The Straight Jacket 1985-1987

[Binky]

On 2006-03-03 10:31:00, Squirrel wrote:

"Father:



No way! She was your prom date!?!



Rachel had a particular qualtiy about her that was endearing. The staff was always fond of her. I can see why one would be facinated by her.



You said we went on an outing...was it to that dreadful swamp in Stoughton? Wampanoag something or other? Tell me what you remeber..



Denisha

"

Yup - Rachel was my prom date that always makes me laugh when i hear about some of the things she's done.

Anyway - our outing ---it was very strange - it was the first mixed one - it's funny - I remember some details so clearly, but others are so so foggy --

I have no idea where we went, but I remember being at a convenient store of sorts..no! - a candy store! -- and I think some of us had candy cigarettes and got in trouble for it later - LOL! - and there was gameyness (still LOVE that word!) going on - which we got a talking to about as well.

It was so fun, and i remember my feelings so clearly - I was so freaked out being so close to a girl - and being 16 it was hard enough to not be gamey, but the fear of what would happen if I got caught flirting...just got that old shiver...

I wish i could remember where we went to begin with -

[Anonymous]

Straight va was the ultimate in mind fucks from everybody I have ever spoken with. Straight Springfield was the least proud moment.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have Rachel's current #?

[Squirrel]

Gamey. Wow. I'd forgotten that word too.

I hope you are over the Virginia vs. Stoughton thing because the whole game was an experiment. None of it means anyhting. For example some Synanon peole came to my school in eighth grade asking parents if their teenagers were moody, tired, depressed, hanging out with a new crowd, etc. Well yes, yes, yes, and yes. Within three months five of us from Gates Junior High were in Straight. They told our parents that based to their number of "yes's" they'd checked we were chemically dependent and would be dead in a year.
Well, I'm not chemically dependent and my parents a $160 grand lighter.

Please, believe nothing those people told you about yourself. Only you know what your issues are and only you can deal with them.

That being said, I'm glad we had fun in a candy store.

Peace,
Denisha

[Binky]

On 2006-03-03 10:34:00, starry-eyed pirate wrote:

"

On 2006-03-03 10:14:00, Father Abraham wrote:


"Nope never in VA -- one of the bad parts about being in Stoughton was that EVERYTHING always came down to how much better VA was -





I was the 13th Boston intake (lucky 13) -





Here's something I NEVER told anyone -- I was felt that since I didn't my program in VA that my sobriety paled in comparison to anyone from VA





Always felt 2nd rate to VA -





huh





It's so funny - what - 20 years later and still have that VA jealousy -- or whatever it is -"

Wow! What do you mean ??  Could you elaborate and give me some more perspective ??  What do you mean VA was better ??  Curious."

Absolutely --

Let me preface this too by saying I have nothing against VA -- if anything I was always jealous of you guys -

I think that we were made to feel like the red headed step child of a new marraige...

We (the Boston Newcomers) were always told how in VA things were so much better - not in terms of fun or nicer people, but it was real sobriety.

That in VA if you didn't dislocate your shoulders motivating, well - you just weren't going to get called on.

We had it easy in Boston - in VA there 5,000,000 people trying to get called on - and like i said I was the 13th intake -- the room was pretty empty - so we didn't know what a real program was like.

That since no one misbehaved or ran for a door in Stoughton, well - then we didn't know what getting Straight was all about.

That if the floor wasn't soaked in sweat, blood and spit - we weren't really a group.

THAT was always such a sticking point - I always felt that "The Group" in VA was like a combination of the Knights of the Round Table meets The Army of Orcs (Lord of the Rings)

That Boston was a 2nd rate rehab compared to the grueling, grizzled and awesome work ethic of VA.

Horrible analogy, but follow me here - Rocky III

Remember the way Clubber Lang trained for his fight against Rocky - on the street, grunting, groaning - alone - pain...the street! the pull ups - the hanginging upside down in that dingy, dirty apartment -- alone.

And the way Rocky trained - in a beautiful plush hotel - it was like a circus or a party - with bubbles...

