Fornits

Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform => Straight, Inc. and Derivatives => Topic started by: JDavid on April 12, 2003, 03:38:00 AM

Title: Straight spinoffs clarifications
Post by: JDavid on April 12, 2003, 03:38:00 AM

I can't remember where I read it, so I won't be able to refer back to it. I read something about a Straight spinoff that had only adult clients. Is my memory getting something mixed up or did such a program exist? I know about The Seed, but I thought The Seed is ancient history. If this thing about an adult Straight spinoff is correct, is it gone now or currently still in business?

Which place was it that abolished that ol' walking by the pants thing? Did all of the spinoffs abolish it?

David

Title: Straight spinoffs clarifications
Post by: Antigen on April 12, 2003, 11:31:00 AM

Well, the Seed only closed down in, I think, 2001. They did go way, way low profile, though. For awhile, they said they didn't take minors and I've heard since that they only had a few in later years.

The other place you might be thinking of is Talbott Recovery. Go to http://Peele.net/ (http://Peele.net/) and search on talbott to find a bunch of info on that. I don't know if or exactly how Talbott may have come from Straight. I only know it's in the Atlanta area and it sure sounds like the same program to me.

None of Nature's landscapes are ugly so long as they are wild.
-- John Muir

Title: Straight spinoffs clarifications
Post by: JDavid on April 12, 2003, 02:36:00 PM

Eww Talbott is near me. Looks like they have an inpatient "1st phase" with 150 beds or somethin'. I guess they don't live in host homes. heheheh

Looks like they have the "everyone is an addict" version of diagnosis also from some stories. You know, I'd be willing to get a real drug/alcohol test first from a trustworthy doctor (to guarantee I won't be held hostage) and keep it a secret, then go do their 96 hour evaluation thing if interested parties are willing to offer up funds for whatever I can't afford for the sake of research. It would be a hell of a blow if I have a completely drug free test to throw in their face after they declare me an addict.

David

[ This Message was edited by: JDavid on 2003-04-12 11:40 ]

Title: Straight spinoffs clarifications
Post by: GregFL on April 13, 2003, 12:57:00 AM

point of correction. The seed was not a straight spinoff. Far from it.

The straight was a seed spinoff opened by seed graduates, seed parents like Mel Sembler and James Waymire and seed employees like Helen Peterman. The straight was One of many seed copycat programs.

There is currently a seed spinoff in miami where, in the words of a 30 year seed devotee "kids are getting straight".
To date I have been unable to get the name...

The most important bill in our whole code is that for the diffusion of
knowledge among the people. No other sure foundation can be devised, for the preservation of freedom and happiness.

--Thomas Jefferson

Title: Straight spinoffs clarifications
Post by: JDavid on April 13, 2003, 06:26:00 AM

I knew Seed came before Straight. Seed was just being referenced as taking adult clients.

Thinking about Straight for adults is makin' me sick.

It turns out that one of the reasons the Talbott Recovery program is there is to virtually grant ownership privileges of medical personels' licenses to insurance companies and other medical executives. Progress and health through threats to your certification. Wow, what a bunch of fascism.

And they wonder why people get so pissed off that they resort to terrorism and postal bombing.

David

[ This Message was edited by: JDavid on 2003-04-13 03:26 ]

Title: Straight spinoffs clarifications
Post by: Carmel on April 13, 2003, 09:25:00 AM

Here in Texas there is a program called Cenikor. I dont know if they are a spinoff per-se, but they do only accept adults. Their program is supposed to be along the lines of 2 years in-patient. No host homes, but the phases are the same along with the confrontational therapy and so forth.

We were always threatend with Cenikor during my program, another version of the "if you dont work your program, you will go to State (hospital)". There was one guy who was on staff for a very short period who was a Cenikor graduate. I think I used to wonder if the place was even real. My cousin ended up going in for a few months , many years after I got out of Straight, he hated it and left. Although I learned a bit about their rules while talking to him, and it was more or less Straight for adults. I am pretty sure though that even as an adult, once you check yourself in, you are in practical lock-down for the first month or so. Even if you felt like "pulling" yourself, you couldnt.

