AARC IS A GOOD PLACE! WITH GREAT PEOPLE!!

[Anonymous]

I have been through A.A.R.C, A few times! Dr Vause is an amazing man with a huge heart! And was my clinical!! How dare you speak of him in that way!! I dont know what you people are talking about, Yes I have relapsed a few times but the only person that made those choices was me, And when I needed help, they were always there for me...when everyone else had turned there backs because of what I had done. YOU ARE WHO YOU WANT TO BE AND YOU ARE THE ONLY PERSON WHO DECIDES HOW SOMETHING OR SOMEONE WILL MAKE YOU FEEL, If you feel so horrible about yrself that you MUST make a website to make what you are doing ok, THATS REALLY SAD, and I feel for you, When someone has to make so much effort to prove that they are ok, I think that right there should tell you how messed you really are, I graduated 8 years ago and had a long time to go my own way and figure it out for myself...brainwashed lol by A.A.R.C lol I think not, They have done nothing but good for me, even tho I have relapsed in the past. Abuse lol You people just continue making things up!! lol The only people you are hurting is yrself and what a nice life to live being angry at the world and blaming great people for your choices after after aarc, Life goes on and so will A.A.R.C, and they will contiue to do great things and give people the tools to a better diff way of life, but its not aarcs fault if you dont use them!! The staff at A.A.R.C are great people, and do great things, If you are looking on hear 2 learn about A.A.R.C Well contact some of the sucess storys and see how well they are doing and how happy they are, ANd how there lives and changed and how well the relationships with family memeber are now,  this site is a bunch of noncence by people the FAILURES who OBVIOUSLY DONT WANT TO CHANGE and HAVE MADE THE CHOICE TO NOT FOLLOW THE TOOLS, AND THIS SITE IS A VERY COMMON REACTION FOR THOSE WHO LIKE TO LIVE A LIFE OF SUBSTACE ABUSE, ANYTHING TO MAKE IT OK GUYS lol Good luck in yr bashing, You are the only people suffering at the moment and I feel for you!

Melissa Fowler  

[Rachael]

Alright then....

I do not smoke, drink, or use any drug. I haven't since several weeks before AARC. At that point I decided to I didn't want to anymore, so I stopped.

I am living a fantastic life with my husband and our beautiful daughter.

I have a stellar career, an amazing group of friends (including Olympic athletes and hopefully by Monday a Guinness World Record holder), a lovely home (rented, but we're working on buying our house), and in general a busy, but peaceful life.

I chair a non-profit organization, and hold over 5 major events every year that garner national media attention, competitors from all over the world and spectators from as far as Florida.

I don't blame AARC for any of this, I accept full responsibility. And I ran on Step One (after almost six months). I am supposed to be one of their failures. And I sure as hell intend on never using any of the "tools" AARC taught me.

-------------------------------------

But.....

I was abused in AARC. I was kept there against my will for half of a year. This is illegal and wrong.

I will hold them accountable for what happened to me there and for the very nature of their scam.

That's all.

[Anonymous]

I seem to remember that is was my parents that signed me over cuz no one knew what 2 do with me, Its very clear that if you had not run and actually done yr full 14 months like I had you would have had the chance 2 realize what what its purpose really is, I am still close with alot of the friends I made years ago and they are the best peole I have ever met, They have resons for everthing they do and you will never understand them because you didnt have the chance, if yr life is so good then why bother bashing a place that has great peole like dr vause who work there ass off every day 2 get through to those kids it took 8 months on step one for them 2 get through to me, but once they did I finally could see that these people were helping me, but if I had left before that Im sure all I would be was angry 2, it just takes time, you may not think you needed it but people do... but its not till step 3 that you really see, what this pace has 2 offer, without giving it a chance you just have no place, If I had ran on step one, Id be the same, so Im glad I didnt, and I wil support what they do in everyway always.

[Anonymous]

Melissa, if you know anything about brainwashing, then you know that if you're brainwashed you dont' KNOW you are brainwashed. That's how it works.

I'm sorry to hear that you relapsed so much and hope you are doing well now.

I'm wondering if you keep in regular contact with AARC and if it's only at these times you do ok in your life.

It seems to me that the people who grad from AARC and are avid supporters are the ones who keep in regular contact by attending meetings, fundraising etc.

I don't blame the people who support AARC and are convinced they saved their lives. That's what they've been taught the months they've been in there.

Melissa, I'm also wondering how long you were kept from talking (privately) to your parents. Did your parents participate in the program? How long were you out of school?

I hope you are doing well and glad you didn't suffer any abuse in Raps, host homes or at the AARC facility.

[Anonymous]

Well If A.A meetings haveing going on since back when Bill W started them, and A.A.R.C does nothing but teach that same thing I dont see how its brainwashing, I could not see what I had done you may as well of called me a sociopath, it was only by people working with me and beging to feel that I could relize, Ya I relapsed twice but that was a few years ago now, and Ive learned my lesson so Im well now, nut I needed to go out and learn for myself, that I could use like others, but I could never use the same, Cuz I could see what it was doing 2 me and how I just stop caring, Sober my life is really well and does nothing but move forward in great directions and attracts great thing and people, I dont keep in much contact with aarc much anymore its been a long time now since I graduated, but I do try 2 attend the galla and stampede breakfasts, Yes my parents and step parents and brother we all in it, I did not experiece any such abuse I have been seeing on this, Im not conviced it saved my life but it gave me the tools to save my own, and to make my own choices...and to figure out how I wanted 2 live. And I chose the good life.