(Mic's voice) "That ain't trainin'!"

Anyway -- I always felt that we weren't really training (getting sober) since we weren't "down in VA"

I've never said that before -- I've never admitted that to anyone -- WOW! - it's freaky how stuff just pops up and stays fresh -- after 2 decades...

I hope that answers your question -- and sorry if I offended anyone from VA -- keep in mind - this is from the perception of a 16 year old boy with a drug problem -- I always wished my worries were about the things other 16 year olds worried about - like getting my drivers licence - not about eternal damnation if I didn't get sober

[Anonymous]

That is some funny shit. I guess I am glad I was in Va. Virginia is a great state and I am glad I live Here, but everything you were told was bunk..a load of shit. Why did you believe it? Maybe we should have online webcam motivation contests to sole this. :rofl:

[Binky]

On 2006-03-03 11:02:00, Squirrel wrote:

"Gamey. Wow. I'd forgotten that word too.



I hope you are over the Virginia vs. Stoughton thing because the whole game was an experiment. None of it means anyhting. For example some Synanon peole came to my school in eighth grade asking parents if their teenagers were moody, tired, depressed, hanging out with a new crowd, etc. Well yes, yes, yes, and yes. Within three months five of us from Gates Junior High were in Straight. They told our parents that based to their number of "yes's" they'd checked we were chemically dependent and would be dead in a year.

Well, I'm not chemically dependent and my parents a $160 grand lighter.



Please, believe nothing those people told you about yourself. Only you know what your issues are and only you can deal with them.



That being said, I'm glad we had fun in a candy store.



Peace,

Denisha"

Thanks Denisha -

I've gotta say after my long journey I'm in a great place -- for the most part anyway - I still catch myself at work seeing a pencil on the ground and thinking "maaan - a newcomer could grab that and..."

After Straight i did some serius soul searching - i hooked up with this other horror show group - Life Spring - (i rarely talk about it - it's a very embarrassing thing for me -- and after that gave up on the whole "group" thing -

There i was 17/18 - scared out of my mind about going back to drugs - realizing that Straigh was a very fucked up place - and AA was starting to get odd too

I went to College (not obvious by my fantastic spelling) - majored in Philosophy and went soul searching while getting the paper - the degree.

Amazing time!

I know deep in my heart that i'm an addict - I have no doubt about that - and i actually feel lucky to have that knowledge -

A good friend of mine from Straight and I often talk about Straight like it was our 'Nam - and that helps me when i see that pencil on the ground and flash back to a thought or time -- and ALL the other bizarro stuff we Straightlings have - that only we understand -

After talking to you - I'm gonna have some messed up dreams - LOL! - back in Stoughton dreams or something messed up -

If I bump into a college friend my night sleep's fine - again - our 'Nam.

i'm SO glad you're doing well - you're one of those people whose faces I see when i think back to Straight - you know what i mean - so it's GREAT that you're doing well -- somehow means I'm doing well too if that makes any sense.

[Binky]

On 2006-03-03 11:17:00, Anonymous wrote:

"That is some funny shit. I guess I am glad I was in Va. Virginia is a great state and I am glad I live Here, but everything you were told was bunk..a load of shit. Why did you believe it? Maybe we should have online webcam motivation contests to sole this. :rofl: "

LOL! - there you go!

A bunch of nearing 40 year olds motivating - LOL! - that's great!

 :rofl:

[Anonymous]

I just tried motivating again and I have an office with open windows and had to look to see if my neighbor was taking out the trash...I feel a bit rusty.

[Binky]

On 2006-03-03 11:42:00, Anonymous wrote:

"I just tried motivating again and I have an office with open windows and had to look to see if my neighbor was taking out the trash...I feel a bit rusty."

I just - LOL!!! - i just did it too - LOL!! - I can imagine that given 5 minutes of practive I could be good to go!

LOL!

I'm SO gonna motivate at home tonight!