This brings be back to something I wonder about often. Why were we threatenend with places that were supposed to be "worse" than Straight? And why were we always told that we didnt know how good we had it by not having to be there in the "old days"? Staff perpetuated ideas about how when they were in the program, you could get hurt much worse than when I was in. How could they have conveyed this sort of idea without having knowledge of abuse? I ALWAYS wonder about that.

Title: Straight spinoffs clarifications
Post by: METALGOD8 on April 13, 2003, 10:01:00 AM

I have heard people talk about being in these straights and being threatened to be transferred to different places. One was from St Pete to Sarasota, and others vice versa. In VA it was going to St Pete. I think it was all because of that CULT thing they had going on and regardless of where they threatened to send someone, they expected that person to stay right there in their group. Fear tactics or some shit.
MG8 :smokin:

Title: Straight spinoffs clarifications
Post by: Anonymous on April 13, 2003, 02:47:00 PM

This brings be back to something I wonder about often. Why were we threatenend with places that were supposed to be "worse" than Straight? And why were we always told that we didnt know how good we had it by not having to be there in the "old days"? Staff perpetuated ideas about how when they were in the program, you could get hurt much worse than when I was in. How could they have conveyed this sort of idea without having knowledge of abuse? I ALWAYS wonder about that.

We were the scum of the earth. The mentality was "You're lucky if you aren't being abused. Things were rough then, before those pesky investigations started..." Very twisted rationalizing. "I may have been abused, but it helped me 'get straight', damn it!"

Title: Straight spinoffs clarifications
Post by: Froderik on April 13, 2003, 02:50:00 PM

D'oh! That was me... :wstupid:

Title: Straight spinoffs clarifications
Post by: Antigen on April 13, 2003, 02:59:00 PM

All the time I was in Sarasota, the biggest threat was that we'd land up in Juvy if we ran, fought or whatever. It worked. I believed it. Then it happened. After I split and went to stay with my brother near Atlanta, they had me extradited for the "crime" of being a 17 3/4 year old runaway in Florida. (In Georgia, 17 is/was the default age of adulthood for most purposes)

I have to tell you, the first day was awful. I was so depressed and scared and alone. I still remember struggling to hold it together until the door slammed on my cell and then I burst into tears.

But after about two or three days of bad TV and endles rounds of Gin Rummy and idle conversation, it finally started to sink in that nobody was fucking with me in any way. No one wanted to beat me up. There was no danger in going to the shower, except maybe a skin rash from the industrial grade anti-biotic soap. Also, no one staring directly at you, no 2 minute limit. One or two of the staff were cranky and mean, but there was absolutely no danger in ignoring them, so long as you followed directives.

The directives were limited to fairly reasonable ones considering that it was, after all, a jail for kids and some of the kids might actually be dangerous or prone to try and escape. Looking out the window when alone in your cell, for example, was against the rules cause it could be considered an escape attempt. I found that out while enjoying the sunrise about the end of my first week there.

But every day, unless it rained, we got an hour or two outside in the play yard to play volley ball; boys against girls with one of each model of staff on each team. Man, that one staffer was the most adorable, kind and wonderful man I'd seen in years, too! Everyone had a crush on him!

At one point, they actually took two of us girls to the kitchen, handed us very large sharp knives and asked us to dismember a pile of chickens (gutted, beheaded and plucked, of course) for the night's meal, wich was always good, hot and Southern, complete with ham hocks in the green beans and real butter on the home style corn bread!

It was a vacation compared to one hour in Group. I think I read half of everything Jules Verne ever wrote in the month or so I had to wait to be turned over to the Florida system.

