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Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform => The Troubled Teen Industry => Topic started by: Nihilanthic on December 25, 2004, 06:32:00 PM

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on December 25, 2004, 06:32:00 PM
I've bitched and asked enough times in other threads to make it officially redundant...

So heres the OFFICIAL THREAD.

Perrigaud, "one who cares", any supporter of these programs.

State explicitly, just how they do their 'magic'. I dont want generalities I'd read in a press report, I dont want vague words, I want just what, exactly they do as 'therapy' (or whatever) to make the kids so repentant, submissive, obedient, and 'hard working'?

What do they do, how do they do it, why is total isolation and captivity and submission and control necessary for SO long to facilitate this?

Being 'scared', 'in your face', and 'shocked' (aka suffering) to make them better through fear and epiphany is not a valid reason.


I'm REALLY looking forwards to finally getting something substantial out of this, but I doubt I will.

P.S. - Ginger, would you moderate this thread? or is this forum still explicitly unmoderated?

...the primary reason to outlaw marijuana
is its effect on the degenerate races.

Harry Anslinger

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Carey on December 25, 2004, 08:20:00 PM
Ginger what Nil is really asking when he asks you to moderate this thread is "don't let someone say something I don't want to hear."  

I specifically told him how one of my twins felt it helped him...they took things away from him that he took for granted, and more importantly, he was able to see by the actions of others what he did not want to be.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 25, 2004, 11:01:00 PM
Niles - Are you really open to hearing it again?  Or would you rather continue think that the kids are beaten and scared into submission?

No matter what someone says positive, you've continually called them liars, brainwashed and evil.

The program is not MAGIC, so to answer how they work it a waste of time.

There is no total isolation, they're around peers and staff 24/7.  Do you mean they can't pick up the phone, or come and go as they please?

It takes what it takes, it isn't up to "the program" it's up to the kids to prove to themselves they are committed to standing for their lives.  Like Carey said, one of her son's got something out of it, the other one didn't.  Two kids, same program.  

Your language is so negative - control, submission, captivity?  You've been reading too much ISAC propaganda.  

Since you have no personal experience, won't even go to an adult personal growth seminar (OMG!  I'll be brainwashed!) answering your questions again and again is redundant.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 26, 2004, 12:03:00 AM
The argument has never been that the program wouldn't create change in a child. The question is, and always has been... do the means justify the end.
And again... is it that the program works like when someone has a near death experience? I think so. Are there less abusive and more respectful ways to interact with human beings? Yep. Some people just don't know how to do that and thus must resort to harsh and austere methods.

Every argument ends here. We must agree to disagree because we have different definitions of 'abuse', respect, rights, manipulation, etc, etc, etc.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on December 26, 2004, 12:06:00 AM
Dodging again. I used "magic" metaphorically.

Give me some fucking answers godammit. Whats the therapy?

I asked for moderation so we dont get some troll coming in, or meaingless arguements between people. I just want the damn facts stated here.

I have STILL not seen any. All I've seen is dodging, accusations at me, and "go to a seminar".

Well, I'll take what we've got so far:

***I specifically told him how one of my twins felt it helped him...they took things away from him that he took for granted, and more importantly, he was able to see by the actions of others what he did not want to be.***  
So, all they did is take 'things' away from him, and make him be in an environemnt full of 'people he did not want to be'. So, loss of freedoms and being around bad apples. Thats why you send kids to programs? Thats why you spend so much money? Restricting freedom/fun/pleasure? hah.

Now, for the OTHER anon:

***There is no total isolation, they're around peers and staff 24/7. Do you mean they can't pick up the phone, or come and go as they please? ***

The isolation referred to is from the outside world and their parents without censorship or punishment for speaking bad of the program, and an almost total elimination of any credibility for any complaint or grievance of a child in the program against it. Yes, they are around the other children if not in OP or Dial 9 or whatever they call it at that place.

There ARE facilities where they can come and go as they please, and/or can pick up a phone. Whats wrong with that?

***It takes what it takes, it isn't up to "the program" it's up to the kids to prove to themselves they are committed to standing for their lives. Like Carey said, one of her son's got something out of it, the other one didn't. Two kids, same program.***

Its dependant on them to accept the programs teachings? Fair enough. I still havent seen what they're supposed to be doing to teach them.

***Your language is so negative - control, submission, captivity? You've been reading too much ISAC propaganda.***

:silly: oh please...

***Since you have no personal experience, won't even go to an adult personal growth seminar (OMG! I'll be brainwashed!) answering your questions again and again is redundant.***

Ok, let me set this straight again. I've read a lot of credible evidence that the seminars are nothing more than group regressional therapy. Being put into a different state of mind, and broken down, so you can be convinced of things.

Yet again, I will repeat for you - everyone has the same damn complaint. The emotional/psychological BS. I'm not up to putting myself through that kind of experience to be convinced of the wonders of the program. Maybe someone should make a video of a seminar.

Also, yeah, I dont have personal experience, I dont have kids to put in nor the desire to use them as a guinea pig, and thankfully I was never in one of those dman places. I'm trying to find OUT whats going on. Thast the purpose of this.

Now, AGAIN... WHAT DO THEY DO IN THE PROGRAMS?

Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.
--Albert Einstein

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 26, 2004, 01:56:00 AM
You've been given this information but you said it was trolling.  Since it's not one size fits all, there are MANY things the program offers.  If you would take the time to actually READ the inhouse magazine, The Source, you would have your questions answered in more ways than can be explained here.  Sorry, I know it's not the quick fix answer in a box you're looking for.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on December 26, 2004, 02:25:00 AM
I was not accusing anyone of trolling! I said I wished to safeguard against it because I want to get answers.

Now, with that out of the way....

***You've been given this information but you said it was trolling. Since it's not one size fits all, there are MANY things the program offers. If you would take the time to actually READ the inhouse magazine, The Source, you would have your questions answered in more ways than can be explained here. Sorry, I know it's not the quick fix answer in a box you're looking for.***

Okay. So... you want me to read their magazine? Oh, and you had to throw in a few insults. :roll:

I just want a straight answer.

Why wont you give me one?

Do you support drug prohibition because it finances criminals at home or because it finances terrorists abroad?
--Anonymous

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 26, 2004, 03:41:00 AM
Nihil, it's hopeless. WWASPies will never give you a straight answer because they won't even give themselves a straight answer. You ask them to be honest with you about the program when they can't even be honest with themselves. That is why they refer you to all kinds of WWASPie propaganda.

Thinking about it, I doubt that they know for certain for was done to their children. All they know is that it must have been something that was good and necessary, because it was done by WWASP (remember, the program is perfect and it makes no mistakes) and it turned their kids into submissive robots.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 26, 2004, 01:02:00 PM
Be careful responding to Cary Bock.
She is bought and paid for by WWASP.
In My experainced opinion, She is trolling for responces that will help them find grounds to come after the forum and the indiviguals on it.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 26, 2004, 02:03:00 PM
Quote
On 2004-12-26 10:02:00, Anonymous wrote:

"Be careful responding to Cary Bock.

She is bought and paid for by WWASP.

In My experainced opinion, She is trolling for responces that will help them find grounds to come after the forum and the indiviguals on it.



"


Seeing thw way she's defending Dundee and trashing Amberly, I wouldn't be surprised to find out this is true (I'm not accusing you of lying-- just saying that I haven't yet seen any evidence).
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on December 26, 2004, 03:12:00 PM
Ok, the moderation I was referring to was to try to prevent this and get a straight answer...

I'm not trying to shut you people up either, I just wanted to try to get *SOMETHING* detailed from a program supporter! Dammit, I dont want to read a magazine for people who already signed, on or go to some superexpensive seminar with credible accusations of manipulation.

What I do want is to hear from a parent or a previous student what was done with or to them as 'therapy' and treatment.

Why is it so hard to tell? Whats the deal? You're escorted there, and theres intake. Whats intake? You're kept in there and you do stuff. What stuff? Is it listening to those tapes and being in regressional seminars that make you want to fix yourself?

Why cant I get a straight answer?

Oh, and P.S. - you cant do SHIT to this forum or anyone here. WWASPS vs PURE demonstrated that. Not that I'm fond of PURE either.

Plus, why would she have to go out to sue dissenters if the programs REALLY help? Hmm? Its not like ISAC is selling a competiting product.

WWASPS suing ISAC or an activist is like a Tobacco Company suing those 'Truth' commercials for saying  smoking is addictive and causes cancer.

The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by an endless series of hobgoblins; all of them imaginary.
H.L. Mencken, 1923

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 26, 2004, 04:08:00 PM
Niles - Only the therapist and the teen know what the process was during therapy.  That's confidential as it is with any patient/client realationship.  If a student wants to share this, fine.

This was MY personal experience:

We went to the program together, no transport services.

Toured, met with staff, met with students. Saw every nook and cranny of the school. Met the student who would be his "buddy" for the first few days.

Said our goodbyes - very emotional for both of us.

Wrote letters to begin the process of rebuilding our communication - The first letters were angry and manipulative. we got the full uncensored venting.

Weekly contact with family rep - talked about the challenges of the week - talked about how "we" were doing, not just teen.

We all began the personal growth seminars at the same time.  Wrote about what we learned about ourselves, identified key areas that weren't working, what choices we were making that contributed to the breakdown, being good enough to be happy, moving from the past to right now, goals and trust. This was an ongoing process throughout.

Therapy calls once a week, all of us on the phone (this was well over 5 years ago, so unsure if this is still the process) Talked about whatever we felt needed addressing.

After completing the seminars, I assisted on a regular basis to gain more personal insights and to help new parents in whatever way I was asked.

Regular visits (usually about once a month) -first on grounds, then off grounds, then overnight.

Parent weekend - this is where we were in a workshop together for 2 days gaining even more communication skills.

Parent/Child 1 - more indepth than the parent weekend, defined personal and family values, how to apply what we learned about each other, respecting our differences, more goals, beginning the process of a home contract. Getting to the heart of anything we felt was still unresolved in our relationships - us and other family members, old friends and choices.

Parent/Child 2 - the graduation workshop. I call it the "no sugar coating" workshop - leaving no stone unturned.  Talked about the fear of having old behaviors come up, what to do about it, separating normal teen choices from the old stuff, a commitment to stay true to ourselves but to work together as a family.  A commitment to continue asking for help when needed.  We acknowledged that mistakes happen, it's what we learn from them that makes the difference.  Defining what success means in our family.

He was at grade level, making straight A's with all his credits transferring to his home high school. Close to 4 years home, graduated high school and remains drug free.  Learned to control his anger and believes in himself. We continue to have "respectful" communication even if it's not what we want to hear.  He's still the same kid, minus the attitude and drugs, making choices that he owns.  I'm still the same person minus the blame and anger that contributed to what happened.  Lots of deep, inner soul searching and work.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 26, 2004, 04:56:00 PM
P.S. - Love and respect - learning that we each wanted and needed that above all else was what gave us the desire and motivation to get where we are now - with the help we so desparately needed.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on December 26, 2004, 05:10:00 PM
Ok, it seems I've actually gotten somewhere! Merry Christmas Anon.

Ok - so you put the child into the program, and then rebuilt communication through it. You both went into seminars.

Then, built up to more visits.

So, its seperation (and isolation of the child), the seminars, and work your way to eachother with the program in the middle. It appears the point is to make some sort of a bond with child/parent via program's isolation and controlled environment. aka Behavior modification. Still lacking in specifics, though.

I still dont know exactly what the child has done to them While confidentiality needs to be respected there has to be some sort of general mode of treatment that exists - when there are accusations of abuse, things like this need to be taken seriously. Is anyone who was a child in a program here willing to tell us what the treatment is?

What I said in the initial post in this thread still hasn't been answered! What do they actually do in the program/seminars? Why does it take so long? Why is isolation and captivity necessary?

Saying programs/seminars and step by step reconnecting the child/parent communication is how it works, is like saying a engine works by pushing the gas pedal. Engines work by sucking in air and fuel, squishing it, exploding it, and blowing it out the exhaust. Your foot only controls how much fuel and air get in. Its not what makes the engine 'go'.

What makes the program's engine 'go'? The regressional seminars that are often said to resemble brainwashing? Wanting to get back out so you conform?

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

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: spots on December 26, 2004, 05:23:00 PM
Quote
If you would take the time to actually READ the inhouse magazine, The Source, you would have your questions answered in more ways than can be explained here.  


When a serious question is asked ("EXACTLY what...anything...specifically helped you"), only a non-thinker cultist would answer "Just read our propoganda".  This type of answer would not occur to a "normal" person.  Ask a teacher, "Exactly what makes an apple fall to the ground", and would you respect that teacher if he said, "Just trust me...an apple always falls at a 45° angle from the tree"?  One would probably figure out that the teacher either 1) wasn't interested in taking the time to explain the reason, or 2) was on such shaky ground about the forces of gravity that he *couldn't* explain it.  Suggesting reading the party publication like The Source for a true explanation is a sign of a small mind...or a lazy one.

Further Quote...

***There is no total isolation, they're around peers and staff 24/7. Do you mean they can't pick up the phone, or come and go as they please? ***

I consider isolation being "around peers and staff" but not allowed to communicate, either by spoken word or hand signals.  This is isolation of the cruelest kind.

So many sad and touching anecdotes are revealed in the long months and years after WWASPS. Our WWASPie should listen to kids finally home, about the everyday reality children endure there, and it has to do with way more than being denied phone and partying privileges with teen friends.  Yesterday, my kid told us about "saying goodbye" to graduates.  Twice, the graduate girls at Casa simply disappeared from population, never saying goodbye or sharing their "success" even though some had been there going-on 3 years.  However, once, about 15 girls were graduating at one time, and for some reason they were allowed the final "goodbye".  They came into the dorms and hugged several girls, bade good wishes, etc.  The lower level girls receiving these hugs could not respond, because they were not allowed to talk.  This is cruel, and negates any teaching/love/mentoring the graduate girls may have had to offer.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on December 26, 2004, 06:05:00 PM
Spots - right now, I'm trying to find out the supposed treatment going on in there. The abuse is going on the back burner until I figure out what the supposed therapy and treatment is.

Like, from what anon told me the seperation and isolation, along with 'emotional growth seminars' are whats used to make the kid and the parent 'grow together' via the program. Is being locked up abusive? Is being forced to play along or you never get out coercive? Are the programs accused of being regressional therapy misused to brainwash?

Absolutely! But the point is - how is it supposed to 'work'? I'm ignoring the accusations and trying to get from them how its supposed to work. What is done while in 'treatment' in the program, or in the 'seminars'.

I'd also like to know why kidnapping and long term captivity is necessary - but I'm not holding my breath on that. It seems being forced to stay in an unpleasant situation and its made better through conformity is all part of the game to them. But if they say thats how it works, then its how its supposed to work, according to them.

If its abusive is another issue. Yes, we're all here to stop abuse, but I'm trying to find out their POV and how its all supposed to work.

If the methods that are supposed to be used are abusive, then thast what reform is for. If they supposedly dont use abusive methods but somehow it becomes abusive anyway, thats what regulation is for.

Puritanism: The haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy.
--H. L. Mencken, American publisher

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 26, 2004, 06:24:00 PM
Nil - you have such a negative way of looking at things. Not an insult, but an observation.

Using your "engine" metaphor.  I'll say in advance I have little knowledge of how an engine works though I drive a car every day.

Say the engine is missing, sputtering, whatever.  It gets so bad that unless you take it to a mechaic, you risk having it die altogether.  You tell the mechanic what it's doing, in your own words.  The mechanic does some diagnostic testing on it and "thinks" he/she knows the problem.  While working on that problem, another one is uncovered.  It's not something the testing revealed.  So the mechanic works on it, fixing those problem.  Lo and behold, when the engine is started, it isn't getting enough gas and dies.  So the mechanic goes back and works on it some more.  He/she realizes that there are some parts that would make it work better, faster, more fuel efficient.  It's been a challenge, but after some long hours, and the help of another mechanic, the engine purrs.  The mechanic tells me that unless I get regular tune ups, oil changes, the right gas, driving it the way it was meant to be driven...that it could go back to the way it was before.  

I gladly pay the mechanic for taking the time to fix my car and not just fixing the outerproblem.  He took the time to get past the original problem and fix what wasn't seen originally.  If the engine could talk, would it know what the mechanic did?  Would it only know that in the process, it became a finely tuned machine? It would know that some parts were added, but what parts?  It would know that the mechanic used some tools. but unless the engine were a mechanic, would it really understand how it got fixed?

People are not machines and they aren't broken. They don't need fixing.   Yes, in the lower levels, or for me, the beginning, I learned a lot.  Time is what it took for me to apply what I learned.  I can read a book and learn, but do I apply it?  It's the commitment to applying it that takes time.  There are many slips back before it is something that "just is."

What the do in the programs/seminars (are you listening?) is they give us tools to use in our lives that we didn't know we had before.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 26, 2004, 06:35:00 PM
...and the time it takes to make it become a natural part of our lives.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on December 26, 2004, 06:46:00 PM
You still have not told me a god damn thing.

He plugs a computer into the OBD-II port (or whatever if its an older car) and looks for the codes, and if there isn't one he goes through the list of diagnostics to check the fuel system, spark, bearings, bla bla bla. I know my way around engines.

There is no mystery or necessity for it, there is a real problem thats really fixed. A part is replaced, an injector is unclogged, a sparkplug is regapped or whatever. You can stick your head in there and go "oh, that rattle is a worn out bearing" or "oh, the spark plug wire is ripped". Even a mysterious thing has a reason. Water in your cylinders? Head gasket is leaking.

Yes, you dont know shit about an engine - but you know if you push the pedal it speeds up. Your transmission changes gears for you and it lets the engine spin free when you brake or idle at a stop.

Thats fine and dandy for a car. Its a hunk of metal, rubber, plastic, and silicone filled with air fuel and water. Nobody is going to really care too much if you mistreat it or send it off to a shady mechanic - but you might have your money wasted. Mechanics are rather infamous for making up problems and ripping off customers.

I've had mechanics say they want 1000 dollars to change a clutch! Thats B A L O N E Y. But, I can freely look up how it works *IN DETAIL* and understand totally whats going on. I can buy a chiltons manual or get online, or talk to people, or get out some wrenches.

Now, with kids in programs... there is a lot of mystery. There is a lot of vagueness and generalities being thrown around. I can't open up the WWASPS chiltons manual. I cant take a wrench to a childs head and open it up to look inside.

You still haven't told me a god damn thing about how the treatment works. The mechanic told you he saw a problem you didn't see. Spiffy. Some mechanics lie! There are bad mechanics. They inflate their fees so they get paid more! They take advantage of people who dont know what they do to the car or how a car works for their own benefit.

So, so far all we've seen is that you are, or could be, manipulated by mechanics and programs.

What did they do to the kid? HOW do the seminars give you and the kid "tools to use in your lives you didnt know you had before"? You used all sorts of pretty speech that had absolutely no detail or substance at all.

What. Do. They. DO?

It does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are 20 gods, or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.
--Thomas Jefferson, U.S. President, author, scientist, architect, educator, and diplomat

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 26, 2004, 09:58:00 PM
Maybe your questions aren't being answered to your liking, or because you are ripping everything to shreads what is answered.  

What do you want to hear?

What did they do to the kid?  Doing something TO a person is not a good question.  

What do they provide for the kid is a better one.  In your rudeness, is that what you are really asking?

As for the seminars - sorry, you're question was answered as good as it will get.  You'll just have to go yourself to get your own answers.  No one can answer that for you - not avoiding, it's the way it is.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on December 26, 2004, 10:51:00 PM
I'm ripping to shreds waht is told to me because its BULLSHIT!

I want to hear what is done to or with the kids in the programs. Pick a damn verb, and answer the question. I keep hearing generalized vague bullcrap, or being told they do this or that and they trust that they did it, instead of HOW its done.

"What did they do to the kid? Doing something TO a person is not a good question.

What do they provide for the kid is a better one. In your rudeness, is that what you are really asking?"

Doing something to the kid held captive in there or 'providing treatment' has no difference. Do prisons 'do' incarceration or 'provide it'? Whats the damn therapy/treatment to fix the problems with the child done to or provided for (as if therse a choice...) within the program?

And yeah, you ARE sorry about those seminars. You want me to pay insane money and submit to psychological regression to find out 'the answers' to change my life? Ever wonder why you're accused of being cultish?

Whats the deal in keeping it secret? I've read on intrepidnetreporters and isac and nospank all about the seminars being abusive. I was asking how they're supposed to work to make you make all these changes and give you all these 'tools' but nobody can answer a god damned thing.

What was said to me was ripped to shreds because nobody has yet to answer my question! Dont tell me the program identified problems and fixed them, tell me WHAT problem was, WHAT was did to fix it, and HOW it was accomplished.

Whats stopping a straight answer from being given? Huh? If I sound angry or frustrated its because I AM. After months or years involved with the program and ALL The money you gave, you should have learned what they were doing to your kid and be able to tell someone!

If we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them but to inform their discretion by education

--Thomas Jefferson

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 26, 2004, 10:57:00 PM
:flame:
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 27, 2004, 01:59:00 AM
:roll:
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 27, 2004, 02:02:00 AM
Are Niles and the above Anon -regarding the dishwashing, etc., adults?
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on December 27, 2004, 02:33:00 AM
Ummm... I wasn't saying anything about 'washing dishes', it was the anon.

And yes, I'm an adult.

There is nothing so likely to produce peace as to be well prepared to meet the enemy.
--George Washington

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 27, 2004, 11:00:00 AM
Perhaps a volunteer from ISACs could take the seminar and report back the details of the experience. You won't get the details from a programmer- they like the element of surprise. More effective when one does not know what is going to happen, when they are caught off guard. They aren't going to tell you the details, but bits and pieces can be found in threads on Fornits.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: BuzzKill on December 27, 2004, 11:01:00 AM
Battle for the Mind: A Physiology of Conversion and Brainwashing

The Manipulated Mind: Brainwashing, Conditioning and Indoctrination


Releasing The Bonds: Empowering People to Think for Themselves

Combatting Cult Mind Control
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Perrigaud on December 27, 2004, 12:10:00 PM
I'm back. Well N, seems you have got to  read a little deeper. So far what has been said is what you needed to hear. I will be back tonight to elaborate on my specifics. That way you can have more insight.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Helena Handbasket on December 27, 2004, 01:31:00 PM
There seems to be a common theme of disinformation and redirection when you ask for concrete answers.  Come on over to the LIFE / Growing Together forum... check it out... see if it's about the same damned thing!!!

Pretty Scary   :scared:
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 27, 2004, 02:29:00 PM
Quote
On 2004-12-26 18:58:00, Anonymous wrote:

"Maybe your questions aren't being answered to your liking, or because you are ripping everything to shreads what is answered.  



What do you want to hear?



What did they do to the kid?  Doing something TO a person is not a good question.  



What do they provide for the kid is a better one.  In your rudeness, is that what you are really asking?



As for the seminars - sorry, you're question was answered as good as it will get.  You'll just have to go yourself to get your own answers.  No one can answer that for you - not avoiding, it's the way it is.  



"



This reply is so vague as to be worthless, and the other replies missed vital detail that should *not* be violative of patient confidentiality.

What you *should* be able to say is:

What happens at a typical intake, what sort of physical situation the kid is in (what's the room like in terms of temperature, furniture, appearance, comfort level), what sort of physical contact the staff have with the kids at this level, what sort of procedures are done to deal with the kid's clothing/personal effects--and if there are such procedures, what's provided in exchange, in what circumstances and how much the kid sleeps, in what circumstances and how much and what the kid eats, what hygienic facilities are available and when and under what conditions of use/privacy they're accessible by the kid, when the kid first meets a member of the therapeutic staff and whether the atmosphere/technique is confrontational or supportive, the training of the various therapeutic staff a kid will encounter, who evaluates the kid to determine what problems he/she comes in with and what training that person has and what effect it has on the child's living conditions and treatment plan.

Then when you get past intake, we need to know all that same information about physical conditions, sleep, specific rules and punishments, how frequently the kid has contact with the therapeutic staff and how those staff are trained, the training of any staff who carry out restraints, the various treatment modalities the therapists are trained in and the average proportion of each therapy strategy that is used.  What proportion of therapy is supportive in tone and what proportion is confrontational at each stage of the program.  Whether group therapy is used, whether the kid has a choice about whether or not to do group therapy, whether group sessions are geared to be supportive and confrontational in tone and what limits, if any, are placed on confrontational encounters in group.

What amount of unpaid work the kids do, and the nature of the work, in detail.  How long they spend doing it and whether it is ever allowed to interfere with regular food and sleep periods or conditions.  How much time and in what temperatures and weather the kids are outdoors, and what steps are taken to protect the kids from the elements.  What reading material or recreational equipment is available to the kids, in what stages, and how much time the kids have available for reading, art, music, and PE.

What amount of time is spent on academic subjects and the details of what the student/teacher ratio is, whether the teachers are certified or what their credentials are, what the facilities and materials and resources are for the schooling portion of the program.

These are kinds of detail that former program kids who are critics of the program routinely provide, and former program kids or parents who approve of the programs skim over.

For the seminars, a general description of the room and its comfort level (temperature, seating, etc.), duration of sessions, frequency and duration of any breaks, whether the nature of the presentation of material is informational or emotional---or what proportion of each.  Access to food and drink---is water available or sugary drinks, or both.  Are snacks sugary or heavy carb, or a balanced mix of carb and other.  Are drinks and snacks controlled, or are there vending machines with a fairly normal range of selections?  Is there background music to any part of the program?  What's the lighting like and does it change at any point?  Are there any slideshows or anything like that?  If there are visual aids, what do you remember about content and colors?  Are participants encouraged to discuss personal experiences and personal life details in front of the group (perhaps by a few people starting off as examples, or by one of the presenters sharing personal experiences or details).  How would you rate the peak intensity of emotion you experienced at the seminar on a scale of 1 to 10?  How much do you feel you learned that changed the way you looked at something, on a scale of 1 to 10?  How difficult is it for you (or perhaps anyone) to put what you learned into words, on a scale of 1 to 10?  Was it clear that most people in the room approved of or supported or congratulated some statements made (or experiences recounted, or accounts of choices made) by seminar attendees, and lamented, disapproved of, or commiserated with others?  Did you develop a strong feeling of empathy with the presenters or any of the other attendees?  On a scale of 1 to 10, how strongly did you feel a desire to stay in contact with the presenters or some of the attendees in the following days and weeks?  Did you stay in contact with any attendees or presenters that you met at the seminars?  Out of all the time you spent talking to people socially or about personal things in the weeks and days following the seminar, other than your spouse or children, what percentage did you spend talking to presenters or attendees from the seminar?  What percentage of that time did you spend talking *about* either the seminar or the ideas covered during the seminar?  On a scale of 1 to 10, if you feel the seminars changed your life, how *much* do you feel they changed your life?  Did you cease contact with anyone with whom you were personally, professionally, or socially in contact with *before* the seminars because of their attitude towards the seminars themselves, what you learned there, or any changes you made in your life related in any way to the seminars?  If you ceased contact with someone, how many people did you cease contacting or reduce contact with.  How important were each of those people in your life before the seminar, on a scale of 1 to 10.  Did you ever recommend the seminars to anyone?  If so, how many people, roughly, did you recommend them to?  Did anyone attend the seminars on your recommendation?  Did the seminars, singly or collectively, cost more than one month's salary for you or your spouse?  If so, how many months' salary did you spend on the seminars?  Have you attended another seminar in the past six months?  In the past twelve months?

We don't necessarily need detailed answers to *all* of that, but I listed as many relevant questions as I could think of off the top of my head to give you examples of the *kinds* of detail that would be very relevant to me at least, and I think to others, in forming some kind of mental impression of what these seminars are like.

Timoclea
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Antigen on December 27, 2004, 04:31:00 PM
Ok, here are some answers and I have some questions.

Quote
On 2004-12-26 13:08:00, Anonymous wrote:

Niles - Only the therapist and the teen know what the process was during therapy. That's confidential as it is with any patient/client realationship. If a student wants to share this, fine.