[starry-eyed pirate]

On 2006-03-03 11:11:00, Father Abraham wrote:

"

On 2006-03-03 10:34:00, starry-eyed pirate wrote:


"

On 2006-03-03 10:14:00, Father Abraham wrote:



"Nope never in VA -- one of the bad parts about being in Stoughton was that EVERYTHING always came down to how much better VA was -







I was the 13th Boston intake (lucky 13) -







Here's something I NEVER told anyone -- I was felt that since I didn't my program in VA that my sobriety paled in comparison to anyone from VA







Always felt 2nd rate to VA -







huh







It's so funny - what - 20 years later and still have that VA jealousy -- or whatever it is -"

Wow! What do you mean ??  Could you elaborate and give me some more perspective ??  What do you mean VA was better ??  Curious."

Absolutely --



Let me preface this too by saying I have nothing against VA -- if anything I was always jealous of you guys -



I think that we were made to feel like the red headed step child of a new marraige...



We (the Boston Newcomers) were always told how in VA things were so much better - not in terms of fun or nicer people, but it was real sobriety.



That in VA if you didn't dislocate your shoulders motivating, well - you just weren't going to get called on.



We had it easy in Boston - in VA there 5,000,000 people trying to get called on - and like i said I was the 13th intake -- the room was pretty empty - so we didn't know what a real program was like.



That since no one misbehaved or ran for a door in Stoughton, well - then we didn't know what getting Straight was all about.



That if the floor wasn't soaked in sweat, blood and spit - we weren't really a group.



THAT was always such a sticking point - I always felt that "The Group" in VA was like a combination of the Knights of the Round Table meets The Army of Orcs (Lord of the Rings)



That Boston was a 2nd rate rehab compared to the grueling, grizzled and awesome work ethic of VA.



Horrible analogy, but follow me here - Rocky III



Remember the way Clubber Lang trained for his fight against Rocky - on the street, grunting, groaning - alone - pain...the street! the pull ups - the hanginging upside down in that dingy, dirty apartment -- alone.



And the way Rocky trained - in a beautiful plush hotel - it was like a circus or a party - with bubbles...



(Mic's voice) "That ain't trainin'!"



Anyway -- I always felt that we weren't really training (getting sober) since we weren't "down in VA"



I've never said that before -- I've never admitted that to anyone -- WOW! - it's freaky how stuff just pops up and stays fresh -- after 2 decades...



I hope that answers your question -- and sorry if I offended anyone from VA -- keep in mind - this is from the perception of a 16 year old boy with a drug problem -- I always wished my worries were about the things other 16 year olds worried about - like getting my drivers licence - not about eternal damnation if I didn't get sober



"

Thanx for answering my questions.  I was in Va and I thought it was brutal.  I don't quite agree with the poster who said that what you were told about VA was "bunk".  There were times in VA when the entire floor and the walls were covered in sweat from the group bein' made to motivate so hard.  I think St. Pete was even worse and in VA I was given the impression that I should just be grateful I wasn't in St. Pete. On the other hand I'm sure you were just bein' manipulated by staff.   I also think it was pro'ly harder to hide out in a smaller group.  You would've had a harder time duckin' the heat. At least in VA there was some safety in the numbers. But I'm not tryin' to start some contest about who had it the worst or nothin'.  We all suffered a tragic injustice.  Fuck $tr8!! Peace!!

[Anonymous]

I tested it on my dogs and they just looked at me, but i could tell they were concerned.

[Squirrel]

Its so guy like to compare sweat and injuries. It's actually cute.

Virginia was brutal, yes. Stoughton was no picnic either. Do you know what it takes for a Government sponsored program (and Straight was one) to get shut down by the government? It tales something sooooo foul, and the push must come from within the Government. My point is that the same techniqes were used, less forceflly in Stoughton that in Virginia.

In any event, we were brainwashed, and some of us have woken up. Good morning.

[Anonymous]

All it took in va was jch accredidation problems. maybe we did not motivate hard enough. is it possible to have a bust ass rap online?

[starry-eyed pirate]

... Morn to ya  :smile:

.