Penalties against possession of a drug should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself
--Jimmy Carter

Title: Straight spinoffs clarifications
Post by: Tampa survivor on April 13, 2003, 05:06:00 PM

Ruth Anne Newton took great joy in standing me up in the "C" room at St Pete during exec rap one day and announcing that I would, as I hated cold weather, to Atlanta to MOTIVATE me and keep me from running. I was terrified, but I shrugged it off. She added before sitting me down, that if ATL did not work, Cincy was even colder and that would be next.
The trip from St Pete to ATL with Bobby Rugles of Sarasota misbehaver fame was the most miserable trip of my life. Ironicly, Millers son Mark drove, and he was working for my father's biz at the time.
Transfers were not just a threat....
Bill H
Atl & ST Pete
12-80/12-82

Title: Straight spinoffs clarifications
Post by: ClayL on April 14, 2003, 09:27:00 AM

Bill's right, ATL had people from Cincy and a bunch from St. Pete. I don't remember any from Springfield and never even knew there was a program in Michigan.

CL

Title: Straight spinoffs clarifications
Post by: Don Smith on April 14, 2003, 01:44:00 PM

Didn't Mark end up marrying Traci Adkins, a former Junior Staffer?

Don

Title: Straight spinoffs clarifications
Post by: METALGOD8 on April 14, 2003, 04:25:00 PM

There were two staffers, (SR) that were sent from Springfield, VA (GULAG5515) to Atlanta sometime in the mid-early 80's to "straighten out the group". I talked to one of them last summer while inviting to the Survivor Reunion and he said that the Atlanta group was in a "bad place". He and some other Sr. female staffer were there for about 2 weeks. I have yet to meet people who remember this.

MG8 :smokin:

Title: Straight spinoffs clarifications
Post by: Froderik on April 14, 2003, 04:57:00 PM

I remember the female staff member well. She was (at least to me at the time) an attractive, sorta plump, southern girl. Seemed nice for a staff member. If you were to tell me what her name was I would almost certainly recognize it. I recall she liked the phrase "keep it simple, stupid" (which she abbreviated for us, K.I.S.S) a lot. She had brown hair, kinda long...any of this ring a bell?
BTW - Bill, Did those CD's arrive yet? :question:

Title: Straight spinoffs clarifications
Post by: Tampa survivor on April 14, 2003, 06:19:00 PM

Don,
Yeah, he did. I went to the wedding, as a split off, a year after I bailed from Atlanta.
It was so weird for me. Tons of 7 steppers, Miller himself wanting to chat it up with me, and me wanting to puke.
I was 16 and felt like I was under the microscope.
Traci was nice enough. She had a pile of sisters in the program...Cuties all. If anyone knows where Lee or Traci or Lisa ....are, do tell or email me.
Bill H

Title: Straight spinoffs clarifications
Post by: ClayL on April 15, 2003, 08:24:00 AM

Title: Straight spinoffs clarifications
Post by: Don Smith on April 15, 2003, 08:59:00 AM

I remember one woman from Cini coming down on staff. A Crystal something. She was there for about 2-3 weeks. Took my responsibilities while I was on 5th for something. Was the closest I ever came to a staff member admiting they were wrong. I always respected her for that.

Crystal Miller, yes I remember when she left Cincinnati. I was on Staff in Cincy at the time. Everyone was convinced that she would come back up to Cincinnati a Senior Staffer. Didn't happen though.

She and I attend church together. In fact our choir just got done doing an Easter cantata featuring Larnelle Harris. She has a remarkable voice.

Crystal is doing real well. Happily married with a 2 year old son. She calls Straight a PRISON! Up until recently she didn't want to talk about the place.

Don

Title: Straight spinoffs clarifications
Post by: ClayL on April 15, 2003, 09:11:00 AM

On 2003-04-15 05:59:00, Don Smith wrote:

Crystal is doing real well. Happily married with a 2 year old son. She calls Straight a PRISON! Up until recently she didn't want to talk about the place.

Don "

Don

I am happy to hear this. I had spoken to you once before about Crystal a while back, but I am terrible with names and I am suprised that I remembered her at all. Probably because of the responsibilities thing.

CL