[ajax13]

Bill W.  was a nut-job who probably suffered from untreated shell-shock, or PTSD.  AA preaches total abstinence, yet it has a recidivism rate of over 90%.  So even if it isn't just a bunch of claptrap dreamed up by a philandering kook, it doesn't work worth a shit.

[Rachael]

Its very clear that if you had not run and actually done yr full 14 months like I had you would have had the chance 2 realize what what its purpose really is

Its purpose (or at least the one as advertised) is to treat chemically addicted youth who have no other alternatives available to them.

I had smoked pot around 10 times and used LSD four times. I was not by anyone's definition "chemically addicted". But even knowing this, they kept me there.

I am glad that you used your time in an intensive drug treatment lock-down facility to make some friends. However, that is not enough in my mind to justify depriving a child of all rights for an indefinite period of time. Not to mention the perpetual psychological trauma, the physical abuse, and the sexual assault I personally experienced.

Evidently, I did not need drug treatment as I am doing more than well in my life now - but you are still arguing that I should have received "14 months" just so I could make some nice friends like you did?!? That is just ludicrous.

Ever heard the term "killing mosquitoes with a bazooka" (maybe extrapolated a bit )?

[Anonymous]

What phase in AARC are you allowed to start making your own choices and how do you do that after months of people making choices for you?

I'm asking a serious question.

[SpecialLadyFriend]

In response to your question regarding making choices: At no phase in AARC are you making your own choices. On level three you are permitted to leave the centre during the day to get a job or go back to school but they are not truly your choices. Level threes have to still run all decisions by their peer and clinical.
As far as AARC being a wonderful place, perhaps you should go to your room and open a readings book on gratitude. You should be grateful that these atrocities were not visited upon you, rather than coming on here to rub your "happiness" in the faces of the victims. So tell me again how happy and well adjusted you are? How about work your program and leave me to mine.

[Anonymous]

Well yes I could read my readings and such, I take full resposiblity for my life and my actions, I make my own choices, I am sticking up for something I believe in and I have every right and reason to do so . The only person who allows me to be a victim to anyone is me, the only one who can allow me be affected by people , places, or things is me... I do not blame others because things do not go my way, I see them as learning lessons and I get on with my life, and if I do decide 2 let someone or something or a situation to trap me in a world of resentment and hate, I made that choice and allowed myself to feel that way, the only person I have to blame is me. And the only person Im hurting is me. It doesnt exacly look like or sound like you even have a program to work cuz if you did you would have learned something you would feel no need to be so harsh, and no need to be on here bashing people and a place full of good intentions even if you dont like the way things are done.

[Anonymous]

Well when I went into aarc as a hassard to society and made choices that did nothing but destroy me, my family , my life and everyone around me, I feel I lost that right, I had destroyed it, yes you get back more privliges as you go on but I needed to learn how to make the right choices before I got them all back because I didnt know how to make right ones, level 3 you are ready for that. I needed to re learn how decent people lived life cuz I had to clue..

[Anonymous]

Well when I went into aarc as a hassard to society and made choices that did nothing but destroy me, my family , my life and everyone around me, I feel I lost that right, I had destroyed it, yes you get back more privliges as you go on but I needed to learn how to make the right choices before I got them all back because I didnt know how to make right ones, level 3 you are ready for that. I needed to re learn how decent people lived life cuz I had to clue..

[Anonymous]

Well when I went into aarc as a hassard to society and made choices that did nothing but destroy me, my family , my life and everyone around me, I feel I lost that right, I had destroyed it, yes you get back more privliges as you go on but I needed to learn how to make the right choices before I got them all back because I didnt know how to make right ones, level 3 you are ready for that. I needed to re learn how decent people lived life cuz I had to clue..

Is it Melissa Fowler or Melissa Fower?  

Whatever,  what's a Hassard?

[SpecialLadyFriend]

Listen up Melissa. I am not talking about "not liking the way things are done" I am talking about being physically and sexually assaulted by my olcomers and then being told by staff I am lying and being punished for it. I am talking about having someone stand in the bathroom with me while I change a tampon as punishment for an oldcomer kicking me down a flight of stairs.
So you can tell me how lucky you are not to be a victim of yourself and I will continue to tell you how lucky I am to be seeing the truth of the situation and living in reality. You want to learn how decent people live: They don't go onto a website and taunt victims!!!!  
I graduated AARC and chose not to drink for a few years (a goal you have yet to achieve whithout being held in AARC). I finished school and entered into post secondary before I felt I was ready to make any decisions regarding substance use. I went into councelling to deal with my special treatment at AARC and made the decision that I was not, could not have been and am still not an addict. So go get on with your life, good luck on your next refresher and don't ever tell me about my 'program' because you know not of what you speak.

[hanzomon4]

God lord MF you got it bad, for the love of God read this - How Thought Reform works