True, but couldn't we say that of every religion? I've never heard a Born Again Christian testify that he or she was anything but lost when s/he suddenly "found" Christ.
And haven't we heard almost every interviewee say the initial courses and readings WERE helpful to them? (Who knows why? Maybe they just needed somebody to talk to.)
It's the later, full-time immersion and living under the thumb of COB Miscavige that is so abusive.
I am an atheist and I am not a fan of any organized religion, but there is a massive difference between Scientology and growing up Catholic like I did. I decided I didn't believe any of that god stuff, and slowly left, told my parents as gently as I could that I was not a believer and never would be, and absolutely no one cared at all. My parents were sad for a bit but got over it and basically left the church as well (they could not handle the pedophile scandals or the church sticking its nose into politics), and the Catholic church sure as heck never hunted me down or cared that I left, didn't believe, was vocal about being a nonbeliever etc. And on top of all that, for a few years after I decided I didn't believe, I still went to Christmas Eve mass with my parents because they appreciated me being there and I like the music and decorations, so whatever. I wasn't approached to come back, I wasn't shunned at the door. Noooone of that would happen with Scientology, so there is a HUGE difference.
But I do completely agree that a lot of people who are lost find religion because they are looking for answers. One reason I find I don't need religion or god is because I don't care about the answers. Death doesn't bother me, I don't wonder "what comes next" and I am cool with the science explanations for why we are here, where we came from, etc.
They do say that low level Scientologists can quietly leave and not deal with being stalked or forced to disconnect, and that those things are generally reserved for Sea Org members. But even the low level Scientologists are forced to do Scient. work every single day, for hours a day. As a Catholic growing up, I went to church Sunday mornings for 1 hour, and CCD before church for 1 hour. That was the entirety of my required participation. And IMO, that was my parents requiring it, not the church. I could have gone to mass every week and not done the whole CCD thing and no one would have known.