To all who experienced WWASP

[LSwi]

I was wondering how many of you had a very hard time reconnecting with the real world and real people after you returned home from the program.  Was/Is it hard to make new friendships?Please tell me your thoughts on this, also add which program you went to, for how long, and did you graduate and anything else you want to add?

[Anonymous]

this is exactly how wwasp collects their 97% success stories from the parents at discovery.

kind of misleading a bit?

[Anonymous]

At Discovery - don't they give a "home work asignment" to write how greatful you are to the program and how much it helped?
This is something different. This is a kid wondering if other kids have had these problems relating to others after a program experaince. At least, thats how I take it.
Not being a "student" I can't really respond. I Can say tho, that my son, who was a "student" complaigned of not being able to talk to people and feeling uneasy around people after the program. This had not beeen the case *at all* prior to the program.
And I recall how common it was for BBS parents with grads at home to post about how lonely the kids were and how it worried them.
I think all this must be pretty common, LSwi.

[Perrigaud]

I graduated form Cross Creek about 4 years ago. I didn't have problems getting along in the real world. A lot of my friends did have problems because they weren't prepared. They had to start all over again and that was scary for them. When I say start all over again they were in a position to find all new friends.

[Anonymous]

I left on the 'exit plan' when I turned 18, my dad still believing in the program until the end. It's taken me the last 4 years to bring my life into some sort of normality. I'm starting school this fall, and things are back to normal. But, from someone who whole-heartedly rejected the program [only kid to attempt running while I was there, hehe], all the way until the end... yes, it took a bit of adjusting to get back on my feet. I really hope these places are shut down soon, I figured they would be after so long... but they seem to be bigger than ever. Sad.

[Anonymous]

One more thing... I don't mean to say rejecting the program was the problem. It took me this time to get back on my feet financially, and be able to start college. That is what I meant to say. I am glad I rejected the program's philosophy [or brainwashing] because giving into that kind of thinking would have taken me much longer to recover from than not having any money or way to travel.

[Anonymous]

And to answer your question specifically, no it wasn't hard to make friendships. Being free feels great!! Much better than being stuffed in a cabin with 20 other guys for months, or years on end.

[Perrigaud]

Guess it depends on who you talk to. I'm doing excellent. And yes I thank the program for having some influence on that. The program was a stepping stone for me.

[LSwi]

I wasnt trying to collect success stories, I was trying to collect REAL stories.

[Christopher Riner]

Hello, my name is Christopher Forrest Riner.  I don't think it matters who you are-- if you wound up in a program for some reason, then you probably have a nack for mischief.  I'm sure that there are success stories out there, but not the kind you think of.  Life is tough-- whether you've been in a program or not.  When you leave the program, your life changes drastically.  The best advice that I could give you, is that the change after you get back is nowhere near as drastic as the one that you experienced your first few weeks in the program.  So hell, if you could adjust to that one then you should definitely be able to trudge through this ordeal.  
And friends?  It's hard finding good friends when you have a world of time on your hands.  I wouldn't try and rush things.  It's better not to let something expand so much in your own world that it takes over necessary priorities, ya know?  If you waste all of your time trying to find friends, then all you will end up doing (more than likely) is going through hand fulls of useless, ephemeral relationships that will do nothing other than point you away from what's going on inside of you (pardon the jargon).  

But honestly, how's school?  Are you trying to get a job?  Do you have any goals set?  I guarantee that if you got a job and went to school somewhere then you would make tooooons of friends.  People are all over the place.  I mean hell, if making friends is the most important thing to you right now, then you should go to school and get a job just for the friends, hehe.  Hell, why not?  You'll make money at the same time.  I dunno, I'm not sure exactly what to tell you to do, because everyone's struggle is different.  I don't know anyone who's never felt alone, and my best advice would be that this is all a part of your rehabilitation back into society, and its only a small part.  Don't forget yer important shit.

a little about me (I love this part):
Christopher Forrest Riner:Academy Dundee Ranch, Costa Rica
2002-2003: 18 months, graduate
President: Boys Student Council
Chairman:  (Boys) Public Relations Committee, Activities Committee, Dundee Ranch Zoological Preservation Committee (Vice-chairman Bowdy Lewis-- bless your little heart).
International Elvis Impersonator.

P.S.  if you need someone to talk to, email me at allhailslipknot@hotmail.com and I'll give you my aol screen name.  It never hurts to have a buddy.  I have msn, too.

[Perrigaud]

Ass! It is a real story. Too bad you have problems. Crimeney I had some difficulties too. Anyhow, Christopher is right; life is hard. I just happen to be successful cause I have the will to be. Friends? Get a job or start school. You'll meet people that way. Reconnecting? It gets easier with time. It took me moving out of my parent's house at the age of 18 to ground myself. Beware of relationships. I don't think anyone (program grad or not) should be in a relationship unless they are stable. By this I mean a lot of people take on relationships because they are lonely. [ This Message was edited by: Perrigaud on 2005-02-18 00:43 ]