Sure, if there are individual therapy sessions, those are confidential. I wouldn't dream of asking about the content of confidential sessions in a public forum. I am interested, though, in the content of non-confidential group therapy sessions. I know they have a policy of confidentiality, but that agreement is joined by minor children who cannot legally or ethically give such consent or make such agreements.

So what kinds of topics do you remember from the parent seminars? What about the kids? What kinds of topics are the kids asked to divulge to their peer groups?

Quote
This was MY personal experience:

We went to the program together, no transport services.

Toured, met with staff, met with students. Saw every nook and cranny of the school. Met the student who would be his "buddy" for the first few days.

Said our goodbyes - very emotional for both of us.

Wrote letters to begin the process of rebuilding our communication - The first letters were angry and manipulative. we got the full uncensored venting.

Did you wonder if the program was not quite what your kid saw and agreed to during the tour? And how do you know they weren't censored? I ask because  LOT of people find out later, if they ask their kids, that they actually didn't receive all the mail that the kid sent. Kids too report not receiving gifts and letters from home. But you won't know unless you ask. Neither will your kid.


Quote
skipping some for brevity
...
Parent/Child 1 - more indepth than the parent weekend, defined personal and family values, how to apply what we learned about each other, respecting our differences, more goals, beginning the process of a home contract. Getting to the heart of anything we felt was still unresolved in our relationships - us and other family members, old friends and choices.

Who defined the family values? And how; by what criteria?

Quote
Parent/Child 2 - the graduation workshop. I call it the "no sugar coating" workshop - leaving no stone unturned. Talked about the fear of having old behaviors come up, what to do about it, separating normal teen choices from the old stuff, a commitment to stay true to ourselves but to work together as a family. A commitment to continue asking for help when needed. We acknowledged that mistakes happen, it's what we learn from them that makes the difference. Defining what success means in our family.

Again, who defined what is and is not normal teen behavior? You? Normal for your family or community? Normal for your expectations?

Quote
He was at grade level, making straight A's with all his credits transferring to his home high school. Close to 4 years home, graduated high school and remains drug free. Learned to control his anger and believes in himself. We continue to have "respectful" communication even if it's not what we want to hear. He's still the same kid, minus the attitude and drugs, making choices that he owns. I'm still the same person minus the blame and anger that contributed to what happened. Lots of deep, inner soul searching and work.



Four years home and just graduating high school??? So I take it, then, that he was only around 13 going in? How can an 18 year old possibly be the same person minus the attitude as when he was 13? And who would want an 18 year old who hadn't changed (except to be more compliant) since age 13? (answer: my mother, for one)

Government operates best when it allows all messengers to offer their views, allowing the American people to decide which take root and which wither away.
--Harold Furchtgott-Roth, member of the Federal Communications Commission

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 27, 2004, 05:01:00 PM
Dr. Robert J. Lifton's Eight Criteria for Thought Reform
 

Milieu Control.  This involves the control of information and communication both within the environment and, ultimately, within the individual, resulting in a significant degree of isolation from society at large.

Mystical Manipulation.  There is manipulation of experiences that appear spontaneous but in fact were planned and orchestrated by the group or its leaders in order to demonstrate divine authority or spiritual advancement or some special gift or talent that will then allow the leader to reinterpret events, scripture, and experiences as he or she wishes.

Demand for Purity.  The world is viewed as black and white and the members are constantly exhorted to conform to the ideology of the group and strive for perfection.  The induction of guilt and/or shame is a powerful control device used here.

Confession.  Sins, as defined by the group, are to be confessed either to a personal monitor or publicly to the group.  There is no confidentiality; members' "sins," "attitudes," and "faults" are discussed and exploited by the leaders.

Sacred Science.  The group's doctrine or ideology is considered to be the ultimate Truth, beyond all questioning or dispute.  Truth is not to be found outside the group.  The leader, as the spokesperson for God or for all humanity, is likewise above criticism.

Loading the Language.  The group interprets or uses words and phrases in new ways so that often the outside world does not understand.  This jargon consists of thought-terminating clichés, which serve to alter members' thought processes to conform to the group's way of thinking.

Doctrine over person.  Member's personal experiences are subordinated to the sacred science and any contrary experiences must be denied or reinterpreted to fit the ideology of the group.

Dispensing of existence.  The group has the prerogative to decide who has the right to exist and who does not.  This is usually not literal but means that those in the outside world are not saved, unenlightened, unconscious and they must be converted to the group's ideology.  If they do not join the group or are critical of the group, then they must be rejected by the  members.  Thus, the outside world loses all credibility.  In conjunction, should any member leave the group, he or she must be rejected also.  (Lifton, 1989)
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 27, 2004, 05:02:00 PM
If they do not join the group or are critical of the group, then they must be rejected by the members. Thus, the outside world loses all credibility. In conjunction, should any member leave the group, he or she must be rejected also.


This is why there is no getting through to them.
You are just a Chattering Pig and not worth listening to.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on December 27, 2004, 06:22:00 PM
I'm not trying to shut up the criticism here, but I made this thread with the intent to either get from the supporters *either parents or a previous 'student' there* what exactly is done in there to bring about the life changes and therapy or whatever.

Do you just not know? Does it amount to just doing what you're told? Whats the deal?

The other thing I dont understand, is while yeah specific 1-1 confidentiality is a good thing... you can still describe how that KIND of treatment is done. Like, if its depression, they use a similar method, dont they? If its anger management, its similar, right? What about PTSD or eating disorders?

I could go to a psychologist and ask how theyd treat something or ask a doctor how they treat a broken leg... and they dont say "we make your leg feel better and fix the underlying problem with its lack of strength". They say they set the bones in a cast  so they grow together and give painkillers if needed.

How timoclea laid it all out was very good. Would someone answer her?

Whats the specific what and how?

What was done with the seed saved from the India Hemp last summer? It ought, all of it, to have been sewn again; that not only a stock of seed sufficient for my own purposes might have been raised, but to have disseminated the seed to others; as it is more valuable than the common Hemp.
George Washington, Writings of Washington, Vol. 35, pg. 72

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Antigen on December 27, 2004, 09:19:00 PM
Here's an example.

Quote

http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?to ... t=20#71510 (http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?topic=5280&forum=9&start=20#71510)

Quote

When my kid came to us after nearly a year at Casa/WWASPS, she struggled with making friends. A couple of tiny-brained mothers forbade their daughters consorting with her, as she had been "sent off to a school" and obviously was a real risk for their precious children to befriend.

Did you kid complete the program? If not, then I wouldn't want my kid 'consorting' with him/her either. There's too much of a difference in the integrity of a grad than someone who didn't complete.


You see how simple it is? Just redefine "acceptable friends" as program graduates in good standing and "unacceptable friends" as all others. If your kid makes new friends and you're not 100% sure whether you like them or not, call the parent coordinator for guidance. If the kid's not game for the coordinator's advice, why don't worry. Just take another Prozac and trot out the warrantee.


Of course, if you leave the group by pulling your kid or by just not enforcing TOUGHLOVE at home after graduation, none of the members in good standing will consort with you or your child. So you're effectively screwed, unless and until it dawns on you that it's all manipulative bullshit and this is not a club worthy of yours or your kids' membership.

Nother example. A lot of people believe that the Program gave them the gift of Awareness. Doesn't matter whether they viewed the Program as good, bad or somewhere in between. They believe they learned from it the ability to size someone up and figure them out pretty reliably in seconds flat. What we really learned was to make snap judgements about people based on shaky criteria and to invest full faith in them. At the time, it sure seemed like something special. In retrospect, that and a buck fifty might get you a decent cup of coffee somewhere.

To be perfectly clear, I'm not just throwing stones here. This is not just a description of one of the down sides of the Program. What I mean is that this, literally, is how the Program works. It offers exactly nothing at great expense by convincing the consumer that it is something so rarified as to be worth the cash and all other commitments, up to and including severing ties w/ anyone (including close kin) who may try to point out to you that it's bullshit.


Babylon in all its desolation is a sight not so awful as that of the human mind in ruins.
-- Scrope Davies: Letter to Thomas Raikes, May 25, 1835.



_________________
Ginger Warbis ~ Antigen
Seed sibling `71 - `80
Straight South (Sarasota, FL)
   10/80 - 10/82
Anonymity Anonymous
Some days, it's just not worth chewing through the leather straps.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 27, 2004, 09:43:00 PM
Antigen - Your post is a few past, but haven't figured out how to do the quote thing.

1. I never had a reason to think that what we saw wasn't the way it really was.   I know his letters weren't censored.  I also know he received everything we sent, letters and gifts, as he acknowledged them either by letter or phone.  In fact, I never heard about censoring from kids or parents until I came to this forum.  Staff always checked incoming mail/packages for contraband, and a good practice.

2. We, as a family defined OUR values, both personal and family.  Are you asking if someone defined them for us?  Then the answer is no.

3.  Normal teen behavior was defined by us. Normal (which is only a word because what is normal?) for our family,  meant that it wasn't a life-threatening, dangerous action or MAJOR disrespect, for us or himself.  

4.  He graduated high school two years ago, and has been in college for 2 semesters.  His choice to go.  

He's the same "core" person, no one is the same as they were yesterday.  I would never describe him as "compliant!"  

I'll leave the therapy/in program questions for Perrigaud, or another grad.  What I would say would only be what my son told me and that's not my place.  It's also private.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Antigen on December 27, 2004, 09:58:00 PM
Quote
On 2004-12-27 18:43:00, Anonymous wrote:

"Antigen - Your post is a few past, but haven't figured out how to do the quote thing.

It's pretty easy. Use {quote} to start a quote and {/quote} to end it, replacing the curley braces ({) with square brackets ([) Click the "Quote" button instead of "Reply" and it'll start a reply w/ the entire post quoted for example.

Quote

1. I never had a reason to think that what we saw wasn't the way it really was.

Then what changed his mind between the time he toured the facility and when he started writing letters? You took his word that he was willing to stay there when you took him. What, exactly, makes you think these letters were any less reliable than that?

Quote

2. We, as a family defined OUR values, both personal and family.  Are you asking if someone defined them for us?  Then the answer is no.

So then, what part did the Program play in this?

Quote

3.  Normal teen behavior was defined by us. Normal (which is only a word because what is normal?) for our family,  meant that it wasn't a life-threatening, dangerous action or MAJOR disrespect, for us or himself.  


Yeah, we have the same policy here. What's a Program got to do with that?

Ministers say that they teach charity. That is natural. They live on hand-outs. All beggars teach that others should give.
--Robert G. Ingersoll, American politician and lecturer

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 27, 2004, 10:25:00 PM
1.  Maybe I'm tired, but I don't understand what you're saying.  All I know is that he came home with all the letters we ever sent to him, and had all his letters.  We had a little "releasing the past" party several years ago and sat and read them together and then trashed them - and btw, he never agreed to go and stay.  

2.  The workshops helped a great deal to define our core values.  It was a process of learning what our values really are.  It's been a long time, but I remember have a list of around 100 or so values, like communication, fun, honesty, respect, etc.,

I used to say that I valued family fun, but never defined what that meant.  It sounded good, but until the workshop, it was only a term. Pre-program, fun was running away from my responsibilities as a parent.

3.  It was down on paper, signed by the family. Pre-program it would have been laughed at and and torn up, not followed through on, etc., etc. It was defined by all of us, not just the parents.  Son had a major role in defining what he considered "normal." Pre-program, normal would have been anything he thought he could get away with.  

Now, do I wish there would have been another way to have do all this without a program?  You betcha.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on December 27, 2004, 11:07:00 PM
1. He never agreed to go to the program? And, you just disregarded all of his letters offhand? Thats a GOOD thing?

2. HOW do these 'workshops' define your values? Whats the process of learning? You still havent said anything!

3. And if he had a role in defining it... dont you think the program and yourself had a LOT of pressure on him to do what they felt he should? And what was the process for THIS, as well?

668: The Neighbor of the Beast
--Anonymous Postman

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 27, 2004, 11:51:00 PM
Timoclea - before you accuse me of being "vague" or "avoiding," you should know this is really something that has to experienced personally.  I had no idea what I was going to walk away with and if someone had told me what to expect, or what any of it would have done, it wouldn't have been the same, I know that. I seriously don't understand why it's even an issue or even important.  Unless it's a fear of the unknown and you and others want to have it all laid out in advance or to rest assured it's not cultish brainwashing.  

It's simple, if you really want to know then GO!Did you know you don't have to have a kid in any of the WWASPS schools to go?  Though it's free for parents, it's only about $300.00 for anyone else.  I'd say the value is much higher compared to other workshops I've gone to that cost more. Do you know that in January alone there are 15 seminars with anywhere from 100-150 people at each one?  These people may be mostly parents, but they are also  business owners, police officers, judges, nurses, doctors, therapists, secretaries, housewives, writers, people from all ethnic backgrounds, educations and religions.  You'll find that most of them are grateful for this experience.


Do you know they hold the same seminars for corporations?  I'd send you the link, but don't want to be accused of marketing.  So in answer to one of your questions.  I recommend these seminars to anyone who is stuck or unhappy in their life and wants to make some changes.  Change can either be scary or welcome.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on December 28, 2004, 02:43:00 AM
Stop pushing the damn seminars!

There is aboslutely no reason you have to avoid, dodge, and parry everything, and come back with 'fear of the unknown'.

Unless you are under hypnosis, scared, or stupid, you will remember what they did with (or to) you in the seminars, and how you felt. You can tell us what it was like. You walk in, you sit down, you do this, you do that, this is what you felt, this is what they said. Stop giving us all the vague, general, feel blablabla you have to be there blablabla "fear of the unknown". Fear of the unknown isn't why I dont wish to experience rape or abduction - its a conscious choice to not have to experience emotional trauma and injury.

All this avoidance is utter bullshit. Deal with it. We're not shelling out money and putting our head on the chopping block (dont give me bullshit - I've read those writeups from people who WERE in the seminars and did not like them and had GREAT detail) for something we suspect!

All you did is dodge, and push the seminar, and try to sell it to us. ANSWER THE DAMN QUESTION!

We ALL know you couldn't pull off this shit in one of those seminars or programs. So why do you with us so hypocritically?

To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a little better; whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is the meaning of success.
--Ralph Waldo Emerson

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 28, 2004, 07:38:00 AM
I agree what else does this parent need to tell you and all the kids that have been through it and not hateful and revengful. You simlply will not allow yourself to believe that kids are actuall getting help at these schools, and anyone that tells you different is a programed robot. Just nuts! Thank you to the parent for shraing, it helps me feel even better about what I do. The one that cares
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 28, 2004, 07:40:00 AM
also do you believe that every kid is telling the truth, or could they possibly be not telling the truth??????
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Perrigaud on December 28, 2004, 07:44:00 AM
Here are my specifics. I'm giving you my personal experience. Bare in mind that everyone's experience is different (specifically).
 1. I first arrived at CBS. I was loosely escorted there. No shackles however there was secrecy.
2. I had a "hope buddy". She taught me all the rules, regulations, and way of life.
3. There was a point system with the possibility of demerits. The point in having the regulations was to teach discipline. We were allowed 10 category 1's. After that they became cat 2's. They ranged from 1-6. Cat 2's and above landed you in worksheets. This was a tape lecture on 100 greatest novels or 100 famous people. Each tape was 45 minutes long. We had to then take a test on it. We could earn up to 3 points per tape. Most cat 2's were about 15 points that needed to be worked off. I never got any higher than a cat 2. However girls that did were in worksheets for a while. If it was something along the line of attempting to run away or suicide watch they were to be in arms length of a staff member. If a girl was acting out she was put in isolation to cool off. A few times there were girls that got violent and yes they did get "taken down" by a staff member. Picking her up off the floor is an example. I personally never saw any girl get sat on or had some self defense moves pulled on her.
3. There were 6 levels to achieve. Some refer to them as phases. I prefer levels. One could always move down levels. That would happen if the girl was dishonest, not productive, or had too many categories.
4. The way to move up levels was to have support from the staff as well as your peers. As well as seminars.
5. Each level brings more responsibility, trust as well as privelages.
6. Group was a daily thing. What happened in group was always different. I transferred to CCM and had a therapist. In group we would talk about issues (one of mine was adoption), share our feelings uncandidly, give each other advice, or share a project we might have been given. One of my projects was to share my life before CCM, my life during, and aspirations for the future.
7. SEMINARS. Well you have Discovery, Focus, Accountability, Keys to Success, PC1,and PC2. Since I was there 3.5 years ago they've added a couple. Discovery was a 3 day seminar in which we were in a co-ed room. Most people who go through Discovery are new to the program. Therefore most have a lot of anger and resentment. We have "processes" which are workshops if you will. One was about choices. Another one was about how we let our fears run us. To be specific we were asked to walk across the room in a silly manner ("walk across the room with the silliest face on). Naturally we were hesitant. Another process was when we were asked to tell how we really felt about oursleves and the choices we made. Basically Discovery was where we discovered that were not the only ones that feel so sad, angry, helpless, alone, or what-have-you.
Focus. By this time we were starting to realize the aspects in our life that we needed to work out. A major process was that we were given a role that was the opposite of who we were. For example I was always quick to shoot my mouth off. In return I was given the role of a mime. A mime doesn't talk. However they still can communicate.
Accountability. This one was when you were 1/2 way through the program. One process was a rating line. You had to stand up in front of the seminar and state what percentage you thought you were working. If people saw that you were in fact doing that percentage they stood. If they didn't they'd sit. It's a scary thing to be honest with yourself. Many people say they are, but in fact they aren't and deep down they know it. Another process was finding out why we do revert into a certain mode. My mode was to become an angry mean girl. It was easier that way or so I thought.
Keys: A seminar that focused on one thing for 2 days. The topic could be the opposite sex. Another could be friends. These were for upper levels.
PC1: Parent-Child. Just as we were learning so were our parents. One process had us face each other and speak our minds. Easy? No. Together you and your family start to work on different ways of handling things. I told my mom that I thought she was weak because she never spoke up as much as my dad did. I told my dad he had no tact. At this point you also work on the plan for returning home. You begin to lay down the foundation (rules and consequences).
PC2: The day you get to go home (for most). I was scared to go home for fear I'd fall into the same lifestyle. I expressed it. My family and I wrote down our ideas for coming home. Basically you are to review the plan for returning home and working out any last questions.
8. As I moved up the levels I got more contact with my family. My 1 on 1 therapies consisted of me talking about how hard it was for me to deal with the death of my biological sister, teenage pregnancy, adoption, friends committing suicide and me witnessing it. There were a lot of things that I personally didn't deal well with. I kept it all inside until it festered.
All in all the program was never guaranteed and my family knew that. It wasn't the end all. I'm not cured. I walked in a trouble person and came out a person with the same demons and issues. The difference is that I can deal with things now. I'm no longer a violent person. I'm actually amiable. Did I need to have the program to change me? In my opinion yes. I was dead inside and now I appreciate my life. Should anyone want the full details of seminars ask me. It takes a long time to explain 3 days.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 28, 2004, 10:49:00 AM
First of all, thanks for providing all this info about the seminars. I am trying to get a full picture of what a seminar is like.

Quote
Should anyone want the full details of seminars ask me. It takes a long time to explain 3 days. "


Alright. Could you give us the full details of the seminars? Take your time if you need it.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 28, 2004, 11:03:00 AM
Quote
On 2004-12-27 08:01:00, BuzzKill wrote:

"Battle for the Mind: A Physiology of Conversion and Brainwashing



The Manipulated Mind: Brainwashing, Conditioning and Indoctrination





Releasing The Bonds: Empowering People to Think for Themselves



Combatting Cult Mind Control"


Buzzkill, did you attend any of the seminars?  Can you give us a first-hand account?
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 28, 2004, 11:40:00 AM
http://isaccorp.org/documents/seminar_murders.pdf (http://isaccorp.org/documents/seminar_murders.pdf)
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 28, 2004, 11:43:00 AM
http://www.intrepidnetreporters.com/Tee ... eaking.htm (http://www.intrepidnetreporters.com/TeenHelp/breaking.htm)
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 28, 2004, 12:56:00 PM
Quote
On 2004-12-28 08:43:00, Anonymous wrote:

"http://www.intrepidnetreporters.com/TeenHelp/breaking.htm"


I just read the whole thing.  Holy fucking shit!!! :scared:  :cry2:
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 28, 2004, 01:06:00 PM
Her follow up a year later:

http://www.intrepidnetreporters.com/Tee ... lile2.html (http://www.intrepidnetreporters.com/TeenHelp/karen_lile2.html)
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 28, 2004, 05:35:00 PM
Old news. We have seen this before and pesonally from reading the 1st one, i think this women is very unstable and has major problems and that is most likely what led to her chiilds problems.
All you people do is bring up old news.
Anything new??The one that cares
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 28, 2004, 05:40:00 PM
Quote
On 2004-12-28 14:35:00, Anonymous wrote:

"Old news. We have seen this before and pesonally from reading the 1st one, i think this women is very unstable and has major problems and that is most likely what led to her chiilds problems.
<


Well, then I guess there is no point in going any further.  If you can read that and say that SHE is the one with problems, then all rational thought and critical thinking is lost on you.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on December 28, 2004, 06:24:00 PM
Quote
On 2004-12-28 04:38:00, Anonymous wrote:

"I agree what else does this parent need to tell you and all the kids that have been through it and not hateful and revengful. You simlply will not allow yourself to believe that kids are actuall getting help at these schools, and anyone that tells you different is a programed robot. Just nuts! Thank you to the parent for shraing, it helps me feel even better about what I do. The one that cares"


Ok buddy, let me explain what the issue is with what you said. Now *LISTEN*.

We are NOT going to JUST BELIEVE ANYTHING. Ok? I'm not a trusting, accept-what-i'm-told, turn the key and push the pedal kind of man.

I want proof, I want evidence, and I want UNDERSTANDING. I know EXACTLY whats going on in my car no matter WHAT I do with it when I drive. I know EXACTLY how every system within it works.

I was asking the nitty gritty of the programs. I'm not going to just believe that it helps them! I want to know HOW and WHAT. I cant pop open the hood on a program, or a persons mind, can I? No!

I wanted to know what the processes and treatment  and punisments were suposed to be in the programs. I wanted to know how why what, etc, they were going to work.

People who give detailed info and answer the accusations are not going to be called brainwashed. People who say "it just works" and "they're lying when they accuse" I will accuse of being programmed.

If you'd re-read this thread a lot of what I got was vague, general bullshit. They didnt tell how the changes were made, what the therapy was, etc.

Perrigauds stuff is a step in the right direction, however. And something you must realize is mystery  isnt going to be tolerated in 2004 (almost 2005) when its used to 'fix' children's minds and there are credible accusations of abuse.

If hearing generalized bullshit makes you feel good about what you do then fine. Frankly I find that pathetic. I would not be satisfied with myself in your job unless I knew exactly what was going on in there. And I would not kidnap kids just because some parent signed off on something If an expert deemed it necessary, yes. I seriously doubt any appreciable group of them NEED it!

Society in every state is a blessing, but government even in its
best state is but a necessary evil ---in its worst state an
intolerable one; for when we suffer, or are exposed to the same
miseries by a government, which we might expect in a country without
government, our calamities is heightened by reflecting that we
furnish the means by which we suffer!


Thomas Paine, Common Sense

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Antigen on December 28, 2004, 06:50:00 PM
Quote
On 2004-12-28 14:35:00, Anonymous wrote:

"Old news. We have seen this before and pesonally from reading the 1st one, i think this women is very unstable and has major problems and that is most likely what led to her chiilds problems.

Really! Care to elaborate? What, exactly, about this article lends to your diagnosis? And do you use the same basic method to determine whether or not a kid needs your services? Whether they require handcuffing or pepper spray or just a little smooth talk?

Quote


All you people do is bring up old news.

Anything new??The one that cares"


Has anything significant changed about these seminars since this writing? No? Then it's as fresh as a daisey to anyone who hasn't read it before.

No gods, no masters.
--margaret Sanger

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 28, 2004, 06:57:00 PM
One who Cares?
Cares about What?
Not honesty or integrity or accountability or decency or kindness or compassion.
Cares about What?
Profit margins and Plausable deniability would be my guess.

So its old news - What has changed?
Not a dam thing.
"Old News" is the Same crappola you spout about the Desperate Measures articles. But Nothing has changed - except Ken is now back in your employ; spouting your mindless propaganda and laughing all the way to the bank.

I agree with the post questioning your ability to think and reason in a rational manner. How can read that and not understand whats taking place?
Proof it works, I guess.
Or proof of what it is you Care so much about.
See above.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 28, 2004, 06:58:00 PM
Quote
On 2004-12-28 14:35:00, Anonymous wrote:

"Old news. We have seen this before and pesonally from reading the 1st one, i think this women is very unstable and has major problems and that is most likely what led to her chiilds problems.

All you people do is bring up old news.

Anything new??The one that cares"


Let's get this out of the way first.  peRsonally, womAn, chIld's.

Now on to more important points.  What would make you write a statement like that.  What, specifically please, did she write that would cause you to deem her "very unstable"????  I really would like an answer to this.  It would shed a great deal of light on your point of view.  Thanks in advance.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 28, 2004, 08:41:00 PM
Quote
On 2004-12-28 10:06:00, Anonymous wrote:

"Her follow up a year later:



http://www.intrepidnetreporters.com/Tee ... lile2.html (http://www.intrepidnetreporters.com/TeenHelp/karen_lile2.html)"


I have a question.  This was written back in 1998.  When you consider the shear numbers of parents and others that have attended since then  - why haven't there been more than maybe a handful of people that objected to it?  
In all the pages of her personal account, the only thing that came up for me was that she didn't feel she needed to be there.  She felt it was about her kid and not about anything she had to do with what happened.    What a lot of time and energy she put into writing this.  It may have been "therapy" for her to do so, who knows.  She had a wall up so high and so thick that any threat to chipping it away, a seminar, a person that disagreed with her at work, whatever, was going to get the same results.   She wasn't ready or open and that's okay.  Out of the 100 or so in the room, what percentage agreed with her?  What percentage of the several thousands after her, agree with her?  I'm sorry she had such a bad experience, but why try to make everything else believe it was bad or whatever?
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 28, 2004, 08:47:00 PM
Challenging, Stimulating, Thought-Provoking, Creative Tools, New Choices, A Catalyst For Action.......That's Discovery!
Discovery is a high intensity personal effectiveness seminar designed to impact the quality of your life. Through self-directed examination, you will discover how to reinvent attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors which directly influence your personal and professional relationships. Learn to utilize the power of choice to virtually reshape your perspective on every area of your life.....past, present and future.


Discovery is an experiential-based seminar where personal exploration is achieved through large and small group interaction, one-on-one process, visualization techniques, and facilitator-driven lectures. Self-disclosure and feedback are integral to the Discovery process. The interactive nature of Discovery allows participants to experience a greater sense of investment, inclusion and ownership in the processes as well as the outcomes.

Those who have participated in the seminar report greater closeness in their relationships, greater energy in their quest to achieve their dreams and goals, and an increased confidence to participate in life. Discovery is facilitated by highly trained professionals and will provide you with new perspectives on:

Achieving a greater degree of intimacy and support in your personal relationships.
Gaining a clear sense of purpose and direction in order to impact the quality of life.
Enhancing your self-esteem, self-confidence and credibility with others.
Gain greater awareness of what it means to expand your realm of choices with regard to critical life situations.
Learn to interrupt unconscious mental and emotional cycles which tend to sabotage results.
Initiate a greater level of clarity about what drives your decision-making process.
Discover the power of risking beyond fear and other self-imposed limitations.
Learn to use feedback as a creative mechanism for producing results and getting through to others.
Regain the experience of joy and spontaneity in the pursuit of everyday life.
Experience renewed levels of energy in both your personal and professional endeavors.
"What the seminar did for me was to refocus me on the priorities of my life"
"Never had so much fun, tears, and joy in such a short time in my life"
"My life was working well before the seminar, now it is working great"
"I am 19 and feel for the first time I know me and where I am going"

"It saved my marriage and my family, no other way to put it"
"My boss asked me what have I done this weekend. He saw a huge change in my attitude about work, me, and life"
"My parents gave me the training, I thought they must have felt I was messing up and needed fixing. Now I know they wanted me to get a jump on the rest of the world.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 28, 2004, 10:50:00 PM
Niles wrote; Unless you are under hypnosis, scared, or stupid, you will remember what they did with (or to) you in the seminars, and how you felt. You can tell us what it was like. You walk in, you sit down, you do this, you do that, this is what you felt, this is what they said. Stop giving us all the vague, general, feel blablabla you have to be there blablabla "fear of the unknown". Fear of the unknown isn't why I dont wish to experience rape or abduction - its a conscious choice to not have to experience emotional trauma and injury.

