agree with. People who know her say she loves shocking people and saying outrageous things. Most of what I've heard her say I've found funny and refreshing. And even this comment doesn't particularly make me raging angry. She's entitled to her own opinion. I'm comfortable and confident in my own opinion on the subject and would be more than happy to have a lively, friendly discussion with someone on the topic.

I believe wholeheartedly that there is such a thing as chemical imbalances in the brain. I believe that psychiatric drugs can benefit many people with such imbalances. However, I also don't believe in over medicating someone who may not need it. Now I'm not a psychiatrist so I can't say who is being over medicated and who isn't. But I've met many people who I believe have been misdiagnosed with certain mental illnesses (again, this is just an opinion.) The stigma attached to having a mental illness isn't as big as it used to be. I've met many people who wear their diagnosed mental illnesses as a badge of honor. I'm not saying at all that it is something to be ashamed of. Far from it. But it frustrates me when people use their illness as an excuse not to do something. Or when they use it to try and gain attention or sympathy from other people.

I was diagnosed with panic disorder back in 1997. I started having panic attacks around that time and I didn't understand what they were. I just knew I felt nauseated and weak and felt like I couldn't breathe. My skin got clammy and I became terrified of what seemed like nothing. The panic attacks would usually come on at extremely random times. My parents and I visited a psychiatrist who said, "It sounds like panic disorder." I had never heard of it. They started me on a Zoloft regimen and I visited both a psychiatrist to monitor the medication and a behavioral psychologist who helped me deal with the panic attacks in other ways. I learned how to calm myself down with breathing techniques during sessions with the psychologist and I also got to talk about things that were going on in my life. It always feels good to pour all your thoughts and feelings onto someone who is there to be objective and not judge you. I remember knowing other people at that time with anxiety disorders that needed such drugs as Valium and other sedatives when their anxiety got really bad. I never needed that because I learned how to handle the brunt of it. But the Zoloft takes the edge off and I am now an extremely well-functioning adult, thankyouverymuch. Would I be able to survive without the Zoloft? Probably. I don't think I would turn into some crazy, ill-functioning person who wouldn't be able to control her life. I know I wouldn't. The entire experience has made me a stronger person and shown me that I am fully capable of handling many difficult things. This doesn't mean I don't still get panicky in certain situations. But I don't use it as an excuse not to do certain things. Although there are some things I just will not do no matter how much you try to get me to do them and I would appreciate it if everyone who leave me alone about them: roller-coasters, sky-diving, bungee-jumping and the like. I am also not a fan of merry-go-rounds but will go on them if threatened or if there is a possibility that it will make me seem like a freak if I refuse to ride on one. I also kind of feel the same way about riding on any swinging apparatus. But again, I'll still do it. But I would never be able to let this diagnosis of panic disorder rule my entire life. I still do things every day that make me uncomfortable. I think the thing that gives me the strength to do it is knowing all the people who care about me and love me for who I am. They know how hard I've worked. (Cue sentimental tears.)

Do I think I'm a "pansy" as Phillips says about people who use psychiatric medication? Of course I don't. I also think that this attitude is dangerous because this is how people viewed mental illness not too long ago. This is the reason why so many people decided to self-medicate themselves with alcohol, illegal drugs and other unhealthy, destructive things. Because you were seen as "weak" if you sought help for such problems. This was especially stigmatized with men, and even still is today. In many walks of life, your "manhood" is on the line if you're not able to control your problems and push them aside. This attitude, however, has caused many men to act cold and distant toward their families and even become abusive. In my opinion, a real man will do whatever it takes to make themselves a better person. If you feel like you have to "prove" your masculinity by doing idiotic things, then you're not a man to me.

I don't know much about Scientology. Only what I've read and documentaries I've watched. I fully respect it as long as no one is being hurt. What I don't like about certain religions is feeling like people are forcing them down my throat. I actually love reading and learning about different faiths. I want to understand them. I believe certain religions have helped save many people's lives. And I know that when people have found something that has affected them so deeply, they want to share it with the world and help others in the same way they have been helped. But I think this is where religious fanaticism comes in. It's great when something like this has helped someone through difficult times. But it might not have the same effect on someone else. This is why the likelihood of someone converting me to their religion is slim to none. I'm comfortable with what I believe. But I am extremely open-minded. The only organized religions for me are Unitarian Universalism and Quakerism. They allow you to question ideas. And I have many questions.

In conclusion, I still adore and respect Bijou Phillips. As long as she doesn't start worshipping Rush Limbaugh and his ideas, there shouldn't be a problem.

Here is another Bijou quote that I believe is from an interview in Maxim magazine that some people found shocking, but I thought was kind of funny:

After being asked what she missed most about NYC while living in L.A.:

"The people, the culture, the art, the intelligence, my friends...everything. People who have something to say and have read a book besides The Da Vinci Code. It's horrible. Even the intellectual people in Los Angeles are retarded. It's embarrassing. Yes, there are fucking retards on the East Coast, but there are enough interesting people who can introduce you to smart things. All you can do if you're a New Yorker in L.A. is read as much as possible. I just finished The Moon and Sixpence, which is a fictionalized bio of Gauguin, and I just went through an Ayn Rand phase."

Since I've never been to Los Angeles, this doesn't affect me. Although I'm positive there are extremely intelligent people in L.A. and some complete idiots in NYC. For those of you who have lived or been to L.A., feel free to agree or dispute.

An interview with Bijou Phillips circa 1999.