Life is too short

[Anonymous]

It's one thing if you're trying to get in touch with your old friends, or see how other people you knew are doing & make sure they're not dead -poor Danielle G., I didn't know her well, but that soooo could've been me, or any of us, for that matter, it wouldn't even have to be drug related necessarily for some people. You guys think Elan is bad, yes it is, but not nearly as bad as some of the places you could have gone as an adult if you had not gone there, at least for me anyways. The places for adults are jails, halfway houses, psychiatric facilities, and other institutionalized places (all state-run, not private like Elan) that are such shit holes that they make Elan look like the Ritz Carlton. Joe Ricci probably did all sorts of shady shit, but if he did a better job taking care of his charges than the state, then they better open up a race track and start laundering some money! yeah, Elan sucked, and I hated it more than most, and if you knew who I was, some of you would have heart attacks, but it probably helped me more than I knew. It taught me how to take care of myself, and not to trust too many people because lots of them are assholes and will stab you in the back, and also most important that there are consequences for my actions, so I better not get caught. All of these came in handy when I had hard times as an adult, and are probably why I'm not in jail right now, unlike most of my idiot associates. I learned from my experiences there and didn't get into too much trouble, and kept a low profile. As much as Elan sucked, it is soooo much better than where you assholes can go as adults. Go do some research and then go thank your parents for giving you a wake-up call before the boys in blue did later in life, when it can have serious consequences, and then afterwards, it will be impossible to get a good job & go to college. Some of the people on here whining are, like, 40 or something, which is sad because you guys should have moved on by now. Fucking losers. Most people who were there when I was there are between 25 and 30, and while most of them are looking for old friends or to make new friends online here, some of them just need to stop complaining. You are not oppressed, and if you think you were, go visit a third world country, and you'll see oppressed. Or read a history book- wait that's not such a good idea, because I heard some idiots compared Elan to the Holocaust. I don't want to even comment on that one, get some perspective, people. If you're still that upset, and you left a good while ago, I want you to find a hobby or go to school or find something to do with your time, because you obviously aren't spending it well. Get lives & stop posting your retarded shit here, because we shouldn't have to feel sorry for you even if you are mired in self-pity for things that happened to you several years ago. Some of the shit I dealt with after Elan was way worse than anything I ever dealt with in Elan, and I made it, so why can't you people?

[Anonymous]

SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU PIECE OF SHIT! ::fuckoff::

[Anonymous]

On 2006-04-25 18:12:00, Anonymous wrote:

"SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU PIECE OF SHIT! ::fuckoff:: "

SHITEATER
 ::bangin::  ::armed::  ::troll::  ::troll::  ::mecry::  ::mecry::  ::mecry::  ::mecry::  ::mecry::

[Anonymous]

Can't believe I've just read this. You're full of shit. Please have some respect for others' experiences. It ain't our faults if you still hold any illusions on having your life saved by an institution such as Elan. Perhaps it's about time for you to get over the brainwashing process which we've all had to get through at some point. If anyone has saved your life, don't thank Elan, thank yourself.

What do you conclude from your experience in Elan? Do you think that its methodology is meant to build a strong character? Historically, Behaviorism has been absorbed and incoorporated by the SS due to the fact that it's meant to build citizens that obey without questioning. As a citizen, you're supposed to follow orders, how dear you criticize authority? Basically, that's the central idea of Behaviorism. You're punished and humilliated when you desobey, you can have your candy pack just as long as you remain a sheep. There's a dichotomy and you cannot question one's attitude if one's above you. I've been told it's a reproduction of today's society, I'd say it's a reproduction of mediocrity.

 Let's put all the thoughts and feelings to the side for a minute and reflect about what's the main purpose of the program. It's up on my wall, and it says:
 "...has accomplished the goal of redesigning her life and put back into its framework the values, convictions, honesty and purpose THAT A MAN OR A WOMAN MUST ACHIEVE TO BE A HELPFUL ASSET TO SELF, FAMILY AND SOCIETY".
Is that it? What should we do to be HELPFUL? Shut our mouthes and follow orders, redisign our lives framed by the values that Elan has tought us to repeat blindly over and fucking over until it'd eventually become a part of us?  

Elan has traumatized many people, culminating on suicides and serious psychological demage, not only due to it's methodology but especially due to it's final objective.

[Anonymous]

I'm the mother of a 15 y/o who will likely be heading to a therapeutic residential school here in MA sometime in the next couple of months.  I've visited Elan and didn't sleep for a week following.  It felt creepy and scary and hardly "therapeutic" as I define the word. What are the alternatives to Elan as you see them.  Which schools do you think might have saved you without permanently "f-ing" you up more than you were when you went?  I'm not trying to be trite or ridiculous.  I'm desperate to save a kid who doesn't believe he's worth saving.
help, please!

[Anonymous]

DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD TO ELAN

[Anonymous]

Elan has traumatized many people, culminating on suicides and serious psychological demage, not only due to it's methodology but especially due to it's final objective.
 
the final objective for elan is quite simple and has remained the same for decades.......MONEY
how much can they suck out of you,your insurance company,school district ect ect ....
they are criminals that operate above the law because they are tucked away in the back woods of maine.....and alot of money has certainly changed hands to cover up and allow these abuses to have gone on for all these years. what other explanation could there be?

[Anonymous]

Don't send your kid anywhere. Why not make a higher profile post and ask for some advice?