#####################

As far as I can tell, you compare changing your life for the better (attending a seminar) to rape?  Yes, it certainly is a choice to not experience something you have control over, however, I've yet to meet anyone who had control over being raped.  

I will never again recommend that you go to a Discovery, Focus or Keys to Success seminar.  There is no way in hell that even with a blow by blow description of everything that I experienced, learned, did, etc., that you'll understand in words. You will never understand unless you go, and since you don't want to make an investment in yourself, you never will.

As a Harley rider I know has on a t-shirt: "If I have to explain, you wouldn't understand."  Only a Harley rider can understand the passion for what they ride.....and only a person that has actually been IN the seminars can understand what it meant.

Get over it.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on December 29, 2004, 12:16:00 AM
Ok... that long post up there about the seminars is a press release or a advertisement from one of the seminar websites. - In otherwords non specific baloney. STOP DOING THAT. SPECIFICS. Are you dense or just trying to avoid having to answer?

Now, as for comparing a seminar to rape... no, I didn't. I said I choose not to experience one because I know its traumatic. As far as I know the seminars work with emotional stress. Experiential seminars work via psychological regression. This crap 30-40 years ago with similar seminars is well known if you know where to research it. The differences between them are not very signifigant. Its still pathological bullshit.

I do not compare changing to rape. I dont have a wall up around me to prevent me from learning new things. Saying theres a wall to be 'broken down' and the associated trauma as the only way to 'change' in those seminars sounds really fishy.  

*** There is no way in hell that even with a blow by blow description of everything that I experienced, learned, did, etc., that you'll understand in words. You will never understand unless you go, and since you don't want to make an investment in yourself, you never will.***

Oh god, you're hilarious. You say I'm not 'investing in myself' (as if I'd use your program jargon?) by not submitting money and my psychological wellbeing to a regressional seminar?

AND you use a T-shirt slogan as your excuse for not explaining to me? :rofl:*LOL* :rofl:  You're amazing. Giving me bull like that as your excuse for not explaining how the seminars work speaks a lot about them and about yourself. Some people DO need explanations. I'm not so trusting as you - and thats not a flaw.

Unless the seminars are nothing more than sensitivity training and you just believe in whatever they want you to, just like the stuff I read about -  you could easily give me a blow by blow, and I could easly understand it. They do things in there for a reason. LEGIT therapy can be fully explained and understand. I dont have to go through extreme emotional distress to know it can make me sensitivie to suggestion - plenty of people who went through it and actual psychologists who CAN explain it said it did.

Excuses to forego explanation and avoid criticism might work in a church but is totally wrong when dealing with how to treat kids, especially if its used to avoid criticism in light of accuastions of abuse.

If I'm mentally trained to be able to observe the seminar and not be affected by it, I'll gladly go there and give it the criticism it needs.

FYI - I read an article by researchers who went to a similar seminar and said it was hard to do their job because it kept trying to influence them. "I know" and "I believe" does not cut it in the real world, bub. Prove it, or shut up.

Our country has deliberately undertaken a great social and economic experimanet, noble in motive and far-reaching in purpose. [The Eighteenth Amendment, enacting Prohibition.]
Letter to Senator W.H. Borah
--Herbert Hoover (Feb 28, 1928)

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Perrigaud on December 29, 2004, 05:01:00 AM
For once I agree with N. Why don't you get specific. If it was truly traumatizing to you. No one can truly sympathize. They can only empathize. What you took out of it is different then what someone else did. Go ahead and be specific and clear.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 29, 2004, 08:05:00 AM
I don't really need to go into why i think she was unstable, because i agree with a few posts back, that she was not ready to open up and address her shit, which everyone does have a little of, She was intimidated by the leader and thus shut down more. They are most likely very conservative people and most likley have that middle of amereica attitude which has our evil tyrant running our country. No one is going to tell this ladie that she might have a few problems to deal with and yes she also seemed to feel she was there more for her child than for herself. She took offense to someone trying to get through to her and her husband. Do you have at least one more article like this? I don;t think so. This is the only time that anything close to this was written.One person out of thousands, oh i'm sorry 2, her husband also.
I took a boy from one program to another and he had been in the program 7 months and had just screwed and now was being transfered,I had also been his escort the 7months before and he was one of the kids i was able to bond with. so i knew we were going to have a good time and probbably the best 20 hours he has had in 7 months, because yes it is a very strict at these programs. Well he told me that sure it was hard, but there were allot of poeple there who cared and yea he said there were some that he felt did not care, mostly the new staff that was hired.
Anyway his favorite part of the program was the seminars and he felt that they helped him more thatn anything else in the program. I only hope he really does it now and gets his but home as soon as possible. But again, you won't believe me because i am not proof. The one that cares
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 29, 2004, 10:17:00 AM
Quote
On 2004-12-29 05:05:00, Anonymous wrote:

"I don't really need to go into why i think she was unstable,

Of COURSE not.  That would mean that you would actually have to come up with some ANSWERS. :roll: I can just make a blanket statement and everyone will just have to accept it because I don't have to explain what I mean. :roll:

 
Quote
because i agree with a few posts back, that she was not ready to open up and address her shit, which everyone does have a little of,

Please respond with something other than cultspeak.

 
Quote
She was intimidated by the leader and thus shut down more.

and you see this as being HER fault.  NOT the fault of the big guy who was getting in her face and telling her that he could "take her womanhood".

 
Quote
She took offense to someone trying to get through to her and her husband.

She took offense at the WAY they were trying to "get through to her".

 
Quote
Do you have at least one more article like this?


This wasn't an article.  This was a personal testimony of one family's experience.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 29, 2004, 10:34:00 AM
THIS is an article.  Written by a professional journalist.  See the difference?????



Program to Help Youths Has Troubles of Its Own
New York Times/September 6, 2003
By Tim Weiner

Thompson Falls, Mont. -- Spring Creek Lodge Academy, home to thousands of wayward children since 1996, calls itself "a safe haven for change." Many parents swear with near-religious devotion that the program, one of the nation's largest, has saved their sons and daughters. Others have come to curse it.

The program is affiliated with the World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools, or Wwasps, a multimillion-dollar business in the industry of "tough love" programs and "specialty boarding schools" that have flourished, often unregulated, for two decades.

Wwasps affiliates in Mexico, Costa Rica, Western Samoa and the Czech Republic have closed under accusations of cruelty since 1996. The affiliate in Costa Rica, in fact, collapsed in May when students revolted.

A review of seven of the company's largest affiliates in the United States, where it remains the fastest-growing program of its kind, found accusations of misconduct or wrongdoing at four of them.

In Utah and South Carolina, state officials have cited the programs and their staff members for violations including child abuse and overcrowding, and have challenged their right to operate.

Here at the company's largest affiliate, Spring Creek Lodge, the program and its staff have been accused of sexual abuse, physical violence and psychological duress.

Wwasps, whose programs house about 2,400 youths in all, some as young as 10, has fought and denied all charges.

The founder, Robert B. Lichfield, 49, called the accusations part of a difficult business. "When you have troubled kids and troubled parents - any school or program that works with troubled kids has complaints," Mr. Lichfield said in a telephone interview. "We're no different."

He attributed the growth of Wwasps to "the breakdown of the family," saying, "When the family is not functioning, society suffers."

Wwasps has flourished and profited by tapping a deep well of woe in American families, interviews and correspondence with more than 200 parents, children, staff members and program officials made clear.

Parents say they turned to the programs in exasperation, or exhaustion, seeking salvation, or in some cases exile, for their sons and daughters. Many say Wwasps was their only alternative after schools, public health systems, counseling and the courts failed them.

Spring Creek Lodge's associate director, Chaffin Pullan, 32, said, "We're crazy enough to say, 'Hey, we'll take your child, and we'll work on their values.' "

But at Spring Creek Lodge, as at several other affiliates, some of that work takes place under conditions and circumstances that some children and parents call physically and psychologically brutal.

Where state regulators have challenged affiliates, government officials often spend years trying to control or sanction the programs' defiance of licensing rules.

South Carolina officials, for example, after four years of fighting, have barred Narvin Lichfield, the brother of the Wwasps' founder, from Carolina Springs Academy, the program that Narvin Lichfield owns in the tiny town of Due West.

In Utah, officials are wrestling with Majestic Ranch, which takes children as young as 10, and where a program director was recently charged with child abuse, as well as with a new program at the flagship affiliate, Cross Creek, for clients over age 18. Neither program has obtained the required operating license, state officials said.

Robert Lichfield, who once said he believed only Satan stood in the way of the programs' goals, said state authorities were merely reacting to pressure from parents or reporters, adding, "If I was in their position, I would be doing the same thing."

Federal authorities are also taking a look at Wwasps. On July 10, Representative George Miller of California, the ranking Democrat on the House Education Committee, asked the Treasury Department to see whether Wwasps received unusual "tax deductions, tax credits or any special tax treatment."

Affiliates gross perhaps $70 million a year, an estimate based on their enrollment, tuition and fees. A company spokesman, James Wall, said it had always filed its federal income taxes properly. But Mr. Wall said Wwasps, which calls itself a nonprofit corporation in Utah, had never applied for nonprofit, tax-exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service.

The company says it does not directly own or control any of its affiliates, and claims no responsibility for their programs. But Spring Creek Lodge employees, for instance, say the program sends about 40 percent of its revenues to Wwasps.

Amberly Knight, a former director of Dundee Ranch, the affiliate in Costa Rica that collapsed last spring, said in a sworn statement that the company took 75 percent of Dundee Ranch's income, leaving little money to care for its 200 children. The statement also said company officials maintained "offshore bank accounts," in part to "evade U.S. income taxes."

Here in Montana, where 50 other programs for troubled teenagers have opened in addition to Spring Creek Lodge, the state does not regulate private schools, state officials say.

"We have a tremendous number - an inordinate amount - of these programs in western Montana," said Paul Clark, a Montana state legislator who represents the Thompson Falls area and also runs a program for about a dozen wayward teenagers. But the state lacks the capacity or the expertise to regulate them, Mr. Clark said, adding, "We'll get action after there's a crisis."

Many children from the affiliate that collapsed in Costa Rica wound up at Spring Creek Lodge, where the enrollment has doubled to about 500 in two years, and whose parents pay roughly $40,000 a year and up.

That growth has created an unfilled demand for trained teachers and counselors, staff members say. The program is the largest employer in this corner of Montana, where jobs are scarce and wages low.

As the school has grown, so have accusations of abuse.

A log cabin with tiny isolation rooms, called the Hobbit, sits on the edge of Spring Creek Lodge's compound in the woods. Some teenagers, like Alex Ziperovich, 16, say they have spent months in the Hobbit, eating meals of beans and bananas.

"He came out 35 pounds lighter, acting like a zombie," said his mother, Michele Ziperovich, a Seattle lawyer. "When he came back, he was worse, far worse."

In March, the county prosecutor charged a 20-year-old staff member with sexually assaulting two boys in the Hobbit, one 14 and the other 17. He denies the charges.

In June, a girl was beaten by students with a shower-curtain rod; in September 2002 a student bent on escape beat a guard with a vacuum-cleaner pipe and shattered his cheekbone, said Mr. Pullan, Spring Creek Lodge's the associate director, and several staff members.

The September assault followed a similar attack three weeks earlier; Thompson Falls residents say escape attempts are rising.

Mr. Pullan said the academy was curtailing use of the isolation rooms. He called the recent violence against staff members unusual and "horrific." But he is said he was convinced that the academy was helping the vast majority of its children.

He acknowledged that it had been hard to hire and retain skilled local staff members.

One former staff member, Mark Runkle, who worked for two and a half years at the academy, said he became skeptical of some practices, like taking children into the woods at night for psychological tests of will.

"They take kids down to the Vermillion Bridge at night, blindfold them, and push them off into the river; they take them off into the woods, and they come back hurt," Mr. Runkle said. "They claim it's a mind-increaser. I think it breaks the kids down - breaks their will down. Mentally, they do damage. Emotionally, too."

Despite such accounts, parents continue to turn to such programs. The reasons that the parents, children, staff members and program officials cite are the crises common to American family life: fractured marriages, failing schools, frantic two-job couples with no time to devote to children.

The accelerating pace of adolescence and a "zero-tolerance" culture leave teenagers no margin for mistakes, experts say.

Managed care has cut insurance coverage for residential treatment. Reduced federal and state support have hobbled community-based counseling. A new White House study calls state and federal mental health programs a shambles.

Some parents of children damaged by drugs, drinking, depression or divorce say Wwasps programs were their sole alternative.

"We refer to it, my husband and I, as the program of last resort," Debbie Wood said. She and her husband moved from Seattle to Thompson Falls in March to be near their son, Sam, now 17, at Spring Creek Lodge. "I don't know of another program that would fill our needs the way Wwasps has," Mrs. Wood said.

Other parents, too, are satisfied. Deb Granneman, of Saline, Mich., said: "With my son it worked; it's not going to work for every kid. When you send your kid there, you're giving them the last chance to turn their lives around."

Mr. Pullan, along with 37 parents, children and staff members interviewed personally, by phone, or through e-mail, say few Spring Creek Lodge children are delinquents.

Perhaps one-quarter are drug users or drinkers, Mr. Pullan said, while "about 70 percent are not hard core - they cannot communicate at home." Many children say they were sent here after a parent died or departed, or a new stepmother or stepfather rejected them.

A crucial part of the company's effort to shape its success is a requisite series of emotional-growth seminars for parents. "The seminars are the most important thing we have experienced as a family," said Rosemary Hinch, a teacher in Phoenix.

"It was painful; it was hard," Ms. Hinch said. "They teach you to take a really good look at yourself."

But the seminars persuaded Michele Ziperovich to pull her son Alex out. "It was 300 adults screaming and beating on chairs, three days of no sleep, and after that, you'll buy into whatever they say," Ms. Ziperovich said. "They berate you, they scream at you, exhaust you. It's basically mind control."

The question of control also arises among staff members and children who say many teenagers at Spring Creek Lodge are sedated, night and day. "There are girls on so many antidepressants given out by the program that they can't move," said Lauren Meksraitis, 18, of Tampa, Fla., a former Spring Creek client. "They can't get out of bed. They are like dead animals."

A company spokesman said a visiting psychiatrist prescribed the drugs, which are dispensed by a nurse or "other staff members."

But Ms. Meksraitis said: "The Spring Creek staff members responsible for family contacts don't tell your parents the truth. They lie to parents and tell them their kids are going to get fixed."

Her father, Michael Meksraitis, a lawyer, agreed, saying: "They misrepresent the program. They take advantage of parents in a very vulnerable position, who don't know what to do with their kids, who are at the end of their rope."

Robert Lichfield, who dropped out of college and became director of residential programs at a Utah institution for teenagers that was subsequently closed by the state for cruelty to children, says he has learned some lessons from a quarter-century of experience in the business.

"Kids think they ought to be able to do whatever they want," he said. "And if they can't, that's abuse."
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 29, 2004, 10:39:00 AM
Hey......you asked for more articles.


Boot Camps for Wayward Youths Offer Hope, Help, Hell
 
Rehab: Teen Help oversees seven strict, spartan residential programs that some call lifesavers. Others say they use abuse and brainwashing to mold 'Stepford children.'


The Associated Press/June 13, 1999
By Michelle Ray Ortiz

Ensenada, Mexico -- The 130 residents of the converted beach-side motel are mostly teenage and mostly American, but you wouldn't know it by listening: No shouts, no stereos. Just the rhythmic crash of surf.
Under strict order, the youths at Casa by the Sea go about their day's routine of quiet exercise, study, chores and, when approved, group discussion.

Not long ago, before their arrival, their days were spent in a dark, defiant cycle of drug abuse and other self-destructive behavior, many of the teenagers say.

Those who have been in the program long enough to be allowed to speak to outsiders claim a commitment to turning their lives around, to positive and constructive action. Their families often express joy and relief.

But the methods used to achieve that conversion are criticized by some former participants in the program and by some families who say it involves coercion, brainwashing and, in some cases, physical abuse.


Youth Says Casa Worked for Him
A high wall separates Casa from the coastal highway, and a cliff separates it from the Pacific Ocean. Justin Bell stands atop the cliff and looks out. In nine days, the slender, clean-cut 18-year-old will go home to Midland, Texas, the place where he once struggled with depression.
Many residents are barred from speaking with outsiders, but school officials are allowing Justin to tell his story.

One evening last year, he says, he went out of control in his backyard, ranting and waving a metal pipe at anyone who approached. Psychiatric treatment had failed to prevent the breakdown.

His parents, at wits' end, decided on a drastic alternative. Four days after the episode, strangers walked into Justin's bedroom, woke him and whisked him off into the night.

Hired by his parents, the "escorts" drove Justin to an airport and took him to Jamaica, to a school called Tranquillity Bay, a sister school to Casa by the Sea.

Eight months of living under a strict code of behavior, and in spartan conditions, taught him a lot, Justin says: to value himself and his family, to take control of his future. In three additional months at Casa, he has prepared to return home, go to college and join the everyday world.

He credits the program not just with turning his life around, but with saving it.

"If I hadn't gone into the program I'd be dead right now, because I would have killed myself," Justin says. "To anybody who says the program is inhumane or doesn't work, I say, 'Hey, I'm alive.' That's all I care about."

"Desperate situations need desperate solutions," he adds.

Drastic Approach Used
That could be the motto for the World Wide Assn. of Specialty Schools, a nonprofit group in LaVerkin, Utah, also known as Teen Help. It oversees seven rehabilitation programs, including Casa and Tranquillity Bay, with a total enrollment of 950 youths ages 12 to 18. Their families pay between $1,990 and $3,490 a month.
The program employs a kind of boot-camp method of "behavior modification" that includes spare living conditions, a strict code of conduct and swift punishment for violating that code. The drastic approach has not been accepted by everyone.

Two associated schools, in Cancun, Mexico, and in the Czech Republic, have been shut down by authorities amid allegations of abuse. Some parents, believing their children were treated too harshly and subjected to unsafe and unhealthy living conditions, are denouncing the program.

In May 1996, Mexican authorities conducting an inspection of the Cancun school, called Sunrise Beach, found 41 girls who lacked proper immigration papers. Most were American.

They also found a 3-by-5 1/2-foot isolation room where girls said they were held for rule violations.

Investigators accused the school's directors, Steve and Glenda Roach, of illegal deprivation of liberty and operating a youth shelter without proper permits. The St. George, Utah, couple was ordered to report regularly to authorities. Instead, they fled Mexico.

Czech police found the Roaches last November at Morava Academy, a Teen Help school where employees reported that children were harshly treated--isolated, tied up and kept from using the toilet.

The Roaches were charged in the Czech Republic with cruelty to people in their custody and curtailing students' freedom of movement. They face up to eight years in prison if convicted.

Glenda Roach left the country under a medical waiver. Czech officials say her husband apparently skipped bail and could face an international warrant.

The Roaches could not be located for comment. Karr Farnsworth, president of the World Wide Assn. of Specialty Schools, said the Roaches no longer work with the program.

Farnsworth denied any wrongdoing at either school, saying authorities "overreacted" and chose to listen to children who were trying to "manipulate" their way home rather than to those who were happy.

"We have nothing to hide," he said. "Parents are . . . very much in support."

A Mother Is Shocked by Conditions
Some parents, however, have strong criticism for the program. Donna Burke, a Houston real estate agent, said her two teenage sons were mistreated at Tranquillity Bay's $30,000-a-year program and turned into "Stepford children."
Burke's ex-husband had their 13-year-old son, Scott, taken away because he was smoking marijuana and sneaking out at night in her car, she said. Later, Scott's elder brother, David, also was sent to Tranquillity Bay.

Burke said the Teen Help videotape showed tropical scenery and happy teens. She recalled thinking: "This looks like Club Med."

When a letter from Scott arrived, complaining of harsh treatment and poor living conditions, Burke called Teen Help officials and was told to ignore it. It was common for defiant children to try to manipulate their parents' feelings, they told her.

But Burke eventually went to investigate, and was shocked by her boys' appearance. They were thin, and there was "terror in their faces," she said.

"Somehow the vegetation and the water can camouflage that it's really a prison," she said. "There was a 10-foot fence around. The kids were washing their clothes in a bucket. There were more than 100 kids, and it was totally silent."

She said her sons displayed ringworm scars and chemical burns suffered while mixing cleaning solutions for their janitorial chores. They showed her plywood beds where they slept on soiled mattresses, and they had no soap, no toilet paper, no fans, no hot water.

She fought to have them returned home, and they finally were, in late 1998. Burke's boys have been reluctant to speak about their experience. They are, however, perfectly behaved.

"There's no lip, no back talk, no arguing," she said. "All of those things are nice, but I want normal kids. I don't want my kids doing drugs, but I don't want robots. I got back two strangers."

Burke's ex-husband, Stoney Burke, said he didn't want to discuss his sons' experience.

High-Pressure Sales Tactics
Dace Goulding, Casa by the Sea's director, says Teen Help combines a strict code of behavior and social structure with group sessions where young people learn to look at how they behaved in the past and to plan a different approach for the future.
New arrivals find every minute structured. They wear uniforms and cannot speak out of turn. They earn liberties by improving behavior and attitude, spending on average one year to climb the program's six levels.

Escorting a visiting journalist, Goulding passes down a hallway where girls in green sweatsuits wait for lunch, lined up with their foreheads pressed to the walls. They are lower-level students, so they cannot make eye contact with the opposite sex, he explains.

Minor violations can result in a "self-correction form" where students come up with a way to avoid such mistakes in the future. Serious trouble, such as smoking, running away or a self-inflicted injury, can cause a student to drop a level, pay a fine from parents' weekly allowance or be tested on assigned motivational or educational tapes.

Sometimes kids are sent to "time-out" rooms, where they do nothing, said Farnsworth, the association president. The length of the time-out typically is short--part of a day. But there have been teens who spend a week, with breaks for meals and sleeping, he said.

In the group seminars, teenagers work on issues such as "trust, choices, responsibility, anger and especially self-esteem," according to program literature. Details of the seminars are confidential.

Karen Lile of Clayton, Calif., pulled her daughter out of Tranquillity Bay after attending part of a weekend seminar that Teen Help holds for parents. She was disturbed that the speaker bullied the parents to divulge their "deepest, darkest secret" to strangers, she said.

"They used intimidation, humiliation, verbal abuse, peer pressure and psychologically dangerous techniques to persuade us to accept something we did not want to accept," Lile said.

She also felt she had been pushed to sell the program to other parents, with a credit of one month's tuition for every teen she recruited. "It was about the most heavy-handed, high-pressure sales tactic I've been through," she said. She recruited three teens.

Methods used in the Teen Help seminars are based on those of the "human potential movement" that was widely popular in the 1960s and '70s, said Janice Haaken, a psychology professor at Portland State University. She said they also are similar to those used by the military, mental hospitals and other institutions "aimed at bringing people's behavior under control."

New participants are put in a strict environment under the leadership of an authority figure who "appears to have total control," she said. Rewarded for cooperation, "eventually you begin to concede that control."

For a teen in emotional crisis, such leaders can become very attractive, she said.

But there can be "a high risk of abuse of power," Haaken said, because the program operates with only minimal regulation. The seminars are run by facilitators who are not required to be trained therapists and by teens in the programs' upper levels.

Haaken said the program's reliance on strong authority may not give adolescents enough opportunity to test their own judgment for the real world. Burke, the Houston mother, agreed.

"What does this do to them, to be snatched from their homes at midnight, put in handcuffs as their parents watch, then to have their letters ignored?" she said. "I don't know if my children will ever trust any professional, if they will ever trust me or their dad."

Farnsworth stands by Teen Help. He points to an association survey of families who completed the program between 1996 and 1998, which he says found 95% of parents pleased with the seminars and 84% happy with their child's progress.

No independent studies are available. As critics note, no agency regulates the schools because they do not receive public money and can operate without medical or educational licensing. Casa, like most other Teen Help programs, has no licensed therapists on staff.

Farnsworth said licensed therapists are not used because the seminars are not intended as "therapeutic therapy sessions."

When asked about Casa by the Sea, Mexican educational and health regulators for Baja California state had never heard of it, but the program is educationally accredited in the United States.

Tom Burton, a California lawyer who has filed three lawsuits against Teen Help, said the schools are profiting off parents and deceiving them into thinking they are paying for top-quality therapy. "For that kind of money you could have disciples of Freud," he said.

Farnsworth said the cost is comparable to other teen programs and cheaper than traditional boarding schools.

Colette Netwig, a 17-year-old from Chicago, will be leaving Casa in nine days. The energetic blond gets testy when asked about criticism of the program. She shows off photos of what she once looked like: a dark-haired wannabe gangster smoking pot and drinking every day.

"Man, you can point out everything negative about anything," she says. "But talk to me, and I've changed my life. Talk to me, and I've got a relationship with my parents. I'm headed somewhere in my life."

The program can be rough, she says, but "when you come to the program a little punk, a little smarty know-it-all, you need someone to smack you in the face and say: 'The world does not revolve around you.'

"Other kids sharing lunch with Casa director Goulding nod in agreement. (Other teens in the program were not made available for interviews, and Goulding limited access to Casa's facilities, saying he didn't want to disrupt activities.)

Lile said the program's strict, one-size-fits-all approach can hurt teens who may be less emotionally stable. For her daughter, now 17, it has been "very difficult for her to deal with the fact that we sent her."

"The thing that galls me the most is I sent my child to this program and paid for this to happen," she said. "There are other parents who say: 'Well, if that's what it took to turn my kid around, I don't care.' But that's not how we feel."
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 29, 2004, 10:53:00 AM
Head Shrinker
Ben Winters gets lost and found again in the world of transformation training.

NewCity Chicago/1999
By Ben Winters
''Know thyself'' - Socrates, circa 400 B.C.

''All I know is that I don't know / All I know is that I don't know nothin' '' - Operation Ivy, 1991

My name is Ben, and I'm a cynic.

I'm skeptical, dismissive and stubbornly rational. As both a Gen X-er and journalist, I've got two strikes against me in the old faith-and-trust department, and I've played my part to the hilt: scoffing at self-actualization, mocking mysticism, pooh-poohing the paranormal, rolling my eyes at the mere mention of souls, spirits, saints and deities.

Thus it was with a rush of devilish glee that I read a bright orange pamphlet, lettered in bold black, from The Humanus Institute [a Lifespring offshoot], a Highland Park-based not-for-profit organization. The pamphlet touted a three-day seminar called the Discovery Course, price tag $395. Listed among the ''promises'' of the Discovery Course are some vague but heady ideas, stuff like ''discover[ing] what is of vital importance... so that the choices in your life are truly aligned with your purposes,'' and ''experience[ing] a profound shift in relating to yourself and others, thus allowing you to pursue your heartfelt commitments with joy and passion.''

Visions of misaligned chakras and inner children danced in my head. My little journalistic imp rubbed his hands together, preparing to wade into a weekend of self-help jargon and touchy-feely schmaltz and do some serious mocking. But in the weeks approaching the course, as I read again the literature suggesting that I'd be soon be able to ''act on my true commitments'' and ''make my life... more successful, loving, vital and fulfilling,'' another voice developed inside me, plaintive and insistent.

''My God,'' this new voice was saying. ''What if it works?''

At 10 am on a Friday, I am among twenty-four untutored aspirants to personal growth being stewarded into a modestly appointed seminar room at the Blackstone, a Michigan Avenue hotel with cranky elevators and Greco-Roman statuary in the lobby. Inside the second floor Blackstone Room, we sit in rows on stiff plastic chairs, listening to loud New Age music, nervously greeting one another and perusing inspirational quotes - posted on easels around the room - from the likes of George Bernard Shaw and Albert Einstein.

