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Synanon / Synanon In British Columbia
« on: August 25, 2009, 08:26:06 PM »
I did some research on the place that i went through, the Last Door in British Columbia, Canada. I wrote a letter to the local health authority about my concerns. here is an excerpt.
Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the Last Door’s treatment philosophy is the use of a ‘therapeutic community’. Youth endure up to eight months in an incredibly stressful and strange environment where they are, over time, violently changed into new people who believe that their survival depends on a lifetime of sobriety. They become the perfect candidates for the last door’s therapeutic community, which is a group of graduates from the last door adult and youth programs who shun outsiders and are united by the common principle of lifelong abstinence from drugs and alcohol.
For youth who agree to put down roots in the therapeutic community after graduation, their primary social relationships consist of other program graduates. In the event of a drug relapse, these youth, who are 16 and 17 years old, are completely ostracized by the therapeutic community. Members of the therapeutic community accept the practice of not speaking or associating with youth who relapse, unless the youth are at a Narcotics Anonymous meeting. Because the therapeutic community is united by the practice of lifelong abstinence, youth who relapse are treated with suspicion and contempt. i remember on high-risk youth who had gone on to live in the theraputic community be thrown out of their foster homes and shunned by their former associates. i later saw this youth wandering around downtown vancouver high on heroin and without a shirt. he wanted to know if i was still in touch with anyone from the last door.
They often find themselves socially isolated and experiencing mental health difficulties. Although the concept of a ‘therapeutic community’ implies that these youth experience ongoing supervision and support after treatment is concluded, this is not the case for those who relapse. They are completely shunned and have no access to any support network at all, having been pressured to cut off ties with old associates and in some case their families as well. I find the resulting isolation that these youth experience, and the mental health implications, to be of great concern.
basically people are brainwashed into treatment and then they live in fear of being ostracized by the theraputic community.
i told the woman, 'you know, this is just like this group called synanon that operates in the states, the inspired cedu, straight, kids, etc.'
she says to me, 'well, the program directors who i know personally are actually affiliated with synanon. they go down to california twice a year to visit synanon. i'll be honest, i did have some concerns when i knew they were opening a treatment center that used the extreem synanon method...'
i almost dropped the fucking phone. at least now i understand what i went through and can finally, after 8 years, get the appropriate counselling.
Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the Last Door’s treatment philosophy is the use of a ‘therapeutic community’. Youth endure up to eight months in an incredibly stressful and strange environment where they are, over time, violently changed into new people who believe that their survival depends on a lifetime of sobriety. They become the perfect candidates for the last door’s therapeutic community, which is a group of graduates from the last door adult and youth programs who shun outsiders and are united by the common principle of lifelong abstinence from drugs and alcohol.
For youth who agree to put down roots in the therapeutic community after graduation, their primary social relationships consist of other program graduates. In the event of a drug relapse, these youth, who are 16 and 17 years old, are completely ostracized by the therapeutic community. Members of the therapeutic community accept the practice of not speaking or associating with youth who relapse, unless the youth are at a Narcotics Anonymous meeting. Because the therapeutic community is united by the practice of lifelong abstinence, youth who relapse are treated with suspicion and contempt. i remember on high-risk youth who had gone on to live in the theraputic community be thrown out of their foster homes and shunned by their former associates. i later saw this youth wandering around downtown vancouver high on heroin and without a shirt. he wanted to know if i was still in touch with anyone from the last door.
They often find themselves socially isolated and experiencing mental health difficulties. Although the concept of a ‘therapeutic community’ implies that these youth experience ongoing supervision and support after treatment is concluded, this is not the case for those who relapse. They are completely shunned and have no access to any support network at all, having been pressured to cut off ties with old associates and in some case their families as well. I find the resulting isolation that these youth experience, and the mental health implications, to be of great concern.
basically people are brainwashed into treatment and then they live in fear of being ostracized by the theraputic community.
i told the woman, 'you know, this is just like this group called synanon that operates in the states, the inspired cedu, straight, kids, etc.'
she says to me, 'well, the program directors who i know personally are actually affiliated with synanon. they go down to california twice a year to visit synanon. i'll be honest, i did have some concerns when i knew they were opening a treatment center that used the extreem synanon method...'
i almost dropped the fucking phone. at least now i understand what i went through and can finally, after 8 years, get the appropriate counselling.