Author Topic: straight  (Read 3829 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline jeff belflower

  • Posts: 26
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
straight
« on: August 01, 2001, 07:27:37 AM »
straight
I entered straight on Feb. 20, 1981. I didn't make it out of there for four damn hellish years. Dr. Newton was the leader back then. When he entered the room there was complete silence. Remember what would happen if you talked out in group. They would throw you to the ground. Get five of the biggest guys to sit on you, Then tap you on the chest smiling at you. Not to mention pulling your hair and throwing you against the wall. I was scared to death when i first got there. I complied and moved up to fourth phase, then they sent someone home with me, i am from orlando, for the weekend and my brother had some rock albums. When i got back to st. pete they blew me away and put me back a phase. Eventually I was started over. This was really the beginning of the end for me. I started to rock out to Zeppelin one day that was the beggining of my so called "misbehaving". I had to hear those goofy songs for four years straight. Zippadeedoodaa, zippadee ah, nine to nine, feeling fine. Every fucking day i put up with this. Remember after friday night open meetings somethimes they would keep you there until five in the morning yelling at you because Dr. Newton didn't like the way the open meeting went. Coming home, remember that shit. Needless to say I really learned to cuss good after four years there. They use to put you on a peanut butter diet if you were not progressing. Put you in an intake room with no light and no one allowed to talk or acknowledge your prescence. No talking behind groups back made it hard to talk to your parents about what really was happening because they were brainwashing them as well. Well time for me to wrap it up, heheh, comin home           Peace and love,   Jeff

« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline sullyceltic

  • Posts: 51
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
    • http://www.nba.com/celtics
straight
« Reply #1 on: August 01, 2001, 08:05:29 PM »
Re: straight
yeah jeff, i wasn't in for as long as you, but i know of

what you speak. i went into straight, new england, on december 20th 1987, and got out in september of 1989.


i remember those ***king friday night reviews too. paul h. would do them when i first got there. everybody would get yelled at. everyone would motivate to yell at everyone else.

then at the end of a review, they'd stand up some so-called

"kiss-ass", i always just thought that those people were

just doing what they could to get the #@#@ out of there.

they'd yell at them, tell them they were being fake, tell them they needed to get honest with themselves - remember all of that? they'd turn red, then someone would yell at them claiming that they "looked full of s***".

but we continued to motivate. flapping our arms, hoping that it wouldn't be us that got stood up next.


to this day, if my boss leaves me a message saying "see me when you get in", i get that same sinking feeling that i used to on monday and friday nights. as someone said on the yahoo board, "that voice in the back of your head - that's straight".


and those blank walls with just those signs on them. the steps. the serenity prayer. the 3 signs. the 5 criteria. the staff room.

the fifth phase desk - remember you couldn't look at it? the mystery meat dinners. eating pbj's for lunch for months on end. and spending all that time in that building. the bus rides. looking at the billboards, hoping that you might be mildly entertained by one of them, then feeling guilty and reporting yourself for it. watching your parents come in for open meeting when you were on first phase - that always hit me. after i "copped-out" after being there for 6 months, i didn't even feel anything when i would listen to my parents "on the mic" in open meeting. i knew that i was going to be there until i graduated, or i turned 18.

lining up "facing forward, heel-to-toe". no cigarettes. no music. just you, all the kids in group, the staff, and the building. i learned a lot while i was there. but most of all,

i learned not to care. maybe i deserved to be there. i know i needed something. maybe i did need straight. but watching kids come in and being introduced in the back of group, kids who had no business being there at all - that upset me.

kids that drank two or three times, and just happened to get caught. kids 15, 14, 13, i think i remeber a pair of 12 year olds in the group in my almost 2 years there.

and then listening to them get blasted in group. stood up,

yelled at, then they'd cry. after enough of that, they too were

broken and no longer cared what happened. they'd stand up after being started over off 2nd or 3rd phase in open meeting, with no emotion on their face. so young!!

not even high school age! but we were told to yell.

yell or get yelled at. that's all we did all day long. yell and talk about our past. coerced into confessing things that no one, save a priest, had any business knowing. all of our stories repeating themselves. telling eachother we could relate. never getting to talk to anyone in that god forsaken building. rap after rap after rap. looking with envy on the 2nd phaser and the two t&r's who were on clean-up crew.

the same ***t re-hashed everyday for us to digest. and share. standing people up for "friendships". the hours in the building were constant activity. song after song. thed'd make us sing when they needed a few minutes to think about what to do next, kind of like a time out in the NFL.


anyway, enough blabbing, and back to work.

have a great weekend everyone!!!!

