My name is Mindi. I was in the Springfield, VA Straight from March 1990 - June 1991. Fortunately, I missed out on most of the physical abuse that eventually led to the relocation of that particular Straight from Springfield, VA to Columbia, MD, and later to close altogether. Unfortunately, I did not miss out on the psychological abuse that only helped to lower my already abysmal self-esteem -- a low self-esteem that was not a symptom of my adolescent alcohol and drug abuse, but a cause. Perhaps worst of all, Straight drove me to deliver some physical and psychological abuse to others in desparate attempts to escape the place.
I am now 28 years old. After years of self-medication slowly replaced by ongoing professional therapy for major depression -- a serious mental condition that Straight, among other institutions this "problem child" was consigned to, either overlooked or chose to ignore -- I feel like I am a (relatively) well-adjusted adult. Perhaps this is why I have finally gone in search of other people like me, and hopefully some people I knew -- to see how they are doing, say "I'm sorry" to some, and "Hey, let's get together" to others.
I'm not sure if I will be checking this forum regularly (getting the job done at work and at home doesn't always leave time for the Internet), but I am selecting the option "Notify by email when replies are posted". If you are a Straight survivor -- particularly of the Springfield, VA Straight in the early 1990's -- please feel free to reply to this post. I'd like to hear from you.