We are a disparate group, black and white, ranging from twenty-somethings to 50 and beyond. There are school teachers, medical professionals, business people, graduate students and college professors. Roughly a third are from out of town and staying at the Blackstone. There are couples, and those who have come on the recommendation of their husbands or wives; nearly all have been urged to take the course by someone close, a lover or family member or friend. And they're all incredibly regular - no New Age groupies or alien worshippers here. They're like anyone you might see at the grocery store, out for coffee or in church. A few of the attendees have taken the course, or ones like it, before; these are the people who are into it from the beginning, who nod and smile at every word, acolytes to actualization, teacher's pets.

Our teacher is a professional-looking woman in conservative business attire, seated on a high stool at the front of the room, a lavaliere microphone pinned to her chest. Like all of us, she wears a name tag; hers reads ''Marlene,'' and she is our trainer. Behind us, sitting quietly with beatific smiles, is a row of six staff members, volunteers and Discovery Course graduates, who will give us microphones when we want to share and Kleenex when we're ready to cry - and provide Marlene with throat drops and the mugs of boiling hot water she drinks ceaselessly. This is Marlene's ball game, her universe. It is Marlene who will take us, for some forty hours over the next few days, into the world of ''transformational training.''

It is, first and foremost, a world of confrontation: I had expected touchy-feely, but on day one I was spending time with the least touchy, least feely woman I'd ever met. As we stand up to explain what's fucked up in our lives, Marlene tears in, telling us one by one and over and over that our failings are our responsibility, that it's time to stop blaming the world, stop blaming friends and family, stop blaming circumstances. If someone says their father is distant or uncaring, Marlene will say, ''That's your opinion.'' If someone says they're shy, she says that shyness is nothing but a ''racket'' we use to stifle ourselves. When one participant, a college professor who's come in from out of town for this, explains that he's about to be divorced, Marlene says, ''No wonder. You're impossible to be around.''

Later, when the same man explains the trouble he's been having getting the approval of his coworkers, Marlene blasts him for his need for approval. ''But I need their approval to get grant money,'' he says. Marlene rolls her eyes, looks at the rest of us with disbelief, tells him there's a difference between approval and what he thinks of as approval, and that his need for grant money is nothing but a racket that keeps him from getting the job done. Finally the man sits down, baffled, no closer to knowing how to finance his research.

Later in the weekend, a younger woman tells the group that she is deeply in debt, and it's created a stressful situation. After Marlene wheedles the woman into telling us exactly how much is owed, she contends brashly that if she really wanted to pay back the money, she would do it. ''I've already paid back some, though.'' ''God! You are so defensive. Do you know that? Can you all see that? Hello? Hello?'' ''The good news is, we've found the problem,'' Marlene announces to us more than once. ''The bad news is, the problem is you.'' We need to learn to live in the moment, give up all that baggage, stop letting ourselves be weighed down by a lifetime of ''stories,'' all the meanings we've decided to assign to the things that have happened around us. This is the lesson Marlene is determined to make us see, and every time we don't we're interrupted, told to stop being resistant, told to drop the B.S. and just ''get off it.''

I take the microphone after one exercise - in which staff members holler in our faces like New Age drill sergeants, demanding we tell them honestly what we want from life - and complained about being badgered. ''No,'' Marlene explains. ''They were talking, and you were listening. The rest you made up.''

Slowly but surely, as the hours go by, I become immersed in the atmosphere, all the bombardment and intense passion of it, and my guts begin to churn. I feel moved to take the microphone several times. I tell Marlene and everyone present about my occasional struggle with depression, and I'm pushed to find its roots in my childhood. Marlene pinpoints the move my family made when I was four. ''Did you have friends there?'' she asks.

''I don't remember. I was four.''

''You had to give a lot up. It was traumatizing.'' Somehow it makes perfect sense, with Marlene staring unwaveringly back at me, with all those new friends looking up expectantly and excitedly. It rang with truth. I'm not a stranger to my inner self. I've thought about my sadness and fears before, I've sought professional help, I've read philosophy and psychology and religion. There are things I've reconciled myself to living with as part of who I am, but now Marlene was telling me that all I need to do is ''get off it,'' choose to move forward. It seemed like such a marvelous and obvious idea. With this background, it's somewhere in day two I ''realize'' that my constant joking around with people is nothing but a racket, what I use to keep from revealing my true self. My instinct to help other people, to do them favors, is nothing but another racket, and it's sabotaging my relationships.

I stand there choking on tears of realization, the microphone dangling limply in my hand while Marlene explains to the group: ''See? There's energy there.'' She is never wrong. She does not brook discussion: Her insights are truth. If people challenge one of her observations about their personalities - which, remember, she's only known for a day - they are told they're being resistant, not allowing themselves to change. As part of my ''homework'' on Friday night, I call an ex-girlfriend and assure her that I take 100 percent responsibility for what happened between us. She has no idea what I'm talking about and probably thinks I'm drunk. And I'm still up in the wee hours of Saturday morning, completing my homework, listing people I use my rackets on, considering how I ''let my effectiveness break down in the areas of greatest importance.''

My cynical journalistic imp has taken a powder.

The program protocol is brutal, painful and awkward, but it is also transfixing: Marlene's bluntness is fascinating, even intoxicating. By stepping on our emotional toes, she proves herself confident and charismatic, a woman unafraid to step outside the bounds of the acceptable, showing us how honest a life can really be. It's almost as if we come to love her. Those hugs I'd been anticipating materialize with fervor on the end of day two. Sometime on day three, one course member stands to praise Marlene: ''I think you're incredible. I'm ready to pack my bags and follow you around like Jesus.'' ''You're right,'' says Marlene. ''I am great.''

''I was whole and complete as I was, and now I could accept the whole truth about myself... I found enlightenment, truth and true self all at once.'' - Werner Erhard

It is hard to explain what happened to me in there; impossible to describe something I don't think I'll ever totally understand. It was a combination of influences, a perfect mixture of charismatic leader, waves of intense peer pressure and what amounted to three-day isolation from the world outside the group. Marlene told us that there are miracles every day, and this was hers: a magic act, alchemy, transformation. I disappeared, I folded, I became as susceptible as I've ever been, and Marlene and Humanus were there, for thirty-five hours they were there, ready to fill in the newly-created gaping holes in my understanding of self and world with their vision, their ideology.

This process is known as ''transformational training'' or ''large group awareness training,'' a concept that dates back to 1971, when Werner Erhard led the first Erhard Seminar Training (aka est) event in San Francisco, kick-starting the ''human potential movement.'' Erhard (a former used-car salesman who left behind a family - and the name John Rosenberg - in Philadelphia when he headed west for guru-dom) was influenced by everything from Zen Buddhism to Sigmund Freud to the Scientologists, who, he once claimed, tried to kill him.

Like Humanus now, est then promised clients that their limitations and problems were all in their minds, and a psychological rewiring, for a nominal fee, was all that was required to be set free. Since its seventies heyday, est has gone through several transformations of its own. In the early eighties, it was reorganized into a company called Landmark, and some of the more notorious aspects of the program (est had been criticized for not allowing participants to communicate or go to the bathroom) were eliminated. In 1991, under a cloud of fraud allegations, and after a messy public divorce, Erhard left the country, but not before selling Landmark Education Corporation to a consortium of employees, including his brother, Harry Rosenberg.

According to a 1992 London Times article, there are now three main tributaries of est's mighty transformational river: The Landmark Forum, running what's been described as a ''kinder, gentler'' version of est; Transformational Technologies, Inc., which specializes in corporate seminars; and ''a clutch of non-profit-making humanitarian agencies - formally independent but based on Erhard's theories.''

Executive Director James Lynch contends that Humanus ''has no affiliation with any other seminar company,'' despite the similarities in content and delivery. He also points out what makes Humanus unique: They stress ''experiential'' work over straight lecturing, and, he says, ''our commitment is to creating leadership in community service.'' Humanus grads, Lynch explains, are encouraged to sign up for a variety of public service projects, ranging from litter clean-ups to making sandwiches for the homeless.

Another distinguishing mark is that Humanus is a registered non-profit; however, their schedule of fees is similar to that of Landmark, a for-profit company that pulls in upwards of $45 million a year. Lynch was reluctant to provide specific numbers, but says their earnings are spent on his own salary and that of two other staffers (one establishing a branch office in Florida), various administrative costs, and the costs of the seminars, such as renting space and paying the trainers.

All this history I discover later, after the weekend is over, when, reeling from the emotional tides of it all, I sit down to figure out what the hell went on in there: I've narrowed it down to either a beautiful, powerful but disturbing experience, or a total mindfuck. Either way, I'm a wreck: I'm disjointed, upset, excited, confused, angry, teetering on the verge of tears. I have a vague sense of something momentous but nonspecific having occurred in my psyche somewhere, an elusive epiphany that won't reveal itself and feels untrustworthy. Magnets tug at my moral compass; I feel the rug of a lifetime of rational consideration pulled out from under me.

Reading other accounts of weekends like this, led by other ''transformational training'' companies - including Landmark Forum - I begin to find startling similarities. All the drill sergeanting, the unceasing intensity (during our one meal break each day, we were divided into small groups, with a ''team leader'' assigned to make sure we talked about the course), the ''homework'' we were given after each day's twelve-hour class to keep our minds on the task at hand. One description of a Landmark Forum course paralleled my experience down to the clothes the trainer was wearing and the small bowl of flowers placed on the front table.

Some of the reports are disturbing, indeed. A 1992 news item from the Washington Post tells of Stephanie Ney, a woman from Silver Spring, Maryland, who sued Landmark in 1992 after suffering a nervous breakdown in her seminar. And the London Times writes about ''senior managers [who] have lost their jobs, experienced nervous breakdowns or been unable to continue with personal relationships after taking the course.'' I check into Internet chat rooms where the enthusiastically transformed get into it with skeptics. ''I said I love you to my mother for the first time in years,'' says one Forum enthusiast. Decriers say it's a bunch of brainwashing, a money-making scam, ''more of a pastiche of ideas than an actual system.'' There's also a damning 1986 report from the American Psychiatric Association, and a snippet from The Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, asserting that the claims of huge success made by transformational programs can be correlated not to the effectiveness of the programs, but to the type of people who would choose to go into them in the first place. I encounter the concept of ''loaded language'' - like Humanus' phrases ''speak yourself'' and ''get off it'' - common sense ideas that, simply rephrased and obsessively repeated, take on an irresistible, shamanistic quality. My skeptical imp, lifeless upon my shoulder, begins to stir.

Underlying it all - est, the Forum, and now Humanus, Chicago's homegrown offshoot of the transformational training movement - is a basic philosophical notion, which dates back not to Werner Erhard but to Nietzsche, Heidegger and Sartre. Reality is not reality, the line goes, but a construct. Absolute freedom is available, but only if you assume total freedom over your life, admit that all meaning is meaning that you invent and then choose to make happy meanings. It is a seductive idea, and one that is made tremendously easy to accept by the whole atmosphere of the Discovery Course. Lifted out of context, separated from any discussion of its philosophical evolution and influences, presented not scientifically but religiously, as a revealed truth, and in that intensely charged emotional atmosphere - it is, after all, much easier to have a ''breakthrough'' when you're surrounded by other people who are very openly and obviously having ''breakthroughs'' - this very specific, historically-evolved bit of ideology takes on the appearance of absolute truth: Not a, but the, way to achieve your potential. ''This is not The Truth, not The Way,'' Marlene tells us, trying to hammer in the idea that we need - like Nietzsche - to get beyond right and wrong, but the implication of the whole thing is clear. If you know what's good for you, you'll take this advice to heart. You'll ''get off it.''

Dr. Robert Lipgar, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Chicago who specializes in group therapy, characterizes transformational training as ''an exploitative caricature of depth psychology, a bringing together of some of the techniques that have been used responsibly elsewhere.'' Lipgar won't say that transformational training doesn't work, only that people should think carefully, and get as much information as they can, before entering. ''When consumers do something like that, they ought to exercise as much thought as possible. I'm shy and conservative about offering opinions on what people should spend their money on, but it's very much buyer beware.

''I'm deeply concerned that it does amount to a kind of pyramid scheme that exploits vulnerability,'' Lipgar says. It's buyer beware because, like psychology or any other form of ''coursework'' involving one's inner life, transformational training can bring up some painful stuff: In fact, it's supposed to. But unlike psychology - or psychiatry, or dentistry for that matter - training courses are entirely unregulated by any system of licensing or peer review. Lipgar says that for forty years transformational groups have been resistant to doing any sort of empirical studies of their graduates. I ask Lynch if he's aware of any studies of participants in courses like these, proving their efficacy. ''I don't have the source,'' he says, ''But one of the transformational groups conducted a study, five years [after their program] - 88 percent of the people said it was one of the top three life events, right up there with marriage and having children. I know another transformational company did it. I don't know who did the research for them.''

On Monday night, after twenty-four hours back in the real world, the Discovery Course participants are reassembled at the hotel for our Advanced Living Interviews. Sitting one on one with Humanus volunteers, we discuss the commitments to authentic living we've made over the last few days and we share with our interlocutor how our first day as a new person went down. Last, but certainly not least, we are firmly encouraged to sign up for the next level of the Humanus Curriculum, the five-day Advanced Living Seminar that begins in ten days. We've been warned that if we don't continue with the program, all might be for naught.

''We've opened up a hole for you, through which you can see a real life for yourself. But you know what happens when a cut opens on your body? It closes back up again,'' Marlene says. Of course, there are plenty of openings that never close, but speaking of opened windows, drawn curtains, or holes punched in walls wouldn't go too far towards getting our $200 down-payment for Humanus' level two.

I explain to my interviewer that I will be out of town that weekend, visiting friends in Los Angeles. I've made plans. ''Change them,'' comes the answer. All around me my fellow Discovery students are shuffling plans, reorganizing lives and getting out checkbooks. The Advanced Living Seminar costs $995 - although if we sign up right now, it's $100 off. This discount, Marlene had explained to us, has to do with postage costs and so forth. I don't sign up for Advanced Living, though most of my fellow participants do, and I skip out on the remaining parts of Discovery: I don't get up at 6:20 the next morning, as I had promised, and make the first of three scheduled phone calls to my Team Leader to discuss my commitments. I don't return on Tuesday night with my friends and family, where they would - I am told later by fellow participants - have been separated from me, gotten a taste of the Humanus program, and been encouraged to sign up for the Discovery Course.

Bottom line, Humanus wanted me to get out of my head, but I like my head: It's where I keep all my stuff. Sure, it's cluttered with received ideas and emotional wiring, the dictates of society and my own fears, but also my ideas, my opinions, my judgments and wariness. You can say that a guy who was emotionally abused or abandoned by his parents, and suffers as a result, is simply ''making up a story,'' being a ''meaning-making machine,'' but what happened is still true. Just as it's true that my parents, thank the Lord, are upstanding, moral people who taught me to think, to develop my opinions and stick by them, and, yes, even to be skeptical, skeptical of easy answers and quick fixes - and anyone that asks you for money when you're crying. As much as I'd love to be self-actualized, fulfilled, complete, free - or whatever you want to call it - as much I'd love to discover my ''humanness,'' I'm not continuing with the Humanus Program. I won't be paying $995 for the Advanced Living Seminar nor moving on the Leading Edge and the Leadership Initiative. I'm just going to muddle along with my slightly battered sense of what's real and what isn't, keep feeding my skeptical imp, and try to find happiness the hard way.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 29, 2004, 10:54:00 AM
You missunderstood me , i meant more negative stuff on the seminars that you call brainwashing and has seemed to help so many people including perigaud who is living testimony that something they are doing works and she sounds like a very intelligent person, not someone brianwashed.So where are more aticles about the bad horrible seminars. I've read all the articles you have posted in the past, no need to take up your time with putting them here again.Oh and by the way june 13 1999, that is new?? sept.2003, that is new?So this is a written testimony about the seminars that was written, but it is still the only thing i have seen. The one that cares.
Keep trying though maybe you will find an interesting article from the 70's or 80's.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 29, 2004, 11:06:00 AM
Your reply really means nothing as you didn't even have enough time to READ the articles.  They were just posted.

If you DID read them, you would see that they ARE negative.  2003 you consider to be old??  OK, guess we're going to have to disagree there too.

how 'bout this?:

Quote
The men behind Teen Help
Teen Help was started by Lichfield, 45, a southern Utah businessman who lives on an estate in the spectacular canyon country near St. George. The estate features private trout ponds and a gymnasium.

Lichfield got his start in behavior modification two decades ago when he worked at Provo Canyon School in Provo, Utah. Provo Canyon is a strict punishment-and-rewards program for kids having problems getting along with their parents.

In the late 1980s, Lichfield attended encounter-group sessions organized by David Gilcrease. Gilcrease had been a trainer from 1974 to 1981 for LifeSpring, a company that perfected a form of encounter sessions called "large group awareness training."


TIMEOUT ROOMS
Girls at Cross Creek Manor who don't cooperate spend time in these
isolation rooms. Cross Creek is licensed by the state as a residential
treatment center and has therapists on staff.
_________________________________________________________

 
Some psychologists call it "coercive persuasion." In December 1990, Lichfield incorporated a residential treatment center called Cross Creek Manor in La Verkin. He obtained a Utah state license to run it.

In 1993 Lichfield contracted to run Brightway Adolescent Hospital in nearby St. George. It became the receiving center for youths entering the Teen Help network.

About the same time, Lichfield developed the idea of placing teens in a compound in Western Samoa.

Teen Help's first foreign venture was Paradise Cove in the Pacific island nation. Kids would be taken from their homes by an escort service, sometimes by one run by Lichfield's brother, Narvin.


TEEN HELP HEADQUARTERS
The World Wide Association of Specialty Programs, a Teen Help umbrella
group, is headquartered in this modest building in La Verkin, Utah.
_________________________________________________________

 
The teens would be sent to Brightway for a quick psychological assessment, then put on a plane to the South Pacific.

Lichfield hired Gilcrease to create the behavior modification programs needed to all but guarantee parents changes in their defiant teens.

Gilcrease crafted a series of seminars called TASKS (Teen Accountability, Self-esteem, Keys to Success). He also created companion seminars for parents.

Some participants say they include all-powerful "facilitators" who use peer pressure, confessions, sleep deprivation, fear, anger, loneliness and self-criticism as tools to modify behavior. Other participants say the sessions were greatly revealing.

Lichfield, Gilcrease and Facer acknowledge that they have little use for formal psychology.

"We don't deal with emotional disorders," Gilcrease said. "We are not psychologists. We do not deal in that realm. I don't need to detect emotional disorders when I'm talking about the value of keeping your word."

"I think I'm talented working with youth, but I don't have a college degree in that area," Lichfield told Dateline NBC. "... I personally don't believe it's necessary."

Facer said training in adolescent psychology isn't necessary.

"Automakers learned a long time ago that if the right system is engineered, everyone who works on the assembly line is not required to be an engineer themselves," he said. "These (Teen Help) programs have been carefully engineered by many professionals in the field, who not only have extensive educational backgrounds but also have scores of years of experience." ... The programs are continually monitored on a daily basis to insure that the designed outline is being followed."

Teen Help's corporate structure changed in 1997 when the organization formed a series of limited liability companies and limited partnerships. Kay earlier this year said that Lichfield remains the controlling power. But Lichfield said, "I no longer own, control or direct any of the programs."

Facer said he and Lichfield "only consult with the directors of the programs at their request."

and this:

Quote
Emotional nightmare
Video of sobbing son prompts dad to yank
him from Montana youth camp

By Lou Kilzer
Denver Rocky Mountain News Staff Writer


There's no doubt Eric Stone had a problem. Grades. "I was doing very crappy in school," concedes Eric, 16, who spent 41/2 months in Teen Help, the Utah-based network of behavior modification camps for teens.

His father, Craig Stone, said he wasn't all that concerned. Eric, who lived with his father north of Seattle, didn't drink, do drugs or run with outlaws. The poor grades were just a phase, Craig Stone thought.


 
That's one side of the story. But as in many other cases involving Teen Help, Eric's other parent saw things differently.

Vickie, Craig Stone's ex-wife, declined to discuss her son's case in detail with the Denver Rocky Mountain News. But her actions indicate that she was concerned about her son and arranged to send him to Teen Help. Craig Stone says that Eric often visited his mother on weekends. So when Eric did not return home one Sunday night in September after a visit with Vickie, Craig Stone says he was not overly concerned. Eric would be home the next morning.

But by Monday afternoon, Craig Stone said he "kind of felt something was up."

Soon Craig Stone's brother called. Vickie, the brother said, had just told him she had sent Eric to a boarding school.

"It was devastating for me," Craig Stone said. "I tried calling her. She wouldn't take my calls. She just sent me a letter stating that Eric's in a new school and she would tell me where he was if I agreed to sign a contract and leave him there."

Craig Stone wouldn't agree. But he said he "played it like a sucker and got as much information as I could."


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Craig Stone's sister hit the Internet trying to piece together what might have happened.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Craig Stone's sister hit the Internet trying to piece together what might have happened. After three months of detective work, they thought the most likely spot that Vickie had taken Eric was a place called Spring Creek Lodge near Thompson Falls, Mont. If so, it would mean that Eric was in the care of Teen Help.

"The information we were digging up was scaring us because we were afraid of them transferring Eric to Samoa or Jamaica," Craig Stone said.

"So I kept quiet until I was absolutely sure."

Finally, he called Spring Creek director Cameron Pullan. Yes, Pullan said, Eric was there. He said he thought that Craig Stone had known it all along.

Because Craig Stone had joint custody with Vickie, Pullan said, Craig Stone must sign the contract authorizing Eric's stay at Spring Creek Lodge. Craig Stone said no.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DAY 1


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Desperate measures
'It saved his life'

Emotional nightmare

The series

Share your thoughts


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
A court hearing to resolve the parents' dispute over Teen Help was set. Then two things happened to make Craig Stone decide to take charge.

In an effort to convince Craig Stone that Spring Creek Lodge was right for Eric, the Teen Help staff there videotaped the interview with Eric included in this article.

The video shocked Craig Stone. It showed a sobbing, distraught Eric saying how much he missed his home and how much he knew he must remain in Montana. Craig Stone became even more alarmed when he called Spring Creek and learned that Eric was on suicide watch.

He gathered his brother, sister and a friend who is a former pro football lineman. The four headed to Thompson Falls.

Craig Stone went to the sheriff's office and showed a deputy the custody papers. The deputy called the compound.

"If Eric wants to come home, you let him go," Craig Stone said the deputy warned Pullan. The four adults drove to Spring Creek Lodge, where Pullan met them.

"All of a sudden, Eric comes running out of nowhere, crying his head off," Craig Stone said.

Eric flew into his arms. "He was overwhelmed," his father said. "He couldn't believe it was happening."

Many kids report positive experiences in Teen Help, but Eric isn't one of them. He didn't like it from the day he arrived, and he said it only got worse.

When he started out on Level 1 -- the lowest rung on the Teen Help ladder -- he said a "buddy came everywhere with me. Took showers with me. Came with me when I had to go to the bathroom."

The only way to shake the buddy was to take and pass Teen Help's rugged group encounter seminars. To Eric, the sessions were worse than staying on Level 1, although they lasted only three days each.

"They just rip you with feedback," he said. "They tell you you're crap. They try to bring you up in more of their beliefs. ... They try to get you to be like a kid that doesn't talk back, that doesn't question authority, that just goes along with whatever happens."

Eric said he faked his way through the first two seminars but lacked the emotional defenses to withstand the third seminar, called "Accountability."

"It's known to make you programmed," he said. " ... You totally will into the program. You don't see anything wrong with it. You don't have anything against it." An hour into Accountability, Eric said he refused to go on. He said that's when the staff and other students turned on him.

"Everybody was getting down on me because I chose out of the third seminar," Eric recalls. "I knew it wasn't for me."

Soon, Craig Stone said he was told, his son was on suicide watch.

Unknown to Eric, Craig Stone was trying behind the scenes to get him out.

Now living again with his father, Eric is readjusting to life, but it's a struggle.

"In school, he's doing great," his father says, but then he hesitates. "It's up and down," Craig Stone says.

"He's angry. Still angry. Sparks fly between us occasionally. "There's a lot of resentment and hard, unanswered feelings. We both need to get some counseling to get over this whole thing."

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 29, 2004, 11:09:00 AM
http://www.denver-rmn.com/desperate/sit ... esp1.shtml (http://www.denver-rmn.com/desperate/site-desperate/0702desp1.shtml)
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 29, 2004, 11:17:00 AM
Quote
"I think I'm talented working with youth, but I don't have a college degree in that area," Lichfield told Dateline NBC. "... I personally don't believe it's necessary."

Facer said training in adolescent psychology isn't necessary.

"Automakers learned a long time ago that if the right system is engineered, everyone who works on the assembly line is not required to be an engineer themselves," he said. "These (Teen Help) programs have been carefully engineered by many professionals in the field, who not only have extensive educational backgrounds but also have scores of years of experience." ... The programs are continually monitored on a daily basis to insure that the designed outline is being followed."


Does anyone else find it a bit disturbing to have this guy compare working with troubled teens to an auto assembly line?????

Formal education to work with troubled kids???  Why???   :roll:  :roll:
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 29, 2004, 12:10:00 PM
Quote
On 2004-12-29 08:17:00, Anonymous wrote:

"
Quote
"I think I'm talented working with youth, but I don't have a college degree in that area," Lichfield told Dateline NBC. "... I personally don't believe it's necessary."



Facer said training in adolescent psychology isn't necessary.



"Automakers learned a long time ago that if the right system is engineered, everyone who works on the assembly line is not required to be an engineer themselves," he said. "These (Teen Help) programs have been carefully engineered by many professionals in the field, who not only have extensive educational backgrounds but also have scores of years of experience." ... The programs are continually monitored on a daily basis to insure that the designed outline is being followed."



Does anyone else find it a bit disturbing to have this guy compare working with troubled teens to an auto assembly line?????



Formal education to work with troubled kids???  Why???   :roll:  :roll:

"


Lichfield compares it to working in a factory because that is what the program does, in a way. If the program was really about helping, you'd hear a lot more about getting to know the kid, finding out what that one specific child REALLY needs, etc. But that is NOT what WWASP does. WWASP creates a product. Like in a factory, kids go through a "production line" every day, until they are designed (or re-wired, as Jay Kay prefers to call it) into the Final Product: an obedient, Program-worshipping, cult-speaking, zombie.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 29, 2004, 12:49:00 PM
http://www.askquestions.org/details.php?id=209 (http://www.askquestions.org/details.php?id=209)

...The National Mental Health Association (NMHA) strongly condemns teen ?boot camp? drug rehabilitation and coercive behavior modification programs citing research showing that interventions of this kind do not work and are not cost effective. The NMHA fact sheet is online.

And yet a parent seeking help for a troubled teenager may run across dozens of for-profit organizations offering exactly this kind of treatment regimen at costs ranging from $2,000 to $8,000 per month. Using aggressive and sometimes deceptive sales practices, these therapeutic boarding schools (TBS), wilderness programs, and residential treatment centers (RTC) are a booming industry. One site, NoSpank.net, collects news articles about the ?teen treatment industry? chronicling years of problems within these facilities.

Two specific programs have been the target of many complaints, and both of them are run by prominent political contributors. The Worldwide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools (WWASPS) is an affiliated group of private residental treatment centers and schools for kids with behavior problems. The Drug Free American Foundation (DFAF) has different financial and operational affiliations with several private drug treatment centers including Teen Challenge, Growing Together, and Kids Helping Kids. Families have filed lawsuits against both DFAF and WWASPS alleging abuse of various kinds. Both use a religious "tough love" approach to treatment. Government agencies in Costa Rica, Mexico and the Czech Republic have shut down WWASPS programs, and in 2003, Congressman George Miller of California asked the Department of Justice to investigate a growing number of allegations against WWASPS. So far, the DOJ has taken no action...
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Antigen on December 29, 2004, 01:37:00 PM
Quote
On 2004-12-29 05:05:00, Anonymous wrote:

"I don't really need to go into why i think she was unstable, because i agree with a few posts back, that she was not ready to open up and address her shit, which everyone does have a little of,

In other words, she rejected the philosophy and methods, therefore she must be crazy.

