stuttering

[kpickle39]

Hey - that sucks what Newton did to you.  I was in the program '78 - '80.  We were probably in around the same time.  Newton was an ass - I don't even worry about him anymore, cause with the shit he did on this earth, the afterlife is gonna be far worse than anything I could give him.  So Miller . . . if your'e lurking out there, you better hit your knees tonight and ask forgiveness and then practice whatever number that amends step was.  I am expecting a phone call or email w/your apology; I'm sure you know who I am.

[Cleopatra2U]

On 2002-06-15 18:05:00, Antigen wrote:
I still feel I've had just about all the help  I can stand. I figure there's no discipline of study that a typical person with more than typical interest can't understand if they dry. Why in the hell would I wan't to walk into a situation where I have to trust my layman self to someone who's mastered psychological manipulation? Pass, thanks. I'll just pour my heart out to good and trusted friends.

It's good that you have friends like that that you can talk to.  I've found that friends, no matter how well-meaning, often have another person's agenda in mind when a friend comes to them with a problem -- their own.  This is not necessarily a bad thing, but to me, there is something to be said for plopping down a $20 co-pay every two weeks to speak with a therapist who is, if not completely objective, much more so than most of my friends.

You probably don't have a chemical imbalance, at least not one that's so strong it affects your everyday life.  Me, I have what they call severe depression, and taking medication and seeing a therapist regularly keeps me from wanting to hide in bed all day and from having suicidal thoughts.

What bugs me, personally, most about Straight was the lack of any certified mental health professionals, or even LCSW's, on staff.  IMO, adolescent alcohol and drug abuse is almost always a symptom of a greater problem, such as depression, and not the problem in and of itself.  I can't help but wonder how I would've turned out if someone had bothered to ask me WHY I drank and did drugs instead of berating me for having done them.

Mindi

[Anonymous]

In regards to the inquiry of stuttering, anxiety, eating disorders, etc., I feel I need to speak on behalf of my beautiful, brilliant best friend.  I met my friend in 1986 after she got out of straight and her family had moved to my town.
She tended to be a loner, artistic.. but we clicked and emotionally connected.  Although, from day one, it was evident that she was highly anxious.  Through time, she told me bits & pieces about straight.  As young as we were (16) at the time, I did not realize that her panic attacks while driving, or her fear of our "chinese food"
(forgive me MF,, I hope we can laugh about it now) being poisoned and the host of other issues, like Carving into her skin, could have been brought on by STRAIGHT.  My dear friend suffered from these feelings for Years!  She was quite literally robbed of her youth. I hurt for her knowing all of the torment she experienced during and after being kidnapped and brought to Straight, the suicide watches, etc.  To my knowledge, she also endured being coerced into sexual confessions, sleep deprivation and GOD only knows what else.  She witnessed suicide attempts and I believe a child did pass during her "lock-up".  How could one NOT have PTSD??
I couldn't fully appreciate what she had been through when we were younger, but I never judged her, I just stayed by her side as a friend.  Now as an adult and after reading The Straights, and several postings on this site as well, I can truly appreciate the torment she incurred.  But what I can't understand is WHY?? and how did Straight manage to exist for so long? It reminds me of a modern day Shawshank Redemption in some ways.  God bless those of you who have survived Straight!!

[kaydeejaded]

I feel for you friend I have anxiety attacks and it really makes life difficult. I think they were brought on by Straight. You are a good friend for going and learning about Straight. It is difficult for some people to understand how life changing it is. Some of my friends try to understand and learn about it and others just say get over it. Which is virtually impossible. Whoever you friend is introduce her to these sites! At first it is totally like digging up all the pain and it is totally raw all over again but then you actually do start to heal. Finally. There really was no healing for me before this it just was kind of buried. Welp Sorry for the rant take care, kady :grin:

[wesfager]

Anonymous wrote that he beleives someone did pass at teh Straight that his female friend was at.  Can you fiind out more about this.  Who? Which Straight? How?  When?  I am doing a serious study on this and it is extrmely important.

Thank you,
wesfager@thestraights.com