"as I slooshied, i knew such lovely pictures"

-Alexander deLarge

A Clockwork Orange

« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline LESTAT49203

  • Posts: 33
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
straight
« Reply #2 on: December 01, 2001, 04:55:58 AM »
Re: straight
LOL  You sure took me back guys.  Not that I could ever forget.  But thats about the best description I have heard in a long time.  Hey Sully, look out the Lions are going to eat you guys up this year!!!

« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline LostChild

  • Posts: 3
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
straight
« Reply #3 on: August 02, 2001, 12:21:41 AM »
Re: straight
What Yahoo board?  Is this where everyone went?  Do only certain people know about it?  If i'm allowed to know can you give me the URL please?


Colleen

« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline jeff

  • Posts: 1
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
straight
« Reply #4 on: August 01, 2001, 04:25:45 AM »
Re: straight
I can't beleive straight made it all the way to New England. I thought going to St. Pete from Orlando was along way. I have learned alot through the web over the last few days and let me tell you I am in shock over what Newton has done. My parents are still supporting the program and I still cannot down talk it in front of my parents without being told to go home. This is a real bad dillema for me and I can't tell you how good it feels to vent some of my frustration in this great site. Anytime you need someone to talk to just give me a yell   Peace

« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Max Greene

  • Posts: 4
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
straight
« Reply #5 on: September 01, 2001, 01:40:09 PM »
Re: straight
Do you remember Baxter Greene, Rick Godfrey or the Polo borthers? I was in St. Pete in 1983 and escaped after 10 months. I was working at the St. Pete Times at the time as a mailboy (I was on 4th phase). I took my first paycheck, hid out in downtown St. Pete until the bus left to take me back to Charlotte--and freedom! Remember the all night raps after open meeting where anyone who had to urinate had to do it in their seats? Man what a trip! (woops! druggy language again!)

« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline doc2714

  • Posts: 7
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
    • http://www.thestraights.com
straight
« Reply #6 on: September 02, 2001, 12:31:02 AM »
Hell on Earth...Straight, Inc.
My name is Dave "Doc" English, I was at Cincinatti Straight,Inc. from 1982 to 1984. I don't know if I needed the program I surely empathize with my parents plight. Their baby was using drugs, skipping school and getting arrested. I believe to this day that my folks did the best they could with me. They were afraid that I was going to die or worse yet, kill somebody else in an intoxicated stupor. Most of all, I think, they were afraid that I didn't love them anymore. Being a parent myself now I can understand this nurturing instinct. The good people at Straight recognized this instinct as well and in fact took stock in this instinct  and by manipulation and misinterpretation of the facts obtained at intake my parents were advised that my very life depended upon the program. They were also misinformed of the true success rate of the program, my folks were told Straight had an 80%+ recidivism rate. That sounds pretty fantastic when your family is being torn apart. I was sat on by five guys my size or better for close to three hours once and for shorter duration innumerable other occasions. I thought I was going to asphyxiate being an asthmatic. I sustained permanent injury to my right shoulder and cervical spine as the result of being forced to look at the person talking, being "restrained", or being coerced into restraining others. Not to mention the mental anguish of being called a "fuck up" for almost two years straight or being constantly reminded that I am a "piece of shit". The Staff did things there to emphasise these beliefs, not only upon the clients but also the parents, they were being brainwashed too.Those things bother me to this day almost 20 years later. I had to fight for my mind. I awake every morning with the same gut-wrenching sense of dread I felt after about six months in group. I can rarely leave home today for fear of the earth shaking anxiety attacks I have experienced since the day I was kicked out. Yes, thats right, kicked out of Straight. I am the only one I can recall departing in that manner. Straight and my experiences there left me socially and developmentally deprived. My folks wouldn't let me talk bad about the program until about the last five years of my fathers life. He died suddenly of a heart attack about this time last year. Thank God we got to talk openly about that place before he died. We could finally SHARE, something the program always told us to do, share (but not about the group). The group was the problem we were never able to talk about.

I want all reading this post to think twice about sending your problems to rehab, you may end up with a whole lifetime more. If you are involved with an abusive program and are tired of suffering in your solitary hell, please feel free to call me at (941)761-3153 or e-mail me if you need help getting out or if you need to talk about your experiences there. Until then...

                        Love Ya!