Quote
She was intimidated by the leader and thus shut down more.

Was the leader acting in an intimidating fashion? Based on her description, I'd say so. It's normal, healthy and sane to not allow strangers to intimidate you.

Quote
They are most likely very conservative people and most likley have that middle of amereica attitude which has our evil tyrant running our country.

Wow! Now that's a stretch! Especially in light of all the hefty political contributions made by WWASP principals to the Rebugnacan party.

Quote
No one is going to tell this ladie that she might have a few problems to deal with and yes she also seemed to feel she was there more for her child than for herself.

No shit, shirlock! She was, after all, attending a seminar required by an organization who she had paid to provide therapy to HER DAUGHTER! What else was she supposed to think? I don't take too kindly to strangers speculating on what they think might be my problems either. In fact, I don't tolerate it.

Quote
She took offense to someone trying to get through to her and her husband. Do you have at least one more article like this? I don;t think so. This is the only time that anything close to this was written.

No it's not. There are plenty of similar comments by parents and others in these forums and others. And there are plenty of published news articles along the same lines. None so detailed as this, though. And please note that WWASP did, indeed, sue to try to have this material removed from the public. Shit, they even tried to sue a journalist for publishing critical news about them. That's why you don't see a lot of this stuff.

Quote
One person out of thousands, oh i'm sorry 2, her husband also.

I took a boy from one program to another and he had been in the program 7 months and had just screwed and now was being transfered,I had also been his escort the 7months before and he was one of the kids i was able to bond with. so i knew we were going to have a good time and probbably the best 20 hours he has had in 7 months, because yes it is a very strict at these programs. Well he told me that sure it was hard, but there were allot of poeple there who cared and yea he said there were some that he felt did not care, mostly the new staff that was hired.

Sure, he's a kid and he couldn't escape. It's no secret that large group influence techniques are effective. Both CIA and FBI have published studies showing exactly how it works. But is it beneficial to the subject? Not usually. And, in many cases, it can be extremely harmful.

Quote

Anyway his favorite part of the program was the seminars and he felt that they helped him more thatn anything else in the program. I only hope he really does it now and gets his but home as soon as possible. But again, you won't believe me because i am not proof. The one that cares"


No, you are proof! And, btw, thanks for posting here. You have no idea how hard it is to try and explain this stuff to people. You have been very helpful by providing a living example of what we're talking about.

See, the lady who wrote that article was an adult and well centered enough to take control and get herself out of that situation when she felt threatened. When I was a kid, just like so many kids in programs today, I couldn't do that. I just had to suck it up for two long years.

Now, some people, like you, just thrive on all this. They love the simplisity of living life by Program dogma. No problem at all w/ the people you hurt and cause to be hurt. You just call them liars and lunatics and feel just dandy about everything you do. But some of us are just not blessed with gift of self delusion like you are.

A government resting on the minority is an aristocracy, not a Republic, and could not be safe with a numerical and physical force against it, without a standing army, an enslaved press and a disarmed populace.
James Madison, The Federalist No. 46

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 29, 2004, 01:49:00 PM
Antigen ~
Well Put.

Poster of the articals~
I hadn't seen them before and am glad to have had the oppratunity.
Thanks.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 29, 2004, 01:54:00 PM
Quote
On 2004-12-29 07:54:00, Anonymous wrote:

"You missunderstood me , i meant more negative stuff on the seminars that you call brainwashing and has seemed to help so many people including perigaud who is living testimony that something they are doing works and she sounds like a very intelligent person, not someone brianwashed.So where are more aticles about the bad horrible seminars. I've read all the articles you have posted in the past, no need to take up your time with putting them here again.Oh and by the way june 13 1999, that is new?? sept.2003, that is new?So this is a written testimony about the seminars that was written, but it is still the only thing i have seen. The one that cares.

Keep trying though maybe you will find an interesting article from the 70's or 80's."


"She sounds like a very intelligent person, not someone brainwashed."

You've just demonstrated a very fundamental fallacy---thinking that someone has to be stupid to be susceptible to cult-type brainwashing, or that someone who is acting from brainwashing will *sound* stupid.

It's not actually true.

Every delusional person you'll ever meet has a variety of "brainwashing" that's happened on their brain----in their cases, they hold a particular set of irrational beliefs they've developed themselves under the influence of something not working right (for whatever reason) in their brain.  Whether someone is delusional has bupkis to do with their intelligence.  In fact, some mental illnesses that tend to be accompanied by delusions also tend to be accompanied by *high* intelligence.  And if you talk to someone delusional about things that are not related to their delusions, they may be able to talk and function quite rationally and intelligently in those other areas.  Since mentally ill people's individual delusions tend to be unique, in their specifics, to each single person, it's easier for other people to tell that the irrational belief is delusion, and not truth.

There are thousands of mutually contradictory religions all over the world.  The overwhelming majority of them, if not all of them, are just as factually inaccurate and irrational as the delusion of any psychotic you could name.  But because it's not useful to define most of the human race as crazy, we let the term "delusion" cover the unique false and irrational beliefs of mentally ill people and the term "religion" cover the false and irrational beliefs shared by large groups of psychologically normal people.

Any way you slice it, more than half the human race holds one of these large-group false and irrational beliefs (even if you postulate that *one* religion---yours for instance---is True), and if you correlate intelligence distribution with belief across the world, intelligence is no barrier to one's susceptibility.

If you look at the Heaven's Gate cult and the web development work they did for a living, intelligence did not protect the followers of the charismatic Do and Ti from falling into a set of false, irrational beliefs that killed them.

Whether it is "false" to believe that WWASPS program is safe and effective is up for debate.

Whether it is *irrational* or not is absolutely unquestionable.  It is *not* irrational to believe it is *possible* that in a statistical sense WWASPS could be a safe and effective program whose benefits on its patient population outweigh its risks---but it is *only* not irrational to believe it while one admits that there is absolutely zero reliable evidence that this is so.

It is *absolutely* irrational to believe that WWASPS *is* a safe and effective program whose benefits to its patient population outweigh its risks.  The reason it's irrational is that no *quality* scientific longitudinal studies have been done on the population treated with WWASPS programs to quantify the various outcomes' statistical likelihood and compare it to alternately-treated and untreated controls.

It is absolutely rational to be *highly* skeptical of WWASPS safety and effectiveness because of the facilities' management and owners being both inclined towards efforts to confuse the organizational structure of WWASPS, the ownership, and where the money goes *and* apparently inclined towards attempts to frustrate any attempt by researchers from academia to actually conduct rigorous scientific studies of the safety and effectiveness of its treatments.

Perigaud has an irrational faith in the safety and effectiveness of WWASPS treatment.

Now, whether or not that irrational faith is the result of brainwashing or is just one of the many irrational beliefs that psychologically normal people develop all the time----from a belief in astrology to a belief that a 41 year old merchant who suddenly wanders off into a cave and claims an angel is talking to him is *sane* when he tells you to make war on your neighbors because you're destined to take over the world to a belief that it's a good idea to draw to an inside straight----who the hell knows?

But given that the alleged brainwashing facility had physical control of Perigaud for months in a strict authoritarian environment, brainwashing is a reasonably safe bet.

The problem here is that you're expecting someone "brainwashed" to be a stupefied zombie with little red and white spinning spirals instead of an iris and pupil in her eyes, and to be mouthing badly scripted lines in a monotone with a slack, unanimated facial expression.  Or, alternately, to look like the "robot" characters as played by the actresses in the movie, "Stepford Wives."

The only difference between a genuine new convert to the rather odd new church down the road, a gambling addict, and a victim of brainwashing is that the brainwashing victim aquired *her* irrational beliefs from the deliberate, planned actions of people who had physical control of her for a period of time ranging anywhere from about three days to years or even decades, and who consciously used psychological techniques and/or psychotropic drugs to develop the irrational beliefs in the target *whether or not the people doing the techniques themselves believed the information to be irrational or not*.

Brainwashing is actually a lot more common and a lot more effective than most people believe it to be, most people are highly susceptible to it, susceptibility has nothing to do with intelligence, and it's a risk *anywhere* there is physical, authoritarian control of human beings.

Not that authoritarian control is always bad, just that anyone weilding that control has a grave responsibility to ensure that they stringently test and evaluate the rationality of any ideas they push on or towards the people in their control.  And, of course, people are wise to look *very* carefully before they leap any time they're in a position where they're going to be placing themselves in the physical control of someone else.

Brainwashing isn't rare or hollywood-dramatic.  On the contrary, it's so commonplace and effective that you probably encounter people under *some* residual effect of *somebody's* brainwashing at least half a dozen times a day.

Obviously, the more heavy-handed the manipulation of the brainwashing victim's psyche is, and the more irrational beliefs that are imparted, and the more those beliefs affect major life activities, the more risk there is of the victim suffering adverse effects and the greater the impact of any adverse effects on his or her life.

Ginger (Antigen) is actually a pretty good example of a brainwashing victim in recovery (pardon the jargon--but anything else didn't seem to fit---an please forgive me for talking about you as if you were a lab rat for a minute---I like you, but you make a really good example).  She questions *everything*---sometimes even to the point of over-skepticism.  Having had irrational beliefs foisted on her against her will and having had to fight her way free of them at extreme personal trauma and cost to her relationships, she's reluctant to believe in anything and is not only skeptical of things that would send up red flags in people without her personal experiences, she's skeptical in the face of what most scientists would rationally consider reasonable evidence---particularly on the subject of anything touching on psychology or psychiatry.  She's *understandably* very gunshy on those subjects and probably almost always will be.

Other good examples are people who have left very authoritarian religions (this is observed across a wide variety of mutually contradictory religions, so just assume we're talking about some authoritarian religion *you* believe is false) they were raised in---they're frequently permanently *far* more skeptical about anything involving anyone's religion than people are who were raised with a religion they're not too attached to by parents who weren't very religious.

My point is that someone who has been brainwashed is usually affected all their lives, based on how broad spectrum and pervasive and heavy-handed the brainwashing was, even when they're in recovery.  My other point is that you see people who have been brainwashed all the time---so often that you accept it as a commonplace and don't really think of it as brainwashing.

Notice that I'm not necessarily condemning the implanting of rational, functional beliefs---provided that the lightest hand possible is used in the doing.  Generally, the involuntary commitment standards used for adults in this country strike a nice balance on the tough ethical issues involved.  The standards used for involuntary residential commitment of minors are generally so bereft of anything even remotely resembling an ethic as to be back in the dark ages of psychology when Freud induced a phobia in a small child just to see if he could.

Timoclea
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 29, 2004, 01:55:00 PM
No problem.  I usually don't flood the thread with endless articles, but in this case it was both asked for and, I believe, warranted.  There are plenty more out there.  Ask and ye shall recieve. :wink:   :em:
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Deborah on December 29, 2004, 02:00:00 PM
The article by Winters was excellent!

I found their use of the word 'racket' interesting. Like the spouse who is cheating and constantly accusing the other spouse of being unfaithful.

From the moment we are born, everything we are subjected to conditions who we will become. Every observation and event has an effect. A good analogy is like we are computers and our life experience is the software that is installed. While it is true that we can adopt some weird, and somtimes anti-social or violent behaviors based on our experiences; to refer to those behaviors as 'rackets' is not productive or accurate. It implies a negative connotation and a conscience awareness of the behavior and its cause. To blame the person for how they reacted to their life experience- to shame them for the way in which they figured out how to function inspite of less than perfect conditions is tantamount to abuse. It's an insult to human intelligence. Those very coping mechanisms are many times what keeps one alive and functioning. To rip them out from under a highly distressed person without ongoing support and effective therapy can leave one disoriented, confused, fearful, 'depressed', paralyzed.  And... addicted to returning to the seminars for further 'help' resolving the discomfort that results from the first seminar.

Any therapy or technique that uses shame, blame, or humiliation is not going to be effective in the long run. It does not 'heal' the misperceptions and assumptions (software) that cause the behavior. Further, the kind of therapy that works to change these 'patterns' of behavior can not be implimented in a large group setting.

While it is useful and beneficial to revist one's past and ferret out how one came to construct their misperceptions and assumptions and how one came to create coping patterns, this takes time and a very skilled counselor. One would be better off applying their $995 (times three, four) toward private counseling where they can get the one-on-one therapy and 'real' change they are desiring.

I have known many est/Lifespring groupies. Even took an 8-day seminar once without the prior knowledge that the facilitator was est trained. This person was also a licensed therapist. Ironically, I was attacked by the leader for running a victim 'racket' after sharing that my son had been incarcerated in a BM facility and my efforts to liberate him had failed. The facilitator went on and on, red-faced and angry that I hadn't done something to save my son. The line went.. If I had just 'confronted' the right person(s) he'd be out. Or I could've kidnapped him. (And risk jail time? Now that's a solution!) In fact he was running his 'racket', to use est speak. His mother had not been able to protect him from an abusive step father. My story pushed his button and off he went on ME for being a victim of my life circumstances.

The therapy one receives is only going to be as good as the therapist. Of all the est/Lifespring groupies I've known, none have resolved major life problems. They all speak the lingo, and what they do best is 'shadetree therapy' on everyone that crosses their path. Might this be their newly acquired 'racket'??? To avoid doing their own 'real' therapy??? I think so. And as long as they have their fellow groupies and seminars they believe they are moving forward. Sounds like an expensive coping mechanism to me.

[ This Message was edited by: Deborah on 2004-12-29 11:01 ]
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 29, 2004, 02:03:00 PM
http://www.stats.org/record.jsp?type=news&ID=483 (http://www.stats.org/record.jsp?type=news&ID=483)

How to Save a Troubled Kid
November 16 2004
Maia Szalavitz
Avoid reading Time magazine on tough love

In a ?state of the science? conference in October, the National Institutes for Health (NIH) released a consensus statement saying that tough treatments ? including so-called ?boot camps? for troubled teenagers ? ?do not work.? They also warned that ?there is some evidence that they may make the problem worse rather than simply not working.? But in the November 22 issue of Time magazine, the ?state of the science? is almost completely ignored in an account that highlights the positive aspects of a highly profitable tough love chain.

Time?s ?How to Save a Troubled Kid?? focused on a teen with bipolar disorder, whose father said that the Montana-based Spring Creek Lodge program, a tough love program affiliated with the World Wide Association of Specialty Programs (WWASP), ?improved his attitude and sense of responsibility.?

In an 1,800-word article, Time included just two sentences about the NIH?s findings. It didn?t explain, for instance, that years of research are summarized in NIH consensus statements, which are issued when the state of the science is believed to be good enough to draw basic conclusions about treatments.

And while Time acknowledged that WWASP had one program shut down in Mexico for abuse, the magazine failed to mention that WWASP has had at least five affiliates closed following reports of abuse and human rights violations. The Mexican government alone raided and closed three WWASP programs: Sunrise Beach, High Impact and Casa by The Sea.

At High Impact, police took video of teens housed outdoors in dog cages, which later aired on Inside Edition. The Costa Rican government shut Dundee Ranch Academy, reporting human rights violations. One official there told the media that ?In Costa Rica, we don?t even allow that kind of punishment for our prison inmates,? citing the use of isolation rooms in which teens were made to kneel for hours.

The U.S. State Department documented abuse at WWASP?s Samoa facility, which closed following an investigation by the Samoan government. The Czech Republic also raided a WWASP facility there and documented abuse. Brightway Hospital, which WWASP ran in Utah, was closed after the state found licensing violations like failure to report abuse allegations. Congressman George Miller (D-California) has at least twice called on Attorney General John Ashcroft to investigate the program.

If the NIH had said a cancer or AIDS treatment provided by an organization with such a controversial history was ineffective and possibly harmful, would a reputable news organization counter with a story that focused instead on anecdotal claims that the treatment worked?

Stats Senior Fellow, Maia Szalavitz is the author of a forthcoming book investigating tough love treatments, to be published in 2005 by Riverhead Books.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 29, 2004, 02:14:00 PM
http://www.youthrights.org/forums/showt ... nextoldest (http://www.youthrights.org/forums/showthread.php?t=1433&goto=nextoldest)

Personal experience of WWASP

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I ended up spending a total of 20 months in WWASP Programs. 14 months in Carolina Springs Academy, and another 6 months in Dundee Ranch in Costa Rica. During this time, I had the chance to meet teenagers from other programs, and hear accounts from places such as Tranquility Bay, High Impact, and Casa by the Sea. I was 15 when I first woke up in the middle of the night to be escorted to Carolina Springs. It was a retired cop that told me I was going with him whether he like it or not, and I was going to a "boarding school". I remember being thrown on the bed and handcuffed behind my back when I told the man to leave my room. I was put in a van and driven there, handcuffed the entire way. This was not a boarding school. First thing I saw when I got out of the vehicle was a kid named "Sam" who was being carried sideways (like a suitcase) out to "Observational Placement". They took my shoe strings immediately, because I could run, or kill myself, according to them. Soon after, I was issued a standard green uniform, (sweat pants and tshirt). My shoes were taken away completely and I was given sandals because it was harder to run away with them. I can recall so many instances of people trying to kill themselves there that it was unbelievable. We received "corrections" if during our "reading time" we were caught looking away from the page of our book, even for a glance. It was considered "off task". At no point in time during the day were you allowed to speak, unless given permission by a staff, after raising your hand. If you saw something funny, god forbid you laugh. That was considered "breaking silence". You had to watch these corny emotional growth videos that were so corny/boring it was ridiculous, and if you looked away from the screen, you received a correction for being "off task". New rules were made up every day it seemed. You had to line up and march everywhere you went, and if you didn't look directly at the back of the persons head in front of you, you were "off task". If you received a category 2 violation (such as speaking without permission, or laughing out loud, etc....) you went to worksheets, where you had to write a 3,000 word essay in 2 1/2 hours for every category 2 violation and higher. If you didn't finish in 2 1/2 hours, your work ripped up and you started over. Voicing opinions was "highly encouraged" in our once a day group sessions, according to the familiy representatives. Of course, that's only if your opinion was something they liked. If they didn't, you could very easily be sent to observation placement. It was like "Do what we want, when we want, think how we want, and we're not going to take your shit, child". The program also claimed to be non-religious, but that was bullshit. I saw people not make levels for no apparent reason, except the fact that they weren't Christian. So not only do you have to think the way they want socially, but also religiously. Otherwise, they can't do direct harm to you (for not being Christian), but they can make you stay there until they can influence you. Religious fanaticism ran deep in the program, almost every single staff member they hired were religious extremists. I couldn't believe this. When you talked back to a staff member, you were beaten. They called it restraining, but I vividly remember coming out of observational placement after having joints twisted, knees stuck into my back, and rug burns all over my face from them thrusting my face into the carpet. It was supposed to get better after you made a higher level, but that's when it got worse. They use the fact that you want to leave and can't afford not to against you. They make it near impossible for you to accomplish this the higher up you get, and put on so much stress you want to kill yourself more at level 5 than you did at level 1. The program uses a unique scare tactic to force the children into policing each other up. If you see someone doing something, and you don't tell on them immediately, you end up with their same punishment when they are caught. You're taught that since you smoked a cigarette, you were on your way to dying. Also, weird ass rules, like you couldn't get caught looking at a girl, or it was a category two violation. Just weird shit. It was complete brain washing. Then there were seminars. You were treated like dogs. Yelled at if the "facilitator" of the seminar didn't think you were "being real". Carolina Springs was pure hell. I left there at level 5 to transfer to Dundee Ranch. That was one of the best times of my life. Probably because if you were above level four they didn't watch you, and the staff were new, and weren't brainwashed yet. Not to mention I was 17 and having a secret affair with one of the costan rican staff members, that was pretty cool. But most of the staff soon got fired because they voiced their opinions that some of the programs ideologies were bullshit. They fired my girlfriend because she told the girls that she felt there was nothing wrong with having sex as long as it was a monogonous relationship, and it didn't necessarily have to be marriage. I thought the whole ideology of the program was fascist. Anyways, now I'm rambling. I have a lot more horror stories, etc.... but too much to recall at one point without rambling.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 29, 2004, 02:25:00 PM
Just another few words on the subject of brainwashing:

When we covered it in school, we also covered the way to protect potential victims from brainwashing, in advance.  This is one technique the military uses in SERE training to prepare soldiers who might become prisoners of war to resist brainwashing attempts they might encounter---the "R" in SERE stands for resistance.

How you train someone to resist brainwashing is you go over with the person being trained all the irrational and false beliefs the anticipated brainwashers are likely to try to implant in their victims.  Then you present the various rational counter-arguments to the irrational beliefs *in advance*.  Should your trained individual be captured and subjected to brainwashing techniques, his or her statistical likelihood of actually coming to believe the irrational things the brainwashers are attempting to implant is significantly lower than the risk to an unprepared individual.

That's not just personal belief.  There have been solid, rigorous studies done by, or at least on behalf of, the military decades ago.

That's something I've been thinking about a lot as I've watched and gathered information on these facilities.

It's possible that since most children and teens have access to the web, and the attempted parental restrictions are laughably insecure, that one of the best things to do for these teens is to make the programs ineffective, in advance, by collecting information on their target content, identifying the refutable, irrational components of it, and putting together preparatory websites that teens can read for themselves when they're first having serious fallings-out with their parents---before they get sent off in the middle of the night.

You might say that arming the kids ahead of time wouldn't keep them from getting sent off to the programs---that's potentially quite true.

But what it *can* do is by "contaminating" the programs' pool of prey, ensure that more kids come out of the program unbrainwashed, determined to sue for damages, and with good information already  in their heads on exactly how long they have to bring suit, how much it will cost, and where to find a good lawyer.

It has the benefit that it will automatically work against *bad* residential care and will not work against *good* residential care.

Implant the belief that treating other people kindly and respectfully will *usually* trigger them to reciprocate---fine, you're golden.

Try to implant the belief that the patient would be "deadorinjail" without you, and it doesn't matter *what* you do to the patient, he may fake you out and pretend to believe you, but the fake is highly unlikely to become real and will wear off *much* quicker even if it temporarily "takes"---which incidentally means it's less likely that the statute of limitations will have run out.

The trick is getting the attention of potentially troubling teens so that they get "the good word" beforehand.

A pleasant side-effect is that a lot of troubling teens could avoid incarceration simply by humoring their troubling parents just a little bit more.  Many probably can't, unfortunately.  But for the ones that can, I'm all for it.

Timoclea
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 29, 2004, 02:28:00 PM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WWASPS (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WWASPS)

The World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools (WWASPS or WWASP) is a Utah, United States based organization that runs programs that they claim can correct what is perceived as inappropriate behavior by children as young as 12. Parents can sign their children up for these programs at their own discretion. Juveniles can also be admitted to the facilities by court order instead of jail. Some of the WWASP schools are based in the United States, others are abroad. WWASP operates many different websites and is linked to various other organizations, so that an Internet search for "defiant teen" or a similar phrase will likely turn up a WWASP program, rather than the websites of critics or competitors (see external links).

No distinction is made within the programs among students admitted because of law violations and those signed up by their parents. WWASP programs have become notorious for allegations of child abuse against the school staff.........
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 29, 2004, 02:48:00 PM
http://www.city-data.com/elec/elec-LA-VERKIN-UT.html (http://www.city-data.com/elec/elec-LA-VERKIN-UT.html)


Lichfield, Robert B Mr., (Zip code: 84745) $2000 to NATIONAL REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE on 09/29/03
Robert Lichfield (Teen Help/Owner), (Zip code: 84745) $10000 to UTAH REPUBLICAN PARTY (FEDERAL ACCOUNT) on 11/11/03
GUBLER, EDNA N MRS. (RETIRED/RETIRED), (Zip code: 84745) $200 to NEW REPUBLICAN MAJORITY FUND on 04/28/04
GUBLER, EDNA N MRS., (Zip code: 84745) $200 to NEW REPUBLICAN MAJORITY FUND on 06/24/04
LICHFIELD, ROBERT B (ADOLESCENT PROGRAM CONSULTANT), (Zip code: 84745) $2000 to BENNETT ELECTION COMMITTEE INC on 04/25/03
LICHFIELD, ROBERT B (ADOLESCENT PROGRAM CONSULTANT), (Zip code: 84745) $2000 to BENNETT ELECTION COMMITTEE INC on 08/06/03
LICHFIELD, ROBERT B (ADOLESCENT PROGRAM CONSULTANT), (Zip code: 84745) $200] to BENNETT ELECTION COMMITTEE INC on 08/06/03
LICHFIELD, ROBERT B (ADOLESCENT PROGRAM CONSULTANT), (Zip code: 84745) $2000 to BENNETT ELECTION COMMITTEE INC on 08/06/03
Lichfield, Patricia (N/A/Homemaker), (Zip code: 84745) $2000 to GEOFF DAVIS FOR CONGRESS on 09/30/03
Lichfield, Robert B. (Self-Employed/Consultant), (Zip code: 84745) $2000 to GEOFF DAVIS FOR CONGRESS on 12/31/03
Lichfield, Robert B. (Self/Consultant), (Zip code: 84745) $2000 to JOHN SWALLOW FOR CONGRESS INC. on 06/30/03
Lichfield, Robert B. (Self/Consultant), (Zip code: 84745) $200] to JOHN SWALLOW FOR CONGRESS INC. on 06/30/03
Lichfield, Robert B. (Self/Consultant), (Zip code: 84745) $4000 to JOHN SWALLOW FOR CONGRESS INC. on 06/30/03
Lichfield, Robert B. (Self/Consultant), (Zip code: 84745) $2000 to JOHN SWALLOW FOR CONGRESS INC. on 03/31/04
Lichfield, Robert B. (Self/Consultant), (Zip code: 84745) $200] to JOHN SWALLOW FOR CONGRESS INC. on 03/31/04
Gubler, Kerry J. (Cross Creek Manor/Director), (Zip code: 84745) $250 to JOHN SWALLOW FOR CONGRESS INC. on 09/30/04
Lichfield, Patti (Homemaker), (Zip code: 84745) $2000 to ROB BISHOP FOR CONGRESS on 04/08/04
Lichfield, Robert (Self-Employed/Consultant), (Zip code: 84745) $2000 to ROB BISHOP FOR CONGRESS on 04/08/04
LICHFIELD, ROBERT (HATFIELD AND LICHFIELD), (Zip code: 84745) $4000 to RICHARD BURR COMMITTEE on 01/27/04
LICHFIELD, ROBERT (HATFIELD AND LICHFIELD), (Zip code: 84745) $200] to RICHARD BURR COMMITTEE on 02/10/04
LICHFIELD, ROBERT (HATFIELD AND LICHFIELD), (Zip code: 84745) $2000 to RICHARD BURR COMMITTEE on 02/26/04
LICHFIELD, ROBERT B. MR. (SELF-EMPLOYED/CONSULTANT), (Zip code: 84745) $2000 to BUSH-CHENEY '04 (PRIMARY) INC. on 08/07/03
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 29, 2004, 02:49:00 PM
Quote
On 2004-12-29 11:28:00, Anonymous wrote:

"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WWASPS



The World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools (WWASPS or WWASP) is a Utah, United States based organization that runs programs that they claim can correct what is perceived as inappropriate behavior by children as young as 12."


