Carlbrook

[try another castle]

you are going to be a lot less damaged & more philosophical about it than if you went in for something minor at 14 and were locked away for your entire childhood.

I think I should probably chime in and contest this. I did my time at a childrens home before I went to RMA. and with the exception of about a school-year respite between the two places while living with my father (and what a joy that was, let me tell you  ) I spent my entire teenage years, from 14 to 19, in some facility.

I dunno, I think I can be pretty philosophical about it. I'm often surprised when people tell me my life has been hard. (I prefer to think of it as "interesting".)

Im not taking this comment personally, not at all. I just think that even though formative years can really affect a person, that doesn't mean they have lost the potential to unfuck themselves.

Nothing against you, my2cents. You've always come across as insightful in my book. I guess my point is that, as misanthropic as I can be sometimes, I've learned to have a bit more faith in the human soul than I used to. People can be tough motherfuckers, capable of exorcising even the most formidable demons. (just ask my fiancee.)

Anyone who has been through something traumatic and difficult should be considered a survivor, regardless of their opinion on said experience. The only prerequisite is that we are all still here... because there are many who are not.


So.. a shout out for all who made it... and also for all who did not, (for WHATEVER reason.)  :cheers:

[Anonymous]

An interesting aspect of the cult of fornits is watching people try to convince program alumni (oh wait, you call them survivors) they were mistreated and abused. Here's some free advice, if you have to convince someone they were abused, then it's probably safe to say they were never abused. The fornits definition of abuse is so watered down you'd be hard pressed to find someone who wasn't 'abused', program or not.

I am not trying to convince anyone that they were abused or that i know better than them what their experience was. But you can be philosophically opposed to something because by any objective measure it is not a good idea without being a cultist.
Adams if you don't think rma was incarcerating kids how would you define this? If you have no access at all to the outside world that is not closely monitored how is this not incarceration?

[Anonymous]

Parent considering sending child to CB and from the diatribe on this post there are some negative subjective comments of which some cautionary issues were raised and appreciated and then there were some that are not helpful.  Any comments form past/present students or parents?

[Anonymous]

Dad, is that really you? Why wasn't mom ever good enough for you?......................  :suicide:

[CarlbrookDad]

Parent considering sending child to CB and from the diatribe on this post there are some negative subjective comments of which some cautionary issues were raised and appreciated and then there were some that are not helpful.  Any comments form past/present students or parents?

Feel free to email me with your questions.
carlbrookdad[AT]yahooDOTcom

[Anonymous]

An interesting aspect of the cult of fornits is watching people try to convince program alumni (oh wait, you call them survivors) they were mistreated and abused. Here's some free advice, if you have to convince someone they were abused, then it's probably safe to say they were never abused. The fornits definition of abuse is so watered down you'd be hard pressed to find someone who wasn't 'abused', program or not.

I am not trying to convince anyone that they were abused or that i know better than them what their experience was. But you can be philosophically opposed to something because by any objective measure it is not a good idea without being a cultist.
Adams if you don't think rma was incarcerating kids how would you define this? If you have no access at all to the outside world that is not closely monitored how is this not incarceration?

[Anonymous]

:bump:

[Anonymous]

I went to Carlbrook what do people want to know ?

[ChristopherRobb]

Anybody interested in Carlbrook please visit the site http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=121154957908461. It is a public facebook forum that discusses Carlbrook and in which people are not anonymous, thus seeks to eliminate some of the more colorful and less productive aspects trends that occur on this one. If anybody is interested in documenting what went on at Carlbrook and taking it beyond the internet (not necessarily to the courts but gaining more legitimacy for our concern) I am attempting to collect sworn affidavits about the events that went on that aim to capture the truth. If you have told the truth you can use the accounts you've already made on this site and have them notarized. It is relatively easy to do this at a bank. Collecting affidavits of what went on there is important because obviously the extreme level of discontent coupled with severity and volume of accusations merits at least some sort of review by a state agency, the courts, or a specialist in mediation/arbitration. Tell the truth and don't exaggerate in any affidavits or you will be subject to perjury. You are also potentially sacrificing anonymity. You can either post your account on the facebook website or you can send it to my e-mail, crobb@gwu.edu. I personally am glad that I went to Carlbrook in the long run. Less because of what Carlbrook did but because I did need a change of environment. There are good people there and it saddens me that their employment may be threatened by irresponsible and reckless decisions of their superiors. I do honestly believe every single person, aside from maybe one or two was convinced that they were helping us. However, this issue is bigger then whether you liked Carlbrook or the people there. This is about what is acceptable to do to people, no matter what they have done, against their will. This is about the type of breakdown that happens in many organizations that suffer from a closed, secretive management. There were several things that were unacceptable, regardless of your experience.
What was unacceptable was that Grant Price and others who ran groups and made explicitly "therapeutic decisions" has no formal training, education or certification to be providing mental health services (which is exactly what running a group therapy is doing). Carlbrook is not held to any standards in the provision of such services and that is a problem. There are a reason standards and regulations exist in this field (even if they have problems of their own). I think even those who cherished the experience realize that a lot of what went on was not OK and though intentions may not have been malicious by any party, kids were hurt and traumatized by the purposely constructed environment of acute stress and anxiety. Even if you could "take it" some couldn't. People are different. A one size fits all approach of breaking people down and building their identity back up may be useful in forming a cohesive military unit but it is not in treating kids for problems that in many instances are related to stress and anxiety in the first place. Creating an environment with the level of intensity and stress that Carlbrook did obviously will have different effects on different types of people. The degree of emotional invasiveness can also not be underestimated. Forcing people to disclose things they don't want to is simply unethical. Plain and simple. I see this as not an issue of whether or not you liked Carlbrook or certain people there. I see this as an issue of Carlbrook making egregious and harmful administrative errors and being held accountable like any other organization that provided you sub-standard services. If Johnson & Johnson sells defective Tylenol, like they did, they are held to account. Carlbrook purposely humiliated kids, engaged in arbitrary and bizarre punishment and the therapeutic relationships and incentives are certainly highly unethical if not illegal. I would like to know for certain if they are and what potential damage might have been inflicted. I would like to know if Carlbrook gave kids Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome which is a condition that worsens with age. I personally am not OK with so much of what went on at Carlbrook and think that a lack of accountability for past events or sweeping what happened "under the rug" would set a terrible precedent and would only encourage others to provide even worse services to kids. Carlbrook is attempting to legitimize and dilute a form of treatment that has been roundly rejected by medical professionals, the courts, and state agencies. Please join me in writing and notarizing an affidavit.

[Oscar]

I found this article in the Daily Mail. It is about a so-called superwoman becoming a loserwoman:
Multi-millionaire superwoman Nicola Horlick: The agonising day I let a 'Child Whisperer' into my home... to take my daughter to a US boot camp (and why her teenager Antonia says she was right to do it)