                          DOC

« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
f you, a loved one, or a friend are or were involved with an abusive treatment center, therapeutic community, coercive behavior modification facility or the like, you are not alone and there is non-threatening, non-abusive help. Don\'t spend another minut

Offline jeff belflower

  • Posts: 26
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
straight
« Reply #7 on: September 01, 2001, 07:41:05 AM »
Re: straight
Straight Inc. coming to take your mind. There will be open an open meeting with Steve Mead group leader. If you @#%$ up Rick Godfrey will sit on you and so will Craig Buss and Mark Mead. It sounds like a comedy but it was the straight gang. I hated that damn place. Remember the stupid zippyedooda songs and all the rules. It is amazing we survived all the brain washing. They really were screwed up. I knew the Polo brothers, stayed with Phil. Also know Rick and of course, the whole group. I was there for almost four years.    Write me back and let me know if you keep in touch with anybody from there.

« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Anonymous

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 164653
  • Karma: +3/-4
    • View Profile
straight
« Reply #8 on: July 09, 2005, 11:29:00 PM »
bump /////
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Anonymous

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 164653
  • Karma: +3/-4
    • View Profile
straight
« Reply #9 on: July 10, 2005, 01:10:00 AM »
Its all bullshit and none of this happened to any of you. Sure, being in an institution sucks, but if any of this had happened while under guidelines of Children and Families, they would have heard about it. Get real bitchs.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Anonymous

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 164653
  • Karma: +3/-4
    • View Profile
straight
« Reply #10 on: July 10, 2005, 01:33:00 AM »
http://http://isaccorp.org/documentsnz.html#straight

Go down to a document called Florida Officials Aiding Straight and read that.

Perhaps you are making the point that anyone can say anything on this forum, even blatant lies. It is true. Perhaps you yourself could make a forum wherein every statement is a legal document declared under penalty of perjury, because the fact of life is that people are just going to do things according to their own philosophies. I suppose you are just as free to stick around here and complain about this one.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline linchpin

  • Posts: 688
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
straight
« Reply #11 on: July 11, 2005, 02:23:00 PM »
Quote
On 2005-07-09 22:10:00, Anonymous wrote:

"Its all bullshit and none of this happened to any of you. Sure, being in an institution sucks, but if any of this had happened while under guidelines of Children and Families, they would have heard about it. Get real bitchs."


You dont know jack shit.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/Toothfairy_TP/u100.gif[/img]

Offline Anonymous

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 164653
  • Karma: +3/-4
    • View Profile
straight
« Reply #12 on: July 11, 2005, 02:29:00 PM »
Quote
On 2005-07-09 22:10:00, Anonymous wrote:

"Its all bullshit and none of this happened to any of you. Sure, being in an institution sucks, but if any of this had happened while under guidelines of Children and Families, they would have heard about it. Get real bitchs."




Lotsa people tried, and the abuse continued.

Go fuck yourself, and lick a cheetah's bootyhole.

If you were there, you'd know it happened.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline whiterabbit

  • Posts: 116
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
straight
« Reply #13 on: July 13, 2005, 09:50:00 PM »
"Its all bullshit and none of this happened to any of you. Sure, being in an institution sucks, but if any of this had happened while under guidelines of Children and Families, they would have heard about it. Get real bitch"

Sweetheart, they DID know.

I went in to Straight St Pete in Oct of 1980. In March of 81,I split and my oldcomer's dad called C&F services (then called HRS). They told him he had to take me back to Straight. An HRS person came to see me the next day. She told me that my parents would not let me come home. If I wanted to leave I would go to a shelter home. A shelter home she said, would be so much worse than Straight. I could barely talk for sobbing. I tried to tell her about not being allowed to use the bathroom, about peanut butter & jelly. I don't know that it was understandable. I just couldn't stop crying.She said she could not tell me what to do. But a shelter home WOULD be WORSE. And if it were her, she'd stay there and finish the program. So much for the calvary. Man was Dr Newton pissed! I was stood up after open meeting that night and ripped until I burst into a kind of hysterical laughter. Shawn Arnow read my diary to the group. They told me I'd probably cost those girls(the ones I split with)their lives. Selfish Bitch. Slut. Whore. And the whole while Dr Newton paced red faced at the back of the room.

Obviously you weren't there and you're not even clever enough to read up on the subject before shooting off your mouth. Still, I appreciate every opportunity to tell how it really was for those just passing through.

So thanks.

All we ask is to be let alone.
-- Jefferson Davis (1808-1889): First Message to the Confederate Congress, March,1861.

« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
traight Incorporated is a disease