Not quite true.  Majestic Ranch takes them as young as nine and used to advertise a minimum age of just seven.  I have heard of a 12-year-old being at Casa, which had a minimum age of 13; I bet if someone offered Majestic Ranch money to take a seven-year-old they would still do it.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 29, 2004, 02:50:00 PM
Quote
On 2004-12-29 11:48:00, Anonymous wrote:

"http://www.city-data.com/elec/elec-LA-VERKIN-UT.html





Lichfield, Robert B Mr., (Zip code: 84745) $2000 to NATIONAL REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE on 09/29/03

Robert Lichfield (Teen Help/Owner), (Zip code: 84745) $10000 to UTAH REPUBLICAN PARTY (FEDERAL ACCOUNT) on 11/11/03

GUBLER, EDNA N MRS. (RETIRED/RETIRED), (Zip code: 84745) $200 to NEW REPUBLICAN MAJORITY FUND on 04/28/04

GUBLER, EDNA N MRS., (Zip code: 84745) $200 to NEW REPUBLICAN MAJORITY FUND on 06/24/04

LICHFIELD, ROBERT B (ADOLESCENT PROGRAM CONSULTANT), (Zip code: 84745) $2000 to BENNETT ELECTION COMMITTEE INC on 04/25/03

LICHFIELD, ROBERT B (ADOLESCENT PROGRAM CONSULTANT), (Zip code: 84745) $2000 to BENNETT ELECTION COMMITTEE INC on 08/06/03

LICHFIELD, ROBERT B (ADOLESCENT PROGRAM CONSULTANT), (Zip code: 84745) $200] to BENNETT ELECTION COMMITTEE INC on 08/06/03

LICHFIELD, ROBERT B (ADOLESCENT PROGRAM CONSULTANT), (Zip code: 84745) $2000 to BENNETT ELECTION COMMITTEE INC on 08/06/03

Lichfield, Patricia (N/A/Homemaker), (Zip code: 84745) $2000 to GEOFF DAVIS FOR CONGRESS on 09/30/03

Lichfield, Robert B. (Self-Employed/Consultant), (Zip code: 84745) $2000 to GEOFF DAVIS FOR CONGRESS on 12/31/03

Lichfield, Robert B. (Self/Consultant), (Zip code: 84745) $2000 to JOHN SWALLOW FOR CONGRESS INC. on 06/30/03

Lichfield, Robert B. (Self/Consultant), (Zip code: 84745) $200] to JOHN SWALLOW FOR CONGRESS INC. on 06/30/03

Lichfield, Robert B. (Self/Consultant), (Zip code: 84745) $4000 to JOHN SWALLOW FOR CONGRESS INC. on 06/30/03

Lichfield, Robert B. (Self/Consultant), (Zip code: 84745) $2000 to JOHN SWALLOW FOR CONGRESS INC. on 03/31/04

Lichfield, Robert B. (Self/Consultant), (Zip code: 84745) $200] to JOHN SWALLOW FOR CONGRESS INC. on 03/31/04

Gubler, Kerry J. (Cross Creek Manor/Director), (Zip code: 84745) $250 to JOHN SWALLOW FOR CONGRESS INC. on 09/30/04

Lichfield, Patti (Homemaker), (Zip code: 84745) $2000 to ROB BISHOP FOR CONGRESS on 04/08/04

Lichfield, Robert (Self-Employed/Consultant), (Zip code: 84745) $2000 to ROB BISHOP FOR CONGRESS on 04/08/04

LICHFIELD, ROBERT (HATFIELD AND LICHFIELD), (Zip code: 84745) $4000 to RICHARD BURR COMMITTEE on 01/27/04

LICHFIELD, ROBERT (HATFIELD AND LICHFIELD), (Zip code: 84745) $200] to RICHARD BURR COMMITTEE on 02/10/04

LICHFIELD, ROBERT (HATFIELD AND LICHFIELD), (Zip code: 84745) $2000 to RICHARD BURR COMMITTEE on 02/26/04

LICHFIELD, ROBERT B. MR. (SELF-EMPLOYED/CONSULTANT), (Zip code: 84745) $2000 to BUSH-CHENEY '04 (PRIMARY) INC. on 08/07/03"


http://www.nospank.net/n-n22r.htm (http://www.nospank.net/n-n22r.htm)

Lichfield donations
Campaign donations by Robert Lichfield and his family or business associates during the 2002 and 2004 elections total $1,016,607.
Top 10:

Republican National
Committee...........................$255,600
Utah Republican Party........$165,900
Arizona Republican Party...$150,000
John Swallow*......................$118,000
Sen. Bob Bennett, R-UT........$68,500
Jon Huntsman, Jr.**................$65,000
Jim Hansen**..........................$47,433
New York Republican
State Committee....................$32,000
Marty Stephens
(Utah House Speaker)...........$31,500
Geoffrey Davis***....................$14,000
*Utah congressional candidate
**Utah gubernatorial candidate
***Kentucky congressional candidate
Source: Federal Elections Commission. Utah State Elections Office. New York State Elections Office.
The Salt Lake Tribune
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Antigen on December 29, 2004, 04:32:00 PM
First, let me pile onto others' comments about you personally, Perrigaud. I think you're a very smart young woman, intellectually honest and very well spoken. "Brainwashed" is such a pejorative term. I also agree w/ Timoclea's descriptions. When I was a very young mother, I was so skeptical of everything I had ever been told that I had to store an opened jar of jelly in the cabinet instead of the fridge just to see what would happen. Mold happened. Then I had true faith that jelly really should be refrigerated after opening.

Here's another favorite of mine on the topic.

Quote
Consensus Trance
Many years ago (c. 1976-78) I used to experiment with hypnosis. I had since wondered how such a thing could be possible -- how could a capacity for hypnosis evolve? The solution appeared, finally, in an interview with Charles Tart. (Charles Tart is a Professor Emeritus of the University of California at Davis.)

Essentially, hypnotic trance is not so unusual; it's the usual condition of almost everybody, almost all the time. A hypnotist only nudges you from one trance to another. What most people describe as "awake" (and thinking about money, football scores, the drug/ terrorist menace, or TV), consciousness researchers call "consensus trance" -- a common agreement about how to interpret the world. We don't notice we're hypnotized because people around us are hypnotized the same way.

At the end of the day, there's no shame in it. And there's nothing to fear from looking into the issue for better understanding.

Here's something you said, Perrigaud, that caught my eye. Though there are differences, there are also very many similarities between WWASP and Straight. One of them is a contradiction that always stuck out in my mind (and it was my secret and one of those little things that buoyed my mind to reality) and that you touch on here.

Quote
On 2004-12-28 04:44:00, Perrigaud wrote:

I told my mom that I thought she was weak because she never spoke up as much as my dad did. I told my dad he had no tact. At this point you also work on the plan for returning home. You begin to lay down the foundation (rules and consequences).

All of us were constantly told that one of the reasons we needed treatment is that we had shown no respect for our parents. But an integral part of the program was something very similar to what you describe above.

Were these sessions group sessions w/ other families? Or were they just you, your parents and a staffer?

In Straight, the context was a little different, but the basic idea was the same. After we earned 2nd phase and were allowed to live w/ our parents, we were always sent home with at least one higher phaser. As an out of town kid, I was frequently the higher phaser. And my function was to observe the family and to enforce Program rules and behavior. Not just on the new 2nd phaser, not even mostly on them, but primarily on the parents. I was required to take on the role of the adult in the home and to confront the parents if I thought they were not following the Program in some minor way. If it was a major infraction (like stopping off for gas or to use a restroom on the way home or having beer in the house) I was to immediately call staff and report them. I was also forbiden to tell the parents what I was really there fore. We just told them we were there to provide moral support for the new 2nd phaser.

There were many other situations where us kids, who were supposed to be learning respect for our parents, were absolutely required to disrespect them, to dismiss them as unenlightened screwups if they deviated from the Program.

And I think this is key to how the Program "works". The bottom line is that it teaches us to accept their judgements and perceptions above our own judgement and perceptions. That's the essence of brainwashing.

Here's another thing I found interesting in this thread.

Quote
"Automakers learned a long time ago that if the right system is engineered, everyone who works on the assembly line is not required to be an engineer themselves," he said. "These (Teen Help) programs have been carefully engineered by many professionals in the field, who not only have extensive educational backgrounds but also have scores of years of experience. " ... The programs are continually monitored on a daily basis to insure that the designed outline is being followed."


First of all, who are those professionals he's talking about? Where are their peer reviewed studies? Exactly where does the WWASP philosophy come from? Have any of you been given citations or other info to research the methods prior to signing the contract? Can any of you even name the methods or their authors or give any history at all about how the Program was developed or by whom?

Not a rhetorical question. I really want to know if you have this info and, if so, what the answers are.

Second, whenever these programs get shut down or make headlines for abuse, the owners consistently blame some underling and claim that whatever they were doing to get into hot water it was NOT known or sanctioned by the owners or refering organization. Even when the reports, spanning years as well as state and national borders, are nearly identical, they always claim ignorance.

But this guy seems to be saying the opposite; that the owners and officials of WWASP/TeenHelp are all over the people they hire, ensuring that their practices and policies conform to the parent organization exactly.

So.... which is it?

Cops; you wake `em up you gotta dance with `em. They lead.
-- Jack McNulty

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 29, 2004, 07:57:00 PM
You have lost it completely. Seek therapy!
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 29, 2004, 07:57:00 PM
ANSWER THE FUCKING QUESTIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 29, 2004, 08:00:00 PM
Quote
On 2004-12-29 16:57:00, Anonymous wrote:

"You have lost it completely. Seek therapy!"


 :rofl:  :rofl:
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 29, 2004, 09:32:00 PM
For those of you with experience of residential treatment for kids, are there others that are as much for the parents as for the kids?  What do they do in the way of bringing the family back together (seminars, workshops, family therapy) on a consistent basis? How many of these other programs have local family support groups?  What ways can the parents connect with each other if they want to?  

Newspaper reporters have little credibility when they are looking to sell stories with shock value.  Tim Weiner met with many, many parents that had positive things to say about WWASP and didn't print one sentence from those hours he spent with them, all the while smiling and saying how great it was to talk with them.  Only he knows why.

Casa by the Sea was not shut down for abuse.  It was shut down for political reasons that we may never know completely.  They weren't the only ones before or after in Mexico either.

How do you draw conclusions based on newspaper articles or forums on the internet, when there are intelligent and successful teens and parents that have gone through the whole process and are better for it?  How is it that physicians and psychologists, with a hell of a lot more education that some of the critics here, know it's not brainwashing?  

If what the kids and parents learn about themselves in the seminars is brainwashing, I say "get out the soap and sponge!"  It's not mind control or anything negative!  

Timoclea - are you a therapist?
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on December 29, 2004, 11:46:00 PM
Jesus H Christ anon, you just regurgitated more bullshit, AND went over almost every programmie excuse I think there is!

So, first you give us.... general/vague/bullshit about support and 'for the family' and 'for the parents' which not only means aboslutely zip.sh*t, but implies you've been manipulated.

Secondly, you say reporters have no credibility when looking for something with a shock value, trying to discredit ANYTHING bad that might be said about the program, and deferring to 'parents that had positive things to say'. Nazis had positive things to say about the 3rd reich, hun.

Thirdly, you give us utter bullshit about how Casa by the Sea was closed for politicial reasons because you or the program just know it all and can do NO wrong!

Fourthly, you say we cant draw conclusions based in information we got from the internet because YOU say people have gotten better from it? On the internet, might I add. Then you go on to say that pshysicians and psychologists, who have a 'hell of a lot more education', 'know its not brainwashing'.

NEWSFLASH: I told MY psychologist about this and HE was *SHOCKED* and thought it was brainwashing too! One of the parents POV reports of the seminars was written by...

A PSYCHOLOGIST! :rofl: OOPS!

THEN, after all that, you say that if its brainwashing, you want to get out a soap and sponge?

HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!  :rofl: :rofl:

You are one PATHETIC human being. Same old tired excuses, and claiming psychologists are on your side despite facts to the contrary. NIMH says this kind of treatment is bad intrinsically!

Keep on nodding and doing as youre told, sheep. This is TERRIBLY amusing!
 

Theology: The effort to explain the unknowable in terms of the not worth knowing.
--H. L. Mencken, American publisher

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 29, 2004, 11:53:00 PM
YOUR Psychologist? You see a psychologist?  Tell us in detail about your experiences.  Starting with, you make an appointment, you go to the office, you go into a room, what is the temperature like, what kinds of things do you talk about.  Do you talk a lot about other people or situations, or do you talk about yourself?  I don't understand, I really want to understand why someone would go see a psychologist.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 29, 2004, 11:58:00 PM
The seminars have psychologists, psychiatrists, therapists, social workers, nurses, doctors, medical/clinical professionals in them all the time and I never met a single one that objected.  These are people I would want to associate with, not the "psychologist" that wrote her account many years ago. Is she a psychologist that thinks SHE has all the answers and manipulates her clients into thinking the same way she does?  Sorry, I'm being judgmental.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: miseducated on December 30, 2004, 12:23:00 AM
Quote
On 2004-12-29 18:32:00, Anonymous wrote:


If what the kids and parents learn about themselves in the seminars is brainwashing, I say "get out the soap and sponge!"  It's not mind control or anything negative!  



My first "host mom" at a teen help program said the  SAME THING to me. I tried to keep my head clear, but doubts crept in: they aren't starving me, they aren't keeping me awake all night (I had read a *little* bit about brainwashing prior to my incarceration at the age of seventeen.) So maybe it is not brainwashing, I thought. Yet the CIA was perfectly clear on brainwashing back in the 1950s, and what I was experiencing was most exactly, certainly and destructively brainwashing. However, did I have ANY access WHATSOEVER to any materials that might have helped me to understand my position as NEW CULT RECRUIT? Of course not. TOTAL CONTROL OF ENVIRONMENT.

Who is in control? You treat teenagers like animals, that have no rights. Poke, prod and brand them. If you were ever LOCKED UP with no hope of getting out but playing the game, you might also learn to play the game, and smile, and you might even forget for a long time that you were playing a game.

It took me years of anxiety, depression, nightmares, no sense of self WHATSOEVER, to finally realize that I had in fact been ABUSED and BRAINWASHED.

How can a person make a choice from a position of integrity if you put them in a prison and tell them the only way out is to play the game.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 30, 2004, 12:48:00 AM
Venting??
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on December 30, 2004, 12:50:00 AM
Ok, sure!

Well, I remember my appointment, get my wallett and keys and shit, and get in my car. I drive there and usualy bitch to myself about the traffic enroute. I usually redline at least two of my gears on the way, I'm quite the motorsports enthusiast. Only first and second though!

I try to get there a few mins early, and I almost always am, so I amuse myself with candy and magazines. He comes in, shakes my hand and greets himself.

So, we go in there, we sit down, and he asks me how my day was. I tell him and ask him about his. Helps to break the ice and just get a conversation going. If I have anything in particular to speak of, its my choice to do so and I do so without prompting. If I have nothing to talk about, or he had something in mind, I'll allow him to tell me what he had in mind and discuss accordingly.

The temperature is usually slightly cool, however in winter it might be a bit warm. I'm a warm natured person so I wear short sleeves under my coat. I feel very welcome in there and never intimidated. He never tries to manipulate anything, or steer the conversation, or make me feel bad. If he asks something that might stress me out I'm welcome to not speak about it.

Umm... I talk about myself, lol. Its about me and working out any issues I want to talk about. I'll talk about others and how they interact with me, but what I went there for was my issues with aspergers syndrome. In a nutshell, its mild autism, which gave me some social problems.

I wasn't manpiluated or told I had to deal with shit and tell tons of people about it. I talked about what I wanted to talk about and did what I felt comfortable with doing. There was no manipulation or stupid games to play with my emotions. I got support and an ego boost, not an ego reduction. There was nothing long term or any secrets held from me beforehand.

And certainly no mysterious life-changes from it.

We ought to be grateful that our government monopoly schools are such a failure. If today's 18 year olds could do arithmetic, they'd be out buying enough rope to hang everybody over 40.
--Alan Handleman on Social Security

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 30, 2004, 01:20:00 AM
So he doesn't ask you provacative questions, or if he does and it stresses you out, you change the conversation to something less intrusive? He doesn't tell you that you need to deal with shit, so why would you go?  If there's been no changes in your life, what's the purpose?  You're being very vague.  I've heard so much of what you don't want.  What do you want? Ooops,sorry this isn't a self help thread.

Do you want to know about the seminars in detail to see if it's something that would get you to a place of finally being happy? or Why do you want to know about the seminars?
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on December 30, 2004, 01:30:00 AM
I go there because I want to! If I want to deal with something I do it while I'm comfortable and NOT under duress or stress from it. I can pick whatever I want to talk about - I'm not going there to follow some plan he had.

I'm not there to jump through hoops and end up coming out how he wats me to come out or how they want me to feel or think or live my life. These seminars work through emotional duress, manipulation, confrontational FORCEFUL "therapy" and changing you how THEY want you to.

If I'm with my therapist I'm in control. This must be a very foreign concept to you. I'm being built up, not torn down and rewired. Its not about being forced to endure a damn trip of strong emotions and come out being told waht to do. Its me going where I want to go and getting SUGGESTIONS. I can take whatever I want from it.

Time is running out. The Indians' botanical knowledge is disappearing even faster than the plants themselves.

--Richard Schultes, Harvard University educator, authority on medicinal plants

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Perrigaud on December 30, 2004, 05:16:00 AM
The tactics in the seminars are ones that have been used in different situations. By this I mean that a lot of corporate "team building" and "excellence training" have the processes we used in the seminars. Muisic plays, lights are dimmed, writing is at hand, etc. All play a key role in stimulating the different regions of our minds as well as effect.
To those of you who don't have the patience to wait for my answers relax. I will answer when I'm not busy. I work 3 jobs, sleep 7 hours a day, and work for 13 hours. I will. There's no need to cuss. It just makes you look juvinile.
As for the mixed signals I aggree that they always claim ignorance. Of course they'd say that. In some cases the ignorance is true. The CEO's are not always around to see every move. It's unfortunate but I'm sure that the kids being taken advantage of were not all lying. Some of them were.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 30, 2004, 05:31:00 AM
Ginger-- here's what I know about the history of WWASP.

Robert Lichfield started his way in the teen abuse business as a staff member of Provo Canyon School, which was just as abusive back then as it is now. At some point, Lichfield decided to start his own concentration camp.

He met David Gilcrease, who was a Lifespring trainer at the time. Gilcrease developed the seminars, which are, in fact, Lifespring seminars (Lifespring came from Est, by the way), and together they created The Program, and in 1990, they opened their first concentration camp: Cross Creek Manor in La Verkin, Utah.

The old ISAC site hinted at a connection between WWASP and Straight. It said that Lichfield was and still is one of the biggest donators to the Republicans in Utah, and that he attended many Republican conferences-- just like a certain Straight executive (I can't remember his name). I can't remember the exact wording used, but that page suggested that that Straight exec taught Lichfield some of the elements of a successful, highly abusive treatment cult (such as the level system, use of parents for fundraising and recruiting, etc.), which Lichfield later incorporated into WWASP.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on December 30, 2004, 06:22:00 AM
Quote
On 2004-12-30 02:16:00, Perrigaud wrote:

"The tactics in the seminars are ones that have been used in different situations. By this I mean that a lot of corporate "team building" and "excellence training" have the processes we used in the seminars. Muisic plays, lights are dimmed, writing is at hand, etc. All play a key role in stimulating the different regions of our minds as well as effect.

To those of you who don't have the patience to wait for my answers relax. I will answer when I'm not busy. I work 3 jobs, sleep 7 hours a day, and work for 13 hours. I will. There's no need to cuss. It just makes you look juvinile.

As for the mixed signals I aggree that they always claim ignorance. Of course they'd say that. In some cases the ignorance is true. The CEO's are not always around to see every move. It's unfortunate but I'm sure that the kids being taken advantage of were not all lying. Some of them were. "


"team building" and "excellence training" are more meaningless catchphrases. Stop using them.

Dim lights and music to 'stimulate the regions of the mind' and have effects on them... this is just totally normal? Having people go in there without being given INFORMED CONSENT That their minds are going to be manipulated? Whats with playing with your emotions some damn much?

Thats NOT brainwashing? WTF is it then, drycleaning? Give me a BREAK Lady!

I've been helped without being manipulated or put through any experience like that, and I was not confronted or made uncomfortable. I was kept in control the whole time.

And yeah, I will wait, it seems I have to. I already know what the seminars are and what they do, but I was wondering if a supporter can give straight answers about it. I'm still not getting hardly anything.

Those tactics you seem to think are okay are by definition manipulative and 'brainwashing'. Its really, really sad. *Sigh* the first sign that it is brainwashing is maintaining any details of it before you go... the second is being told to go to them so damn much.

Oh, and P.S. - I'll curse as much as I want. I actualy have feelings and I'm not having someone trying to keep a lid on them, so I'm going to share them as I damn well see fit. I'm not under anyones control, and its hardly juvenile to be worked up over abuse, manipulation, and brainwashing. Its human.

The prestige of government has undoubtedly been lowered considerably by the Prohibition law. For nothing is more destructive of respect for the government and the law of the land than passing laws which cannot be enforced. It is an open secret that the dangerous increase of crime in this country is closely connected with this.
--Albert Einstein, My First Impression of the U.S.A., 1921

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Perrigaud on December 30, 2004, 06:53:00 AM
Nil, none of my comments were towards you. Relax a little. It's common knowledge that music helps fill an aire. Now, are restaurants brainwashing you when you walk in and hear Sade? No, it's about setting the mood. It's a stimulus. You're right insofar that people don't know what is going to happen.
What straight answer do you want? Give me a specific question and I'll give you a specific answer. I'm always willing to do that. We live in about 5% consciousness. The rest is all sub. So do you really think you're always in control? And this, by the way, is basic psychology not program shit.
Humane yes but not necessarily healthy. I understand that you have a passionate stand on your opinions. More power to you. However, don't let it consume you. "teambuilding" may be a catch phrase, however it is also a common term. [ This Message was edited by: Perrigaud on 2004-12-30 03:55 ][ This Message was edited by: Perrigaud on 2004-12-30 03:57 ]
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 30, 2004, 07:02:00 AM
'What did they do to the kid? Doing something TO a person is not a good question'

why not? I always found empirical evidence  quite compelling.

'What do they provide for the kid is a better one. In your rudeness, is that what you are really asking?'

Listing what they provide is useless without context, in the intrest of context you may want to answer the question discussed above.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 30, 2004, 07:37:00 AM
Don't let these people get to you periguad, They need to deal with allot of hate and resentment and I guess they are going after every boarding school out there, even if they don;t know what is going on. Why don;t you guys go after the prep boarding schools, that don;t do anything to help a kid, but do give them the freedom to do drugs and act out, should one of these troubled kids get sent to a normal school? NO is the answer. Kids need to get help like perigaud did, the bottom line is all the complaing you hear is from the most messed up and stubborn kids, who refuse to do anything when they get to these schools and get phsical at times and need to be restrained. There is no physical contact unless a kid loses control. A parent knows it is going to 3-6 months before they will be able to talk to thier child and can write letters until then.
This is again the hardest decision these parents are making in thier lives, and i see tears from not only the kids, but both mothers and fathers.I have seen grown men weep like babies.
But they know what they are doing is right and that they have tried everything they could and do not want thier kids dead or in jail.
Do you people think AA, or NA, or CA are brainwashing millions of people to stop drugs?
Thank you again Perigaud for showing me what i do is saving kids and that is all that matters to me. The one that cares
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 30, 2004, 07:41:00 AM
Perrigaud,

You've asked for specific questions, so here are mine.

You mentioned earlier that the seminars are composed of smaller segments called "processes". How many "processes" does each seminar day include? Do these processes have titles and names, like the seminars? If so, what are they? What are children asked to do during the first "process"? What happens if they do not comply?
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Perrigaud on December 30, 2004, 07:43:00 AM
So true. I'm so grateful despite what other's say. I will never forget who I was and who I am nowadays.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Perrigaud on December 30, 2004, 07:51:00 AM
A process is the fancy term for an activity or section. One process we did was called a stretch. The stretch was to do something that was not necessarily in one's character. For example my stretch was a mime. I have always been a verbal person. A mime communicates in other forms. In doing this stretch I learned that actions speak louder than words. Cliche I know but oh so true. This particular process lasted from the afternoon into the next night. If a child refuses to participate they run the risk of choosing out. This means that based on their actions or lack of they were no longer choosing to participate in the seminar and therefore excused. Naturally the feedback from their group would be certain. Meaning people would have something to say about it. When a seminar is not completed it can hold you back from attaining the next level. Processes were as many as five+ or as few as one a day.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 30, 2004, 08:20:00 AM
Okay, thank you for your answer. I have some more questions if you don't mind.

What processes does the first day of the Discovery seminar include? You've mentioned the "stretch" process and another process in which children walked in a line making silly faces. Were these part of Discovery, or of another seminar?
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 30, 2004, 08:24:00 AM
Newbies reading this thread should be aware that the one who "cares" kidnaps children for a living.

He has a financial incentive to convince you that troubled teens respond to no other form of treatment other than being kidnapped from their homes, sometimes by force, and being sent to an abusive "school".

No legitimate treatment center or school will restrict your communication with your children.

No legitimate treatment center or school will require you or your child to fulfill its requirements before being allowed to visit your child or talk to him/her on the phone.

Warning signs of abusive treatment centers/schools can be found here:
http://www.isaccorp.org/warningsigns.html (http://www.isaccorp.org/warningsigns.html)
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Perrigaud on December 30, 2004, 09:04:00 AM
Discovery. MMM let's see if I remember. I remember the walking across the room. At one point there was a process in which we were to walk up to people and choose from a 1 (shaking hands), 2 (?), 3 (a hug). I can't remember what 2 was. Maybe 1 was nothing and 2 was shaking hands. Anyhow what we learned was how easily we changed our number based on the other person. After that we learned Stop Look Choose Vote. Basically a breakdown for making decisions instead of just jumping into them without thinking. Every seminar required that we write a lot. It was like keeping a journal. We played the black and red game. I'll have to get back on you on that one. It's been about 6 years since I last went to Discovery.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Antigen on December 30, 2004, 10:45:00 AM
Quote
On 2004-12-29 18:32:00, Anonymous wrote:

Casa by the Sea was not shut down for abuse. It was shut down for political reasons that we may never know completely.


Why do you believe that? What were the political reasons that you do know about?

For example, I believe it was shut down for abuse because I've heard from so many people over the past, what now, 5 or 6 years or so who describe the same types of abuses occuring at various facilities owned and operated by the same people. I believe them because their stories are corroborated by so damned many different people while those who swear there is no abuse in WWASP facilities can only claim that everyone who says so are liars or lunatics.

So what information can you share w/ us to support your belief that there were political reasons for shutting down Casa?

Wicked men obey from fear, good men from love.
--Aristotle

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Antigen on December 30, 2004, 11:03:00 AM
Quote
On 2004-12-30 04:37:00, one who cares wrote:

 There is no physical contact unless a kid loses control.


Simple question, (Rick, right?). How do you know this?

I'm not asking if it's true or not or whether or not you believe it. I think we've established that you believe it's true and that I do not.

I can (and have) given you plenty of reasons why I believe as I do. Can you please explain to me how you came to believe as you do? How do you know that no physical contact occures unless the kid loses control? And can you explain what you mean by "loses control"?

Thanks,
Ginger

That it is wrong for a man to say he is certain of the objective truth of a proposition unless he can provide evidence which logically justifies that certainty. This is what agnosticism asserts and in my opinion, is all that is essential to agnosticism.
--Thomas Henry Huxley, English biologist



_________________
Ginger Warbis ~ Antigen
Seed sibling `71 - `80
Straight South (Sarasota, FL)
   10/80 - 10/82
Anonymity Anonymous
Some days, it's just not worth chewing through the leather straps.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 30, 2004, 11:17:00 AM
The one who kidnaps is named Rick? Does his last name happen to be Strawn?

There's a child kidnapper by the name of Rick Strawn who's been charged/convincted of child molestation and assault.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 30, 2004, 11:26:00 AM
//There is no physical contact unless a kid loses control. //

This is simply Not True.
If you believe this, then you believe a lie. It is a Lie.
Kid's are thrown to the ground and tortured for breaking any of the numerious and petty rules.

If this is Rick - then you escorted my son.
You treated him decently. No complaint there. But you withheld information from me. You told me what a great place it was; how great it would be. You didn't tell me they were going to starve him. And you knew. You told him when stopping for his last free meal to eat up. It was going to be a long time before he was able to have a full meal.
Why didn't you allow me this little bit of knowledge?
Could it be you felt I might change my mind if I knew he was going to be kept hungry? Could it be you were more concerned about your bank account?
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 30, 2004, 11:34:00 AM
I dont know about YOU Anon,but in my book when a staff member takes advantage physically, emotionally, sexually of a student in their care. When the student is unable to defend themselves from the blantant injustices. I would call that ABUSE. If you ask any normal individual they too would say ABUSE.

