Disgusted!!

[Chrysta]

You know I sit here reading some of the entries from many loser folks. Don't you have a life!! I spent 3 long years at elan 8 and I have never been so grateful for that experience. Ya see, if not for the persistant, caring, and honorable staff that I had during my stay, I probably would not be who I am today. I give much credit to the staff, students and structure for saving my life. I was once one of you angry punks, who felt that the world owed me everything, and now thanks to Elan, I am a more educated, less angry productive member of my society. Its a shame that so many people are still living their lives with so much anger especially towards people that had your better interest at heart. I am not real familiar with Jeff G, Tanya M. Marty K. etc., as they were not my staff; however when you degrade people that were and are so close to my heart as Drew, Marc R. and Clare I can only find pity on you. Im not saying that I had it easy at e8, as I believe nobody ever did, but I can say I learned more about myself and my surroundings through that experience. I had many shotdowns, many GMs, spent my time in the corner, and in restraints. BOO HOO for me right? WRONG!!! Grow up people. I put myself there, and I got myself out. A much better person I might add. You can respond to this post however you'd like. It doesn't phase me. I stand strong in my beliefs. Ridicule, degrade, laugh, be angry.....your issue,not mine. By the way, I am proud of my time in elan and that is why I do not stand behind an anonymous paper bag. If you believe in who you are , what you stand for, and what you are saying unveil yourselves.....another lesson Elan taught me. Sorry it didnt do the same for most of you.

[Anonymous]

Good for you.
On one hand, I wonder what even posessed you to come in here and post given the sick, twisted bullshit that goes on in here, and the likelyhood that some idiot punk will reply with yet another tastelss vulgar response. On the other hand, people in your position need to speak up more. Elan may have been, or could still be a place that does more harm than good for some people...the masses seem to favor jumping on the negative bandwagon.

I will argue til I am dead that Elan causes permanent irriversable damage to kids. Nothing I experienced in Elan effects me in a negative way today, and I was exposed to it all back in the era of some really fucked up times for Elan.  However, there are adults that still carry huge scars and very valid concerns about how Elan treated tham and other kids. My heart aches for them. But here you have foul mouth anonymous punk kids who have been hypnotized NOT by Elan, but by a social pattern and concept that the world only wants to hear bad news. The media functions this way, and society as a whole has adapted to it. Its pathetic and a waste of time.

I am glad you spoke up, dont be surprised when the hoards of misfits come in here and tell you that you have been brainwashed, and need a more serious psychological "cleansing" they even they do.

This place is a farce, and has simply served as a place for anonymous idiots to drream up the most off the wall, vulgar, completely useless crap and publish it to an internet site whos owner feeds from it with her plight to stop all theraputic communities from exsisting.

Good luck.

D~

[Anonymous]

I love MUSTARD !

[xres8182]

That's nice. Good for you. Elan was a sick corrupt place. Staff members used drugs. Mentally ill people were beaten and psychologically tortured. These are factual statements,not an exaggeration by any means. It is for this reason that I don't have anything good to say about the joint. The sick twisted perverse input that can be veiwed here daily is an example of the kind of people that made my experience at elan even worse than it should have been. I feel genuine sympathy for anyone sent there. Consider yourself fortunate as do I, a LOT of people don't have it as good as us.
                J.S.

[Chrysta]

I can appreciate your views as well as the views of others. I guess I should state that I was in from 93-96. I do not discredit how rough things were at specific times, but I see a lot of people talk about the same people who saved my life. Those are the people that I direct my blurbs to. I feel for those of you who were truley mistreated. However, I believe the ones who were around in my day, that have nothing remotely straight to say, are whiners!!!! Thanks D for your input. I will truley use it, especially to decipher what group I am speaking of and to.

[Chrysta]

What adults dont smoke a little herb from time to time? When were you there?

[xres8182]

81-82 I'm not saying weed is criminal,quite the contrary,but it's probably not a good idea to smoke with residents of a placement facility you work at,ya think? Anywho that's just my personal story of contradictions and hypocritical bullshit,the real crime of that place was the treatment of the mentally ill.AKA:Corner people
And Phil W of course,you bastards.

[Chrysta]

you were there a full decade and a half before me. I believe things were much different in your time. Thanks for enlightening me though. Comparatively speaking, sounds like a lot of changing occured.

[Chrysta]

is there anyone out there that changed their lives, partially due to Elan? Id love to hear your story.....

[coz]

...

[Chrysta]

I never in anyway try to discredit others pain or experiences. I truly believe that everyones stay there was different. And I also believe that while my stay there was in no way easy, there was another era of Elan students who had it much harder. And I truly am sorry for what you encountered. I also believe that there are people who simply did not belong there, and therefore those ones may end up more scarred after leaving. I do hold Elan responsible for not recognizing who did and who did not belong there. In MY case.....I belonged there! I needed some structure and strong behavior modification. If anyone out there thinks I discredit their stay at all....I apologize. I would never consciously do that. My point of posting was to let others out there know there was some good to the Elan that I know. And as I have said before, I have a hard time listening to the slander of staff that helped save my life. My apologies if I offended anyone.
Coz- who are you? Maybe Ive heard of your name....Did you ever hear of me while you were there?

[xres8182]

Crista,I know it's none of my buisness.but I can't help wondering how you got stuck in elan for 3 years.In my time only 2 people I know of spent that much time there.Bethany B was one,I'd bet Art remembers her,and another girl who was accused of drowning a family member in a swimming pool.I believe she had to stay till she was 18.One of these girls was very bitter about elan and the other wasn't.Under what circumstances did you get sent there? I'm surprised you were there so long but still defend the place. It must have changed immensely or they helped you get away with an axe murder.

[Chrysta]

it took me 2 yeears of acting up before I started to climb the dichotomy. Once I realized nobody was going to kick me out, I started to work on my issues. And no I wasnt an ax murderer....just someone with a lot of anger issues due to my past, and behavior problems due to not knowing how to cope with my anger.....thanks for asking though, even if it was a bit sarcastically

[Chrysta]

and by the time I got there....that length of time wsa not uncommon. Now on their web page it says average stay is 27 months. The whole time I was there I saw 1 person get out in 27 months.

[Chrysta]

It definately did change from what I read in this forum