[Anonymous]

I agree with you that Elan's final objective, its reason for being, is MONEY. Then again, that's another side of the story, which involves questioning the entire basis of capital, and its role of mediation between objects and human beings, which results in the reductionism of human beings into objects, especially in the post-industrial period. Anyways, this is a social-economic and political problem, well exemplifyed by shcools, universities, and other places that are meant to produce knowledge and have their objectives adulterated and redirectioned to the market, in other words, to make money. In this sense Elan is just as reactionary as other businesses that treat human beings as objects.

My critics toward Elan go in the direction of questioning the efficacy of the program as a "therapeutic school", its methodology, its main goals and its concrete results. But yes, you are right. Elan operates as a leech, sucking as much money as possible from the family, insurance companies, etc. I don't hold any illusions on Joe Richie for being caring, well, he cares for his cash and that's as far as it goes. However, I do recognize that there are staff members that actually believe they save lives. Truth is, they don't.

My suggestion to the mother that posted here, is not to send her kids to an institution. Elan is, by far, one of the most psychological damaging institutions and you don't want to have your kids exposed to this sort of abuse, but then again, it seems you've gotten my point. Your kid has problems and with the intent of saving your kid's life, you wind up sending him/her to an institution. The final product of this experience is not only the fact that institutions will hardly solve your kid's problems, but creat new ones. Elan is one of the ultimate expressions of this scenarium.

[Anonymous]

On 2006-04-27 21:41:00, Anonymous wrote:

"Can't believe I've just read this. You're full of shit. Please have some respect for others' experiences. It ain't our faults if you still hold any illusions on having your life saved by an institution such as Elan. Perhaps it's about time for you to get over the brainwashing process which we've all had to get through at some point. If anyone has saved your life, don't thank Elan, thank yourself.



What do you conclude from your experience in Elan? Do you think that its methodology is meant to build a strong character? Historically, Behaviorism has been absorbed and incoorporated by the SS due to the fact that it's meant to build citizens that obey without questioning. As a citizen, you're supposed to follow orders, how dear you criticize authority? Basically, that's the central idea of Behaviorism. You're punished and humilliated when you desobey, you can have your candy pack just as long as you remain a sheep. There's a dichotomy and you cannot question one's attitude if one's above you. I've been told it's a reproduction of today's society, I'd say it's a reproduction of mediocrity.



 Let's put all the thoughts and feelings to the side for a minute and reflect about what's the main purpose of the program. It's up on my wall, and it says:

 "...has accomplished the goal of redesigning her life and put back into its framework the values, convictions, honesty and purpose THAT A MAN OR A WOMAN MUST ACHIEVE TO BE A HELPFUL ASSET TO SELF, FAMILY AND SOCIETY".

Is that it? What should we do to be HELPFUL? Shut our mouthes and follow orders, redisign our lives framed by the values that Elan has tought us to repeat blindly over and fucking over until it'd eventually become a part of us?  



Elan has traumatized many people, culminating on suicides and serious psychological demage, not only due to it's methodology but especially due to it's final objective."

:tup:

[Badpuppy]

Please get some psychiatric reccomendations. If he is in that bad shape you may have to hospitalize him. Sending your child off to a place where they will likely demand no contact for a while will only be viewed as abandonment and will haunt your relationship with him for many years. The Surgeon General whose opinion is unbiased concludes that there is no evidence residential treatment is effective and some evidence it is harmful. There is a 75% chance that he will be reinstitionalized if he is incarcerated in residential treatment. There is only a 1 in 250 chance that your child will die. If he ends up in juve let it be law and his own actions that are responsible. Put all that money you would pay to therapuitic boarding school in an account for him then give it when you have determined he is conducting his life responsibly.

[Tatiana]

Do not send your child to Elan no matter what!!!  He will fantasize about dying for the duration of his stay and will walk around for the rest of his life with crippling weight whenever he remembers what he was robbed of.  Your kid is extremely lucky that you found this site and have people to answer you about Elan.  

You can't solve your problem by sending your child away.  If he is out of control, not to be hurtful, but it could be something you have done.  Try to figure it out but do not send him away!  If you do, you r not saving his life but are acting off of wishful thinking.

[Anonymous]

Tat, what time do I find you online? I have something in mind that might interest you.
Missa ya.
Love,
     Má

[Anonymous]

Tatiana:

this is the mom of the 15 y/o who is desperately seeking solutions for her son.  To a small degree you are probably right, I've probably "f-d" him up more than I care to acknowledge - after all I'm a long-time sober parent - who knows.  In any event, I'm sure I'll be huge fodder for him with a shrink in the future.  HOWEVER, that doesn't change where we are.  He's not acute enough for in-patient psych though he's done that in the past. Due to a chronic illness he had he's missed 3 years of school (tutored at home & on-line)and he plain and simply is not going to make the transition back to high school.  He's been seen by the best specialists in the country for both his illness which is now in remission (lyme disease) and the resulting psych stuff and no one knows quite what to do in terms of school.  This is not a case of a parent who is giving up on her child.  He sits at home and plays video all day long.  He won't shower for days (probably due to depression), smokes tons of dope when he does leave the house (who knows where he gets cash)and eats, PERIOD.  Our district has given us an ultimatum - pick a residential school/DSS custody or home school (NOT GOING TO WORK - we've already tried).  I'm tired and not afraid not ashamed to say it anymore.  I love Jerry to bits but enough is enough.  This all started as one thing and morphed into something else.  To begin with we simply didn't punish the sick kid because life sucked so badly for him and well now... he just punishes me intentionally or otherwise.  I'm not implying that he is loving life - au contraire.  If someone had locked me in a house with my mother when I was his age - neither one of us would have made it out alive.

I need to find a safe place for him outside of our home and family is not an option.  Any advice?

[Anonymous]

Send him to Elan he sounds like a perfect candidate.