I know some individuals thinks it's manipulation,but then they are on the receiving end ($$$$$$) for the lie to continue.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 30, 2004, 12:42:00 PM
No it's not Rick, I* know who he is and don't work for him. As for not eating, I don't know what shool your son went to, but at most of the schools i deal with, they do not starve them. I was told by a girl i took from one program to another that they get a choice at each meal and that is a %50 portion, or %100. The thing i don't agree with is that what ever thier choice they need to eat all of it or get in trouble. As i said i don't agree with everything that is done.But they don't starve them. I was also told that the %100 portion was very large.
 I'm sorry if i can't say my name and who i work for, but there are too many hateful people here and me and my company don't need any hate mail or phone calls. Tha one that cares
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 30, 2004, 12:46:00 PM
I think i've said this before, but i am not in this for the $$. I as a transporter do not make that much. An average of $10 an hour for 16-20 hours is what each job comes to. Also 6 jobs in a month is and average month for me. So i just get by some months. So rich i am not and not getting rich either, but helping many kids.
The one that cares
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 30, 2004, 01:10:00 PM
The one who cares wrote:
Why don;t you guys go after the prep boarding schools, that don;t do anything to help a kid, but do give them the freedom to do drugs and act out

Traditional boarding schools do not kidnap and hold kids against their will; they do not deny or restrict contact with parents, siblings, and other family members; they do not house kids 24/7/365, kids go home for visits; they do not subject kids to experimental 'therapy' and behvior mod techniques; they do not lie and deceive parents. I fail to understand your rationale, if there is any. Why in the world would anyone go after boarding schools? Would you have us demand that they function like the BM gulags? Could that possibly be what you are suggesting?

***the bottom line is all the complaing you hear is from the most messed up and stubborn kids, who refuse to do anything when they get to these schools and get phsical at times and need to be restrained.

You are full of it buddy. On what do you base that comment? All desenters are messed up and stubborn? I'm sure you can't fathom the possibility that they are intellegent and able to recognize abuse and double standards when they see them. These BM facilities are not 'schools'. They are mind control gulags.

***I have seen grown men weep like babies.
But they know what they are doing is right and that they have tried everything they could and do not want thier kids dead or in jail.

That is certainly one interpretation for their tears. Another is that they might feel a tremedous amount of guilt for being a clueless or self-absorbed parent who is unable to model how to be a responsible adult for their minor offspring.

***Do you people think AA, or NA, or CA are brainwashing millions of people to stop drugs?

Nope. They are brainwashing them to believe that they have no control over their 'addiction'. That they can never have control over their lives and must daily chant that mantra. In that respect, they keep one focused on their 'addiction' rather than the underlying cause. They give up their 'drugs' and become caffiene/tobacco junkies. Just like the programs, it's a form of BM that appears to work on the surface, for some.
Real help is available. It won't be found in a program or any AA program.

***Thank you again Perigaud for showing me what i do is saving kids and that is all that matters to me. The one that cares

Exactly how are you 'saving' kids? Bailing out their lame-ass parents who don't have the most basic respect of carting their kid to a facility. That is the very least they could do. You are simply an accomplice, not a savior.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 30, 2004, 01:17:00 PM
Quote
On 2004-12-30 09:42:00, Anonymous wrote:

"No it's not Rick, I* know who he is and don't work for him. As for not eating, I don't know what shool your son went to, but at most of the schools i deal with, they do not starve them. I was told by a girl i took from one program to another that they get a choice at each meal and that is a %50 portion, or %100. The thing i don't agree with is that what ever thier choice they need to eat all of it or get in trouble. As i said i don't agree with everything that is done.But they don't starve them. I was also told that the %100 portion was very large.

 I'm sorry if i can't say my name and who i work for, but there are too many hateful people here and me and my company don't need any hate mail or phone calls. Tha one that cares"


And you don't know that the "50%" portion was actually half the size of the very large portion, or too small.

It would be quite easy to subject the incarcerated person to a mindgame choice of either having to choose to go hungry, or having to choose to gorge themselves sick.

You notice "75%" was not an option?

Okay, you don't agree with some of the crap that happens, I hear you.

What you need to realize is that most of us who are program critics are *NOT* talking in terms of the false dichotomy of choices the program advocates imply.

We aren't talking about zero treatment and zero residential care or the programs as they are now.

We're talking about implementing and enforcing effective safeguards.

Where Ginger and I differ is I want new laws and she wants them to enforce the old ones.

I think the difference comes from two places.  One is that Ginger has been at this a whole lot longer than I have and has a whole lot of relevant personal experience.  The other difference is that, as an experienced activist on another subject, my experiences with laws are on how you make sure they have teeth and actually get the enforcement done.

There are a whole lot of things that are illegal under laws that aren't enforced.  When a law on the books isn't enforced, usually it's because nobody had the political will to do it.  As an activist, once you generate the political will, how you turn it into results is you get legislation passed supplying the missing pieces of the enforcement puzzle.  To get something enforced when the authorities are reluctant it's not enough to just pass a law saying thus and so is illegal.  You have to specify penalties for violations.  You have to assign enforcement responsibility to particular agencies.  You have to pass funding for those agencies for them to do the enforcement.  You have to pass reporting and paperwork requirements for those agencies so that they know there is a paper trail about whether or not they are doing their job of enforcement and make it crystal clear that their professional advancement hinges on doing a good job (some of that--the professional advancement consequences--is a political activism function, not a legislative one).  And then activists have to actually use that paper trail, and the campaign finance paper trails, to hold the feet of the enforcement officials and politicians to the fire in the public eye.

When enforcing regulatory oversight is a source of budget funds, and career advancement, and neglecting enforcement is a source of serious political heat, that's when bureaucrats and law enforcement actually go out and enforce the laws making something illegal.

I'd be fine with enforcing the existing laws, too, except that I think that they need tweaking to be more practically enforceable.

And Ginger is absolutely right that Fornits is doing a fabulous job of generating grassroots political will, especially for the size and resources involved.  She's doing a bang-up job.

We aren't trying to shut down all teen residential treatment or make it any more prohibitively expensive than it already is.

We're just trying to actually get a lot of the things that *you don't agree with either* fixed---permanently and reliably.

Nobody likes being regulated, but I don't expect to drive my car, especially in a major city, without getting an annual emissions inspection and carrying car insurance and maintaining a driver's license.

The programs shouldn't expect to have all these minors living under their care without a whole lot of meaningful government oversight and enforcement to make sure the kids that are there need to be there and are being well cared for.

I'm still just flabbergasted that they seem to think it's not only fine but necessary and right for them to operate with people's *kids* in their care with less meaningful oversight than I muddle along with every day when I drive down the street to the grocery store.

I don't want teen residential treatment shut down---I want it cleaned up.

I want it cleaned up a lot, but basically I just want it cleaned up.

Timoclea
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 30, 2004, 01:40:00 PM
Listen, take it from a student, yes the desisto program did help some kids, but at what cost? There were plenty of more sane and humane ways to help kids than the psychological abuse and neglect; the very real crimes comitted upon kids by staff and policy, etc...

The means do not justify the ends.

I will speak out about what went on tthere and will continue to do so. I myself bared witness to many kids who were supposedly putt in this "safe nurturing environment" who were not properly helped or kept safe from themselves. I mean you cant have that much glass around for these kids to chop themselves up with...

It just plain wasnt a safe place and thats why they couldntt get licensed, not because they "were persecuted by the state"
To hear frank McNear and Brian Sweeney talk they sound like they had every right to regulate themselves without state supervision. This is the ego coming out to play. The state sees a need to regulate these sort of schools because protecting these kids is important and institutions like desisto need regulation, otherwise they would continue operating on its shoestring-no safety budget. They skimped on staff to student ratio, innadequate crisis training, and threw all the money into Desisto's pocket and legal defense fund. This is why government regulation is essential: desisto couldnt sacrifice its massive profit margins for adequate training and staff numbers. Especially at the ungodly 30,000+ a year tuition.

dcept360
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Antigen on December 30, 2004, 01:50:00 PM
Ok, you're not Rick Strawn. Thanks for clearing that up.

Now then, how about answering my question?

Quote
On 2004-12-30 08:03:00, Antigen wrote:

"
Quote

On 2004-12-30 04:37:00, one who cares wrote:



 There is no physical contact unless a kid loses control.




Simple question, (Rick, right? [wrong]). How do you know this?


On what do you base your stayed belief that no physical contact occures unless a kid loses control and how are you defining the term "loses control"?

Please?

Pretty please?
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 30, 2004, 01:53:00 PM
Listen, take it from a student, yes the desisto program did help some kids, but at what cost? There were plenty of more sane and humane ways to help kids than the psychological abuse and neglect; the very real crimes comitted upon kids by staff and policy, etc...

The means do not justify the ends.

besides, the school program leaves these students with such an insane dependancy on this program tthat they are hardly functioning members of society when they get done...
kids keptt coming back for years after graduation due to the fact that they were simply left unprepared for normal life. I think sucess should be measured by how adjusted to society the graduates became, not by convincing them that the outside world is operating wrong and everything with school (and only school) is right...

I will speak out about what went on tthere and will continue to do so. I myself bared witness to many kids who were supposedly putt in this "safe nurturing environment" who were not properly helped or kept safe from themselves. I mean you cant have that much glass around for these kids to chop themselves up with...

It just plain wasnt a safe place and thats why they couldntt get licensed, not because they "were persecuted by the state"
To hear frank McNear and Brian Sweeney talk they sound like they had every right to regulate themselves without state supervision. This is the ego coming out to play. The state sees a need to regulate these sort of schools because protecting these kids is important and institutions like desisto need regulation, otherwise they would continue operating on its shoestring-no safety budget. They skimped on staff to student ratio, innadequate crisis training, and threw all the money into Desisto's pocket and legal defense fund. This is why government regulation is essential: desisto couldnt sacrifice its massive profit margins for adequate training and staff numbers. Especially at the ungodly 30,000+ a year tuition.


it is very frightening that they up and hightailed to san miguel, where they are free to do as they please in a mexican state that can do very little to watch over these groups. I feel for these last 15 mexico students, i really fear for them.

and if you are a parent i beg you not to send you to this new hellhole in unregulated mexico.

dcept360
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 30, 2004, 02:04:00 PM
Quote
On 2004-12-30 04:37:00, Anonymous wrote:

"They need to deal with allot of hate and resentment

Yes, there is much anger and resentment for being locked away for years at a time, being sleep deprived, undernuourished and beaten.  There's A LOT of resentment and anger, justifiably so.


 
Quote
the bottom line is all the complaing you hear is from the most messed up and stubborn kids, who refuse to do anything when they get to these schools and get phsical at times and need to be restrained.

More program dogma.  The only ones who complain are the disgruntled druggies.  Hmmm, where have we heard THAT before. :roll:

Quote
There is no physical contact unless a kid loses control.

First, BULLSHIT.  Kids get "physical contact" (as you put it) for not looking forward, for looking out the window too long, for not journaling (or whatever, whichever program calls it) etc. etc. etc.

Second, let's say for the sake of arguement that your statement is 'correct'.  Who defines what "losing control" is?

Quote
A parent knows it is going to 3-6 months before they will be able to talk to thier child and can write letters until then.

This is again the hardest decision these parents are making in thier lives, and i see tears from not only the kids, but both mothers and fathers.I have seen grown men weep like babies.

Yeah, yeah....my mom cried a river too.  Doesn't mean that what happened to me was any less destructive and devastating.  She was scared into thinking that THIS was the only way to help me.

Quote
But they know what they are doing is right and that they have tried everything they could and do not want thier kids dead or in jail.

More dogma.  DEADINSANEORINJAIL.  EVERY fucking program in the book spews out this shit.  What about all the poor unfortunates that DON'T get into a program...are they ALL deadinsaneorinjail????   Funny, about .01% of the peeps I was hanging with before going in are doing fine and they were more "screwed up" (not really, but according to dogma) than I was.  How come they're not DEADINSANEORINJAIL???????.


Quote
Do you people think AA, or NA, or CA are brainwashing millions of people to stop drugs?



Someone said it earlier, but MY problem with AA is the learned helplessness it creates.
http://orange-papers.org/orange-powerless.html (http://orange-papers.org/orange-powerless.html)

along with how very close it runs to a cult.  NOT SAYING IT'S A FULLBLOWN CULT....BUT THAT IT HAS MANY, MANY, MANY CULT CHARACTERISTICS.
http://orange-papers.org/orange-cult.html (http://orange-papers.org/orange-cult.html)

Not to mention that it's "success rate" is 5%...the exact same success rate of doing nothing...that's right...nothing.  It's called spontaneous remission and the rate for that is 5%
http://orange-papers.org/orange-effectiveness.html (http://orange-papers.org/orange-effectiveness.html)

This one is just for fun.  click on the video on the right.
http://www.sho.com/site/ptbs/topics.do?topic=12 (http://www.sho.com/site/ptbs/topics.do?topic=12)
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Antigen on December 30, 2004, 02:35:00 PM
Quote
On 2004-12-30 10:53:00, Anonymous wrote:

it is very frightening that they up and hightailed to san miguel, where they are free to do as they please in a mexican state that can do very little to watch over these groups. I feel for these last 15 mexico students, i really fear for them.


Hey, Mexico seems to be cracking down on these places right about now. Just search on mexico in these forums or on casa by the sea in the search engines to get the names of individuals and agencies to tip off about Desisto.

All I ask is equal freedom.  When it is denied, as it always is, I take it anyhow.
--H.L. Mencken

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 30, 2004, 03:59:00 PM
5% success rate and AA is the only approved program for drug/alcohol 'treatment'. What's wrong with that picture? They should take some tips from the teen BM torture industry who claim a 95% success rate.  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

Since you know so much mr. one who cares.... does the 50% or the 100% portion contain the appropriate calories. Most states, those who give a flyin f about the kids state that meals must meet federal guidelines, variety must be provided, and that seconds must be available. In addition, that calories are to be increased if the program requires excessive exercion or work in extreme weather conditions. So which is it? And if I chose the 50% portion, because I don't know if the meal is going to taste good or like shit (and who wants to eat 100% of shitty food)... can I go back for seconds?

Give us a month worth of menus mr know it all. We're waiting. How much do you really know about the inside?
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 30, 2004, 04:17:00 PM
Wow - what's all this have to do with the ORIGINAL questions posed about seminars?  So full of hate and blame, but it's off subject big time.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on December 30, 2004, 05:54:00 PM
oh really?

I wanted ANSWERS about the programs methods. About the WHAT... the HOW all this shit takes place.

The seminars are intentionally mysterious, controvertial, and often considered the most abusive part - so small wonder theres a lot of talk about it! It seems to be the only thing therapeutic at all!!!

All the program bullshit seems to be is forcing conformity and submissive obedience. Thats not something to be PROUD of for treating a god DAMNED thing except a dog.

Q. I simply ask, why is PUNISHMENT the solution with regards to the narrow group of behaviors which encompass illegal drug use....?

A.Pharmaceutical Business, both legal and illegal, run by the same people either way, money coming to the middle from both ends.  Bush.
Bill Gallagher

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 30, 2004, 06:07:00 PM
All they know how to do is complain! Perigaud did you see anyone get restrained for no reason or for looking out a window? You see Perigaud is the only one i will believe because she was there. And you still won't believe her. I am going on statements from kids in the program and the kids that are out like perigaud. Are you there or are you just so blinded that you will never see any other view than yours.I am tired of wasting my time debating the same things over and over again and agian. I see Again a very small handful on this site and i think i have read about 5 -10 names of people debating against the schools. And by the way I don't know how it came up on this thread, but when i was at Desisto, I did not personally like the man, but i was never abused in my 8 months there and never saw or heard about anyone being abused. I can't speak for the years to follow. Again kids are kids and don't have the rights of an 18 year old, that is the truth and a parent has every legal right to try to help thier kid, and that means putting them into placement. I know you are trying to piss me off by calling me a kidnapper, but if the police and the government don't call me that, than i'm sorry but i am not.
I know very well what i do and all the crap you guys spew only makes me laugh!The one that cares
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 30, 2004, 06:09:00 PM
Oh and by the way, after what you have said about The AA program I know you are a bunch of idiots!!You just proved it to me,and nothing you say will mean anything to me.The one that cares
IDIOTS!!
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 30, 2004, 06:22:00 PM
Look dildo, that was one person...ME.  I posted my PERSONAL OPINION of AA.  NO ONE ELSE.  

Nice try though.

Question their dogma and they RUN!!! :lol:  :lol:
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Antigen on December 30, 2004, 06:27:00 PM
Quote
On 2004-12-30 15:07:00, Anonymous wrote:

"All they know how to do is complain! Perigaud did you see anyone get restrained for no reason or for looking out a window? You see Perigaud is the only one i will believe because she was there. And you still won't believe her.


Ok, that's not exactly an answer, but at least it's an allusion to the question.

So then I take it that you've never actually discussed this w/ a former student?

So, essentially, you simply dismiss out of hand anyone who tells you, either directly or through the media or through sworn testimony, that things like this happen to children who you take, by force, to these programs. But if this stranger on the net who claims to have benefited from the WWASP program types that they do not, you'll consider that proof of absence of abuse?

Let me explain something to you. When I was in Straight, I got "restrained" by half a dozen girls for refusing to make an insincere apology to Group for having tried to escape. After that, I was put into "timeout", which was a largish walk-in closet sized room where 3 - 6 other clients would yell in your face, poke you, shove me into the walls, etc. to try and provoke a violent response. I didn't help them. But one of them did lose her temper and busted my nose anyway.

When I got out, Straight was under investigation by Florida's children's services agency. They asked me if I wanted to testify about any abuse I'd experience or witnessed and I declined. Not that I was that afraid or that I didn't care so much as that I truly and honestly didn't think that I had witnessed or experienced any abuse. I thought it was my fault I got my nose broken because, after all, I could have avoided it by just saying I was sorry for running away, right?

So what do you think? Was that an unprovoked restraint or should I have just sucked it up, swallowed my pride and pretended to be sorry for trying to escape a bad situation? Remember, honesty is the first and most impotent rule!

Drug War tells us everyone's body is common property
to be managed by the central government for our own
good, even if it kills us.  This is Communism!
Anonymity Anonymous (http://fornits.com/anonanon)
Some days, it's just not worth chewing through the leather straps.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 30, 2004, 06:38:00 PM
Quote
Again kids are kids and don't have the rights of an 18 year old,


Bull fucking shit!!!!  They may not have as many PRIVILEGES as an 18 year old, but they DAMN sure have the same fundamental rights.  Asswipe.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 30, 2004, 06:41:00 PM
Quote
On 2004-12-30 15:09:00, Anonymous wrote:

"Oh and by the way, after what you have said about The AA program I know you are a bunch of idiots!!You just proved it to me,and nothing you say will mean anything to me.The one that cares

IDIOTS!!"


OK, try THIS on.  

BTW, after you professing your belief in a completely FUCKED UP system and a completely FUCKED UP form of religion (AA), and thoroughly endoresed thought and mind control, nothing you say will mean anything to me.  

 Works both ways dearie.   :wave:
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 30, 2004, 06:42:00 PM
/endorsed   :tup: Woops.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 30, 2004, 06:49:00 PM
Quote
Do you people think AA, or NA, or CA are brainwashing millions of people to stop drugs?


Hey dildo...you asked. If you don't want to hear the answer, don't fucking ask the question.  :wave:

I love to see all the little programmites run in horror when you dare question their gods. :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on December 30, 2004, 07:45:00 PM
I'd love for this to somehow end up on the daily show or in one of Lewis Blacks rants. :grin:

I do not consider it an insult, but rather a compliment, to be called an agnostic. I do not pretend to know where many ignorant men are sure.
--Clarence Darrow, American lawyer

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 30, 2004, 08:56:00 PM
Quote
On 2004-12-29 22:30:00, Nihilanthic wrote:

"I go there because I want to! If I want to deal with something I do it while I'm comfortable and NOT under duress or stress from it. I can pick whatever I want to talk about - I'm not going there to follow some plan he had.



I'm not there to jump through hoops and end up coming out how he wats me to come out or how they want me to feel or think or live my life. These seminars work through emotional duress, manipulation, confrontational FORCEFUL "therapy" and changing you how THEY want you to.



If I'm with my therapist I'm in control. This must be a very foreign concept to you. I'm being built up, not torn down and rewired. Its not about being forced to endure a damn trip of strong emotions and come out being told waht to do. Its me going where I want to go and getting SUGGESTIONS. I can take whatever I want from it.

Time is running out. The Indians' botanical knowledge is disappearing even faster than the plants themselves.

--Richard Schultes, Harvard University educator, authority on medicinal plants

"


Niles - Here's a concept to consider.  Yes, the parents are "required" to attend the first seminar, called Discovery, if for no other reason, to understand what their child is going to.  It turned out to be much more, but that's another story.

What about all the subsequent seminars?  They are not required to go, but almost 100% of them continue, by choice, not because they are told they have to.  You go to your therapist because you want to, so how is that different?

The thing that I'm getting from what you describe is that you're leaving it up to the therapist/psychologist to build you up, instead of having someone help you find how to feel good about yourself and not care what other people think, do, act, etc.  That's one of the intentions of the seminars, and it works.  Unlike what you think, the facilitators NEVER tell us how we should think, be, act, feel. For me, I honestly don't remember ever being given suggestions on what I "should" be doing.   On that, I remember just the opposite and hearing,  that we can "shoulda" all over ourselves.  It brings it back to being  conscious of our choices, "I choose to, I will..."


Once of the processes is called Giver/Taker.  It helps us really take a look at what we give to ourselves/others and how much we take from others.  Taking a "feel good" from your therapist is different from giving a "feel good" to yourself. What do you "give" to your therapist?

Do you think it's a sign of weakness to "let go" of the control and trust that someone else cares enough about you to not hurt you, but in some way help you?  If you trust your therapist, let go and see what happens.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 30, 2004, 09:13:00 PM
Quote
On 2004-12-30 03:53:00, Perrigaud wrote:

"Nil, none of my comments were towards you. Relax a little. It's common knowledge that music helps fill an aire. Now, are restaurants brainwashing you when you walk in and hear Sade? No, it's about setting the mood. It's a stimulus. You're right insofar that people don't know what is going to happen.

What straight answer do you want? Give me a specific question and I'll give you a specific answer. I'm always willing to do that. We live in about 5% consciousness. The rest is all sub. So do you really think you're always in control? And this, by the way, is basic psychology not program shit.

Humane yes but not necessarily healthy. I understand that you have a passionate stand on your opinions. More power to you. However, don't let it consume you. "teambuilding" may be a catch phrase, however it is also a common term.


Perrigaud - Good distinction on the music.

Just about everywhere I go has music playing in the background: the grocery store, the post office, shops, driving in my car.  I know if I go get a massage, that I can focus on the music and let my mind relax as well as my body relaxing from the massage. I can go listen to a good jazz band, or a rock band, depending on what kind of mood I want to create.  

Music in the seminar acts in the same way.  It runs from high energy (Get Over It by Arrowsmith?) to relaxing music by Enya and music we all listen to every single day (other than rap!)

We learn team building we use in the Family and also learn that we as individuals can do whatever we choose to, in or out of the "team."  Being employed, for those of us that aren't self employed" these concepts are invaluable.  I know I can do it myself, but I get so much more out of it when I am able to share my knowledge about something and let go of the control, and let others share their knowledge.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 30, 2004, 09:34:00 PM
I'm glad i;m not the only one that feels the way i do about you people here. If you had read anything i said, you would know that i have spoke with former students. When one gets transfered to another school they are starting over and am not scared to tell the truth, although you will say they would be tard and featrhered at the new school for telling me anything negative. First of all i would not share anything that was said between me and the new school, i would only tell a parent.The kids i transport get treated like they were my own and i don;t care if you idiots believe that or not. Again there is nothing anyone can say to you to change your mind, and by the way i never heard of straight till this board, i don;t transport kids there. Maybe it is an evil place.
But i feel confident about the schools i go to.
There seems to be just as much support for some of these programs than not on this board????
By the way AA, NA, and CA have saved many many lives without incarciration.Why don't you go to an AA meeting and then tell me they are brainwashing them. I challenge you to go to a meeting, it is easy just call info for # and the meetings are free. I don;t go, but have in the past and there is nothing but love and concern going on. So when you attack that i know you are full of shit, or just an Idiot!
The one that cares
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 30, 2004, 09:37:00 PM
Quote
On 2004-12-30 18:34:00, Anonymous wrote:


Why don't you go to an AA meeting and then tell me they are brainwashing them. I challenge you to go to a meeting, it is easy just call info for # and the meetings are free.



Been to plenty of meetings.  Never again.  If you didn't bother to go and actually read the Orange Papers site, then you don't know anything about what I'm talking about.  Key is though, you have to be able to read it with an OPEN mind.  Something program people lost a long time ago.  Sad, very sad.

Please show me the statistics that proves AA's "success" rate.  Seriously.  I'd really like to see what sources your citing.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 30, 2004, 09:51:00 PM
The difference between music in your daily life and music in a seminar is subtle---sometimes nonexistent,  and sometimes significant.

Elevators play certain music to try to calm you down and make you forget that the elevator is so slow.  Buildings put mirrored walls around elevators because the people get caught up in looking in the mirrors and don't get as irritated about having to wait a bit for the elevator.

Music is used to affect people---it's used to sell us things, it's used to make us feel religious and motivate us to give more money, it's used to convey mood in movies and TV shows, it's used to attract people into car lots to sell cars, it's used to remind people Christmas is approaching and they really need to do their shopping, it's used by lovers to enhance sex.

It can also be used as part of a designed, structured program to "set the mood" for a particular psychological effect intended to be induced in the target individuals.  It can be used to help get a target individual into an unusually suggestible state.

Just because music was being played at a seminar doesn't necessarily mean it *was* being used to induce a suggestible state, but when you "set the mood" that's exactly what you're doing---you're setting it *for* something.

It's not any one thing that makes for a brainwashing experience---it's the entire pattern all together.

In most normal situations, the various stimuli in the environment tend to cancel each other out.  *Some* of them are directed at manipulating the targets to do particular things---like orange and red decor in fast food restaurants is intended to motivate consumers to eat their food and leave quickly, freeing up the table for the next set of consumers, rather than staying and chatting for awhile.  And it worked, but a lot of places have gotten away from it some as there's also a tendency of customers to go someplace more comfortable to eat in the first place.  But anyway, back when most fast food places were heavily orange and red on the inside, the "warm" colors motivated you to eat and leave quickly, while the social atmosphere of the meal motivated you to stay and talk---conflicting stimuli, they somewhat cancel each other out.

One of the biggest factors in identifying a brainwashing situation is the physical control, usually for about three days.  The reason is that the physical control allows the people who design the situation to carefully craft as many factors as possible to push the targets towards being extra suggestible.

It's not that manipulating people's emotions is always bad.  It's basically what all art does, and the lion's share of garden-variety entertainment does.  People pay money to have it done on purpose.  You buy a CD with rock or sad songs or love songs on it because they make you feel a certain way when you hear them.  You buy art for your walls because when you hang it the room makes you feel different than it did with bare walls.  You watch a comedy to make you laugh, or a tragedy to make you cry and give you a feeling of catharsis.  You watch horror to be scared, just to enjoy the emotional roller coaster of the fear and then the rush of relief when the movie finishes and the hero just barely manages to get out okay.

But it's *transient*, or at least you have a lot more say about how much of it you imbibe that goes straight to your gut (or your gonads) and bypasses your brain.

When people get brainwashed, they can end up spending decades, or their whole lives, cut off from their friends and family in some cult, can give some scam huge sums of money for services they either don't receive or didn't need in the first place, can abuse their children because the cult says to, can have (or end) sexual relationships because the cult says to, can try to  poison masses of innocent people, or can betray their country, or can kill themselves, because the cult says to.

Anyplace that wants physical control of you for three days or longer *and* wants your money is someplace to examine closely and with a *very* skeptical eye before you even remotely consider giving over either the physical control *or* the money.

Personally, I wouldn't take *anybody's* three day seminar unless I was staying at a hotel they didn't own or book and was guaranteed that I was going to have my own transportation and freedom to leave through the whole thing, and that I'd be spending no more than eight hours a day in the seminar or associated activities, and that there *would* be a break for lunch (a non-sugary balanced lunch) and plenty of non-sugary choices among any refreshments.

Spending more time might seem like "getting your money's worth" but it's penny wise and pound foolish.  

Timoclea
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 30, 2004, 10:53:00 PM
Quote
On 2004-12-30 18:34:00, Anonymous wrote:

"I'm glad i;m not the only one that feels the way i do about you people here. If you had read anything i said, you would know that i have spoke with former students. When one gets transfered to another school they are starting over and am not scared to tell the truth, although you will say they would be tard and featrhered at the new school for telling me anything negative. First of all i would not share anything that was said between me and the new school, i would only tell a parent.The kids i transport get treated like they were my own and i don;t care if you idiots believe that or not. Again there is nothing anyone can say to you to change your mind, and by the way i never heard of straight till this board, i don;t transport kids there. Maybe it is an evil place.

But i feel confident about the schools i go to.

There seems to be just as much support for some of these programs than not on this board????

By the way AA, NA, and CA have saved many many lives without incarciration.Why don't you go to an AA meeting and then tell me they are brainwashing them. I challenge you to go to a meeting, it is easy just call info for # and the meetings are free. I don;t go, but have in the past and there is nothing but love and concern going on. So when you attack that i know you are full of shit, or just an Idiot!

The one that cares

"


How do you know how to treat kids?
Where did you get your understanding of kids?
How did you end up finding this board, what brought you here?
How did you choose the profession of transporting kids to the facilities?
What makes you feel so confident about the schools?

Some answers, please?
 

AA creates dependents on yet another substance - namely AA/NA, et al.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Antigen on December 30, 2004, 10:54:00 PM
Quote
On 2004-12-30 18:51:00, Anonymous wrote:

But it's *transient*, or at least you have a lot more say about how much of it you imbibe that goes straight to your gut (or your gonads) and bypasses your brain.


Suspended disbelief is the term that springs to mind. When you go to a movie or read a good story, you voluntarily suspend disbelief. The actors and script don't have to be perfectly convincing. The audience and actors/authors agree or conspire to voluntarily suspend disbelief and to pretend that it's all very real for a short time.

That's different from what, say, a used car salesman or a timeshare salesman or an EdCon does for a living. In that scenario, they may or may not be in on the desception, but the customer certainly is not. To the customer (seminar attendee) it's all excrutiatingly real. If it's not 100% real for them, then they don't buy.

That's the salient difference. Informed consent.

Given the choice between dancing pigs and security, people will choose dancing pigs every time.
-- Ed Felton (quoted in www-security about Active-X)

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Antigen on December 30, 2004, 11:11:00 PM
Wait a second here...

Quote
On 2004-12-30 02:31:00, Anonymous wrote:

"Ginger-- here's what I know about the history of WWASP.



Robert Lichfield started his way in the teen abuse business as a staff member of Provo Canyon School, which was just as abusive back then as it is now. At some point, Lichfield decided to start his own concentration camp.



He met David Gilcrease, who was a Lifespring trainer at the time. Gilcrease developed the seminars, which are, in fact, Lifespring seminars (Lifespring came from Est, by the way), and together they created The Program, and in 1990, they opened their first concentration camp: Cross Creek Manor in La Verkin, Utah.



The old ISAC site hinted at a connection between WWASP and Straight. It said that Lichfield was and still is one of the biggest donators to the Republicans in Utah, and that he attended many Republican conferences-- just like a certain Straight executive (I can't remember his name). I can't remember the exact wording used, but that page suggested that that Straight exec taught Lichfield some of the elements of a successful, highly abusive treatment cult (such as the level system, use of parents for fundraising and recruiting, etc.), which Lichfield later incorporated into WWASP. "

I almost forgot about this question. It was for the program supporters. You're a former supporter, I know. But you got your information after the fact.

What I'm asking is this; to those of you who swear by the Program, how much do you know about it's origins and how it works?

Quote
Perrigaud
The tactics in the seminars are ones that have been used in different situations. By this I mean that a lot of corporate "team building" and "excellence training" have the processes we used in the seminars.


Thanks. Is that all you know? Does anyone else have more information?

What I'm looking for is the authors of the methods; their names, published work and any peer reviewed studies of their work. Detailed descriptions of what, exactly, the Program is and how and why it works.

It's a two part question. First, were any of you given enough information to research these methods prior to being asked to sign a contract and do you now understand what the Program is, where it comes from and how it works?

Still, if you will not fight for the right when you can easily win without bloodshed; if you will not fight when your victory will be sure and not too costly; you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a precarious chance of survival. There may be a worse case. You may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves.
--Winston Churchill

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 31, 2004, 12:19:00 AM
Want to talk about "REAL" brainwashing?  How about MTV, commercials, magazines, movies, etc,, that depict a sexy woman as thin, perfect make-up, perfect hair, perfect teeth, eye candy.  This is what I call brainwashing because the viewers take it as fact and strive to be "just like them."  Ever see the downside of trying to do that? Bulemia, anorexia, cutting, drugs, suicide? What happens when these kids can't live up to what the media says they should be?  

Public schools and AD/HD?  These kids are brainwashed into believing they aren't good enough, smart enough, strong enough to make it without meds or therapy.

It's beyond my comprehension who you guys can slam something that can finally get through to these kids that they don't have to be like the media thinks they should be and that is COMPLETELY, 100% for THEM and THEIR success.

Thank the Powers that BE that there are media personalities that do whatever they can to change that attitude and belief.  Starting over, Oprah, Dr. Phil, Pat Croce and old re-runs of "Higher Ground."

Yea, I believe my son would have been "deadorinjail" so stop repeating your same old, same old rebuttal.  Obviously you don't believe in divine intervention and how GOD works through people to make this happen in the physical world.  

I made my mistakes as a parent, but I would have been a bad parent if I HADN't done anything and stood by being a victim to the crisis and let my son die or ruin his life in ways that you don't seem to have experienced.  I won't defend other programs or their "model" because I can't.  

I'm sorry some of you were abused or hurt mentally or physically by the programs you were in.  Very few of any of you on this board actually know WWASPS.  I came here a while back to try to understand the WWASPS haters and I see right through most of them. I understand the folks like Ginger that were traumatized by the programs they were in.  I understand the parents that were victims to their spouses.  I understand the competitors that WWASPS won't pay for their referrals, I understand those that just want parents to keep their child at home.  I wanted so much to keep my son at home and you have NO idea the trauma it caused for me to admit that I couldn't do it alone.  I cried for months prior to and months afterward until I began my own inner work.  You can say or think anything you want, but having WWASPS support really did save my family in more than breath.

Fuck you and your judgments for something you can never understand. No, I didn't agree with the whole process 100%, but I would have never put my son in harms way, he was doing that for himself.  Giving him his "rights" We wouldn't have the relationship we have now, based on trust and respect, that we have now.  Though I don't see him much, he's away at school, we talk at least once a week and I never forget to tell him I love him and I'm proud of who he is.  I did NONE of this, he did it and though he hated being in a program, he tells anyone that ever wants to know that without it where he sees he would be and it was, the at the core, the only thing that would have gotten through to him.  Thank you Cross Creek!
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 31, 2004, 12:32:00 AM
Ginger, Niles, whoever - WHO CARES HOW IT WORKS?  It works for anyone that CARES enough about their life to do the tough stuff to get past whatever got them in the mess they were in.  The past does NOT have to equal the future unless you want it to - in other words, if you are in your "safe" place and are too afraid of what it's like on the other side of what's comfortable, whether it's working or not, you'll keep asking about other's experiences over and over again until you decide to just let it go and do something different, or not.

As someone once said - Analysis paralysis!  Stay stuck in your crap, it's not my problem.  It's YOUR life and your choice.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 31, 2004, 01:40:00 AM
Timoclea - you have a lot of "book" knowledge, but tell us what your actual "up close and personal" experience is with seminars and youth programs.  Ever been to one, or had an indepth face to face conversation with a WWASP student? You're so quick to judge and write your LONG justifications, but between the lines, I don't see jack about real experience other than your battle with bi-polar disorder and correcting grammatical errors.   I don't see that you ever answered the question way back...are you a therapist?
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on December 31, 2004, 02:25:00 AM
Quote
On 2004-12-30 21:32:00, Anonymous wrote:

"Ginger, Niles, whoever - WHO CARES HOW IT WORKS?  It works for anyone that CARES enough about their life to do the tough stuff to get past whatever got them in the mess they were in.  The past does NOT have to equal the future unless you want it to - in other words, if you are in your "safe" place and are too afraid of what it's like on the other side of what's comfortable, whether it's working or not, you'll keep asking about other's experiences over and over again until you decide to just let it go and do something different, or not.



As someone once said - Analysis paralysis!  Stay stuck in your crap, it's not my problem.  It's YOUR life and your choice.



 "


Do you even know what you just said?

You outright say criticism is bad, and analyzing is bad, and understanding is not necessary. So just go along with whatever these fucks are saying?

Thats WHY I'M HERE. Because some people TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OTHER PEOPLE THAT WAY.

What youre saying is the only truth comes out of some manipulative seminar leader who can take you "out of your 'safe' place" and you have to go along without understanding or anylizing shit to "move on" and center youre whole life around it.

Its supposed to be for treatment not a fucking religion. This is going WAY too far. Dont you realize this?

We *DEFINITELY* care how it works because magic and mysticism is BULLSHIT and everything has a rhyme and reason. This is a Cause-and-effect universe. BY DESIGN. Go bitch at Stephen Hawking if you cant accept that. He knows how it works and CARES how it works.

Accepting this bullshit like religious 'truth' is utter bullshit. Complete and utter bulshit. This is supposed to be crisis management not taking over your damn life. When things are taken to this level its DEFINITELY cultish and is big time beyond normal ethics.

HOW IT WORKS MATTERS A *LOT* WHEN PEOPLE ARE HURT SO BADLY BY IT!

I care about my life enough to do tough shit, but guess what? I do NOT need to give myself up emotionally and psychologically to a bunch of manipulative strangers to do it! I can do it myself feeling TOTALLY comfortable and in control!

IMAGINE THAT! I dont need to get MIND FUCKED in a seminar to get better! WOW!

"The past does NOT hav eto equal the future unless you want it to" it seems you're stuck living in the world of the program, bub. Arent you supposed to move past it and be normal?

I'm not going to just fucking let go and let someone else decide my fate or fuck with my mind.

Analysis paralysis? Go write that down on a piece of paper and kindly stuff it up your ass. I live my life analytically and I tend to get by quite well, thank you. Hell, I even care about other people without being manipulated or forced or made to "leave my safe place" and put through an emotional cheesegrater.

Fuck you.

I live my life in control of myself, without being emotionally and psychologically fucked up and manipulated by others. I analyze *EVERYTHING* and get UNDERSTANDING out of it, and not just leave it in the hands of some unknown 'leader' and blindly follow and give myself over to him.

I know how things work. I'm here because I don't like to see manipulative jerks taking over peoples lives until they die suckering them in, in the name of "treatment" for real, or imagined problems.

Brainwashing is not a damn fix-it-all for anything. Its not a golden hammer and we arent all nails that need an emotional 'impact'. Do you really thinkg surrendering your mind and your life over to a bunch of strangers who want your money is how you 'deal with tough stuff' and move on? No. You do it yourself.

UP YOURS for saying its okay to screw with other peoples minds!

I was clinging to the hope there might be actual therapy in these places but the only way it works is utter conformity and hiding real issues, or simply wiping their head clean and replacing it with a damn stepford child.

I think its damn near proven, now. Look at yourselves.

Oh wait, you cant, someone has to look at yourself for you and tell you how to live!

Everything in moderation, including moderation.
Mark Twain

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Perrigaud on December 31, 2004, 03:37:00 AM
Anonymous, no I never did see a girl get restrained for no reason.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 31, 2004, 08:12:00 AM
Thanks prigaud, but these idiots won't believe it.I have worked with childeren for the last 16 years coaching sports and mentoring troubled youth. About 3 years ago, I was approached to become a transporter because of my exstensive training with kids, Child abuse prevention, drugs,suicide ect..And as I said my experience as atroubled youth is my best training i could ever get.You people have once again proved how stupid and simple you are. What do you people belive that we are living in some society that is brainwashing us to eat, drink, and watch certain shows. I am laughing so hard while i write this!!!HA HA HA!!!Unfortunatly i don't believe the stats about all this youth violence and drug use ect.. has gone down. I don't see it, i see a world that has lost family values and need to get them back. Family should be the most important thing. I have teenage kids that i have coached who look at me as friend and that is most important to me. If i can make a friend on a transport in such a messed up way for me to meet a kid, then i am even more proud. Again it really does not matter what i say because it goes in one ear and out the other.Sure kids have rights, but when they start doing drugs, having sex, cutting and failing school and showing no regard for thier parents, then something has to be done to help this kid and if it means sending them to a boarding school then that is the parents right. So the kid has the right to do all these bad things and not have thier life affected by it. Well if that were the case you would be looking up stats on youth deaths, because they would rise dramatically. Your son has been arrested 3 times is that enough to make a decision to send them away?You  are the brainwashed. Not us. The one that cares
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 31, 2004, 09:16:00 AM
Relationship? you talk to him once a week, you hardly see him? wow that is the great relationship I want with my child, get a grip
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 31, 2004, 09:37:00 AM
Quote
On 2004-12-30 22:40:00, Anonymous wrote:

"Timoclea - you have a lot of "book" knowledge"

BOOK-LEARNING: The dunce's derisive term for all knowledge that transcends his own impenitent ignorance.

Devil's Dictionary - Ambrose Bierce
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 31, 2004, 10:01:00 AM
You are an Idiot!!! I'm done with you people, i'll just let you all live out of reality and leave you alone. You don't know me and you never will. No matter what i say i'm the eveil one. Tell that to the hundreads of kids i coached and transported. I coached kids and wahtched them grow up in front of me, maybe it was once a week, or 5 days a week in after school and summer camp. You see i did it all. And if i did only see them for once a week, allot of kids that was for 8 years once a week, you kind of get close to kid in that time just a little.You are so judgemental of things you know nothing about!! I am finished with you bone heads. You will say, that i am stoping because i am starting to feel quilty and you are getting to. You see i can see now how all your minds work, you are twisted now in your beliefs and i am tired of trying to convince you. So i will stop and that is the only reason. I will continue to make a difference in many kids and parents lives.
Wheather you think so or now. It does not get to me. So good luck in your endevours, how feble they might be. The one that cares
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 31, 2004, 10:08:00 AM
Quote
On 2004-12-31 07:01:00, Anonymous wrote:

" And if i did only see them for once a week, allot of kids that was for 8 years once a week, you kind of get close to kid in that time just a little.


 :scared:  :scared:  :eek:

EIGHT YEARS?????  Kids were locked up for EIGHT YEARS???  How can anyone POSSIBLY justify that???
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 31, 2004, 10:30:00 AM
Quote
You don't know me and you never will.

I know that you kidnap children and take them to abusive gulags. That's enough info for me.

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No matter what i say i'm the eveil one.

I believe people who make money out of kidnapping children are evil, yes.

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Tell that to the hundreads of kids i coached and transported.

No need for that. These children have lived through hell because of you and your kind. They know what you are and what you do.

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You are so judgemental of things you know nothing about!!

I know that you kidnap children. Kidnapping children = abusing children, to me. I tend to be judgemental of people who abuse children.

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I am finished with you bone heads. You will say, that i am stoping because i am starting to feel quilty and you are getting to.

No, I think you are leaving because you've finally realized that people here know all about your kind of business, and that no one here is going to stroke your ego or play along with your insane delusions.

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You see i can see now how all your minds work,

Like you know how the minds of children "work"? Or the way you know just what kind of "help" does a child "need" based on the rantings of an hysterical parent?

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I will continue to make a difference in many kids and parents lives.

I'm sure you will. What on earth will you do with your life if you couldn't keep on playing the role of the Great Savior of American Teens?

Quote
Wheather you think so or now. It does not get to me. So good luck in your endevours, how feble they might be. The one that cares


Thank you. Our efforts and endeavours-- those of ISAC, Ginger, and others-- don't seem to be all that feeble: more and more people know the truth about these places, and more people learn the truth every day. It won't be long before all of these abusive gulags will be shut down, and before you, and others like you, will be right where you belong: in prison, for multiple counts of child kidnapping.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Antigen on December 31, 2004, 10:41:00 AM
Restraint deaths:

http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?So ... 3&forum=11 (http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?Sort=U&topic=7633&forum=11)

Bureaucracy defends the status quo long past the time when the quo has lost its status
--Laurence J. Peter

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 31, 2004, 11:02:00 AM
Anon,

I experienced WWASP. I too cried before and during the time my child was enrolled in their facilities. I cried ewven harder when I learned the TRUTH about what transpired behinh their abusive walls.You talk to you son once a week. Have you ever asked him what really happened. Not the surface I'm making better choice stuff, what what occurred that ggives him nightmare you may or may not be aware of.

Have you ever CONFIRMED yopu so called theraphist from Cross Creek are properly licensed?Take the time and call the licensing boards to confirm.

I was in support group with a family whose daughter was at Cross Creek. She was not doing well. She had pulled all of the hair from her head, brows. The parnets didnt believe in medication. They wanted to take her to an outside Dr in La Verkin area. The Program said no way. Very telling in my opinion.

Ask your son if you have the courage.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Antigen on December 31, 2004, 11:03:00 AM
Quote
On 2004-12-31 00:37:00, Perrigaud wrote:

"Anonymous, no I never did see a girl get restrained for no reason. "


Neither did I. There was always a reason. At the time, even when I was the one pinned to the floor for a couple of hours, I thought it was a reasonably good reason.

Can you please give some examples of the kinds of infractions that would get a kid restrained in the program you were in?

Fear is the parent of cruelty, therefore it is no wonder if religion and cruelty have gone hand-in-hand.
--Bertrand Russell, British philosopher, educator, mathemetician, and social critic

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Antigen on December 31, 2004, 11:08:00 AM
Quote
On 2004-12-31 05:12:00, Anonymous wrote:

Sure kids have rights, but when they start doing drugs, having sex, cutting and failing school and showing no regard for thier parents, then something has to be done to help this kid and if it means sending them to a boarding school then that is the parents right. So the kid has the right to do all these bad things and not have thier life affected by it. Well if that were the case you would be looking up stats on youth deaths, because they would rise dramatically. Your son has been arrested 3 times is that enough to make a decision to send them away?You are the brainwashed. Not us. The one that cares


So your son has been arrested three times. And, so far, the juvenile courts have not found adequate cause to lock him up. So you think our current juvenile justice system is too lenient?? Skip due proccess, go directly to lock-down, do not cleect any evidence?

You really and truely do think you're above the law, don't you? Sadder still, you honestly believe that coerced expressions of gratitude and affection are the same as the real thing? You must be a very lonely man.

By 1940 the literacy figure for all states stood at 96 percent for whites. Eighty percent for blacks. Notice for all the disadvantages blacks labored under, four of five were still literate. Six decades later, at the end of the 20th century, the National Adult Literacy Survey and the National Assessment of Educational Progress say 40 percent of blacks and 17 percent of whites can't read at all. Put another way, black illiteracy doubled, white illiteracy quadrupled, despite the fact that we spend three or four times as much real money on schooling as we did 60 years ago.
--Vin Suprynowicz

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Antigen on December 31, 2004, 11:17:00 AM
Quote
On 2004-12-31 06:16:00, Anonymous wrote:

"Relationship? you talk to him once a week, you hardly see him? wow that is the great relationship I want with my child, get a grip"


This is really funny, in a dark sort of way. When my daughter was going through her troubled teenhood, my biggest worry was her romantic relationship. Eventually, the guy landed up in jail for a year. Once he was away and couldn't watch her so closely all the time, we started hearing from her pretty often. She thought that a little jail time would do him good and everything would work out in the end.

At one point, she said something about how much better their relationship was since he'd gone to jail. So I suggested that she just make plans to have him locked up again whenever he got out so that they could continue to have a "good relationship". It was actually a bright and hopeful moment for me because she knew I was joking. Last time I'd said something like that, about sneaking out to visit us while he was sleeping just like she'd done to us when she lived at home, she didn't get that I was being sarcastic. Now THAT had been a harrowing moment!

As Timecola points out, brainwashing really is not such an unusual thing. And people who are brainwashed are only vaguely aware of it and, generally, very defensive about it.

My best advice to you folks who "just trust the process" and don't need to understand what is being done w/ your will and your reasoning is to remember that most people do snap out of it eventually. In the mean time, don't let your dogma run out in front of your karma.

Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.
Anonymity Anonymous (http://fornits.com/anonanon)
Some days, it's just not worth chewing through the leather straps.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 31, 2004, 11:22:00 AM
Quote
On 2004-12-30 21:19:00, Anonymous wrote:

"Want to talk about "REAL" brainwashing?  How about MTV, commercials, magazines, movies, etc,, that depict a sexy woman as thin, perfect make-up, perfect hair, perfect teeth, eye candy.  This is what I call brainwashing because the viewers take it as fact and strive to be "just like them."  Ever see the downside of trying to do that? Bulemia, anorexia, cutting, drugs, suicide? What happens when these kids can't live up to what the media says they should be?

Do your job as a parent and teach them YOUR values, not televisions, and there won't be too much of a problem with it.  


Quote
Public schools and AD/HD?  These kids are brainwashed into believing they aren't good enough, smart enough, strong enough to make it without meds or therapy.

Possibly, but again, YOU have control over what meds your child is or isn't on.


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It's beyond my comprehension who you guys can slam something that can finally get through to these kids that they don't have to be like the media thinks they should be

Again, YOUR responsibility.

 
Quote
and that is COMPLETELY, 100% for THEM and THEIR success.

There's nothing to say about this except BULLSHIT.  It's about $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$


Quote
Thank the Powers that BE that there are media personalities that do whatever they can to change that attitude and belief.  Starting over, Oprah, Dr. Phil, Pat Croce and old re-runs of "Higher Ground."

Well, if you consider Oprah and her croney Phil to be "media" or "journalistic" in any way, then that explains a lot.


Quote
Yea, I believe my son would have been "deadorinjail" so stop repeating your same old, same old rebuttal.

No, that's the PROGRAMS same old rebuttal.  That's why we talk about it.  ALL the programs believe that without them the poor unfortunates would be DEADINSANEORINJAIL.  Funny you think it's us that came up with that.

 
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Obviously you don't believe in divine intervention and how GOD works through people to make this happen in the physical world.

Well, that's a bit personal but, you're right.  I don't.


Quote
I made my mistakes as a parent, but I would have been a bad parent if I HADN't done anything and stood by being a victim to the crisis and let my son die or ruin his life in ways that you don't seem to have experienced.

No, you're a bad parent for turning your kid over to a bunch of psychotics who employ degredation and humiliation as part of their "therapy".

Oh, and BTW....I HAVE experienced my kid going through crisis...more than you could even imagine.  Somehow we muddled through without your beloved program's thought control methods.

 
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I won't defend other programs or their "model" because I can't.

Good, maybe we're finally getting somewhere


Quote
I'm sorry some of you were abused or hurt mentally or physically by the programs you were in.

Well, I appreciate that but I don't want or need your sympathy.  I want these places to STOP.

 
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Very few of any of you on this board actually know WWASPS.

A gross assumption on your part.


Quote
I came here a while back to try to understand the WWASPS haters and I see right through most of them.

Yes, we hate WWASP because they continue to abuse children for profit.

 
Quote
I understand the folks like Ginger that were traumatized by the programs they were in.  I understand the parents that were victims to their spouses.  I understand the competitors that WWASPS won't pay for their referrals, I understand those that just want parents to keep their child at home.  I wanted so much to keep my son at home and you have NO idea the trauma it caused for me to admit that I couldn't do it alone.  I cried for months prior to and months afterward until I began my own inner work.  You can say or think anything you want, but having WWASPS support really did save my family in more than breath.

Again, appreciate the understanding but it's not necessary.  Don't need it.


Quote
Fuck you and your judgments for something you can never understand.

And fuck you and your judgements about us.

 
Quote
No, I didn't agree with the whole process 100%, but I would have never put my son in harms way, he was doing that for himself.  Giving him his "rights" We wouldn't have the relationship we have now, based on trust and respect, that we have now.

No, more likely that you have a "relationship" built on fear of abandonment should he step outside of your (WWASP's) lines.

 
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Though I don't see him much, he's away at school,

Is this "school" a theraputic/boarding/emotional growth "school"?

 
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we talk at least once a week and I never forget to tell him I love him and I'm proud of who he is.

You SHOULD have been doing this all along.  Shame on you that it took this for you to realize that.

 
Quote
I did NONE of this, he did it and though he hated being in a program, he tells anyone that ever wants to know that without it where he sees he would be and it was, the at the core, the only thing that would have gotten through to him.


Of COURSE he does.  That's the way he's been programmed to respond to any criticism of the program.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 31, 2004, 11:42:00 AM
I had to write one last thing, because it just goes to show that you are not reading what i write. Kids were not locked up for 8 years. These are kids I coached at youth sports club, not at boarding school. Such an idiot! And i never said it was my kid that had been arrested 3 times, it was an example. See how you twist things, all of you. Read something before you respond and make yourself look like more of an idiot than you are. The one that cares
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 31, 2004, 11:43:00 AM
That's why I ASKED.


moron :roll:
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 31, 2004, 11:45:00 AM
And just so you know, it's happened before.  That's why I ASKED.

http://thestraights.com/articles/lulu.htm (http://thestraights.com/articles/lulu.htm)


 Lulu had been in treatment for 13 years for an eating disorder.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: mom2three on December 31, 2004, 04:29:00 PM
Annon Transporter posted:

"And if i did only see them for once a week, allot of kids that was for 8 years once a week, you kind of get close to kid in that time just a little"

I wanted to bump this up so it is not missed or forgotten.

I can hardly believe this. There are actually children locked up for eight years. There will be no relationship with their family after this. Their party line of deadorinjail is very true in this case, the child is in jail! Do the parents not comprehend that there have been murderers doing less time and how do they ever hope to see their children again?

This is NOT summer camp! If I were one of these children who will probably be adults when released, I would NEVER speak to my family again. How do they expect these kids to rejoin society when released?  I hope this is an exageration as  there is absoloutly NO justification for it! I am just sick. EIGHT YEARS!!!!
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 31, 2004, 04:30:00 PM
Well, to be fair, he did respond with this:


Quote
On 2004-12-31 08:42:00, Anonymous wrote:

"I had to write one last thing, because it just goes to show that you are not reading what i write. Kids were not locked up for 8 years. These are kids I coached at youth sports club, not at boarding school. Such an idiot! And i never said it was my kid that had been arrested 3 times, it was an example. See how you twist things, all of you. Read something before you respond and make yourself look like more of an idiot than you are. The one that cares"
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 31, 2004, 06:39:00 PM
Quote
On 2004-12-31 06:16:00, Anonymous wrote:

"Relationship? you talk to him once a week, you hardly see him? wow that is the great relationship I want with my child, get a grip"


Yes, a healthy relationship.  He lives with relatives while attending University of Missouri, working part time and majoring in electrical engineering.  He's an adult and gratefully let go of wanting him to be here with me.  He's making his life what he's always known he was capable of.  My neighbor has zero contact with her son, so yes, I'm grateful for what we do have.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 31, 2004, 07:10:00 PM
Quote
On 2004-12-31 07:01:00, Anonymous wrote:

"You are an Idiot!!! I'm done with you people, i'll just let you all live out of reality and leave you alone. You don't know me and you never will. No matter what i say i'm the eveil one. Tell that to the hundreads of kids i coached and transported. I coached kids and wahtched them grow up in front of me, maybe it was once a week, or 5 days a week in after school and summer camp. You see i did it all. And if i did only see them for once a week, allot of kids that was for 8 years once a week, you kind of get close to kid in that time just a little.You are so judgemental of things you know nothing about!! I am finished with you bone heads. You will say, that i am stoping because i am starting to feel quilty and you are getting to. You see i can see now how all your minds work, you are twisted now in your beliefs and i am tired of trying to convince you. So i will stop and that is the only reason. I will continue to make a