Aaron:
I didn't reply because I thought you'd get inundated with flame mail for even uttering that you still thought that place saved your life. I do not agree and not being in Springfield just didn't reply. I look at it differently. The time I spent in straight, plus the years I spent in therapy because of straight I consider wasted time. If straight had been honest and really looked for the things that were wrong with me I could have enjoyed that latter part of my youth. Instead I was locked up in a place, starved, deprived of sleep, basic human rights and completely ignored for 30 months. I was treated to a one size fits all solution that laid all the problems my family experienced at my feet.
It has taken a very long time to gain the respect of my family and to put together a constructive self image. Further, being misdiagnosed, I spent a couple of decades laboring under the assumption that I was indeed a dope fiend. See, this is one of the things that really chaps my ass about that place. They glibly handed out this far reaching diagnosis without any concern at all about the long term consequences. I suspect there are thousands if not tens of thousands of young adults who have trashed their lives down the tubes because of this thoughtless and cruel misdianosis. I can't blame them, straight pounded into their heads, day after day, for years, the young adults in question had only two ways to go in life: Be "straight" or jails, institutions and death. I know it to be BS now, but then? No, nothing would have convinced me it wasn't the gospel.
Thousands of people, permantely impared so that Melvin and Beatty Sembler could realize their political ambitions, it is truly disgusting.
As you can see, my opinion of straight differs vastly from yours. I really don't try to disuade people from their opinions so long as I can express my own. I am glad you posted and wish you the best in finding your old friends.
CL
PS Please don't take this as harsh. I know I come across that way but rarely mean it. I re-read my posts sometimes and get embarrassed at how what I say comes across and my wife really bitches about this. -CL