According to Max Pemberton, Tom Cruise should stick to acting and stop going around speaking as an expert on mental health. Pemberton, a mental health professional who pens The Telegraph's Trust Me I'm a Junior Doctor column, was motivated to put on his investigative journalist hat and go see for himself what Scientology had to say about depression. I know, this is a cancer-related blog and you might be wondering why I might be discussing Cruise, Scientology and depression. Wait. Wait until I tell you what Pemberton was told when he arrived at the central London Scientology headquarters. Because, as Pemberton tells it, Scientology can explain cancer too.

On arriving Pemberton was invited in for a stress test. The woman conducting the test told him he was suffering from depression caused by a family member or friend. She assured him Scientology could help. She could not tell him more unless he signed up for a course, but she did assure him that the majority of illnesses, including diabetes, cancer, schizophrenia and depression, were the result of being suppressed by other people, but this suppression could be cleared away by Scientology. Oh really? Pemberton goes on to say he learned that Scientologists believe depression and disease are best alleviated by removing the sufferer's covering of tiny disembodied souls of aliens dispersed by the Galactic Federation leader Xenu. Nah -- no way. You cannot tell me that ten million Scientologists believe this is the cause of diseases like cancer. Do they? I invite any Scientologist who might wander by here to chime in and clarify this matter. In the meantime, Pemberton's first person account of his experience at the Scientology headquarters, and the Scientology explanation for the cause of diseases including cancer  -- leaves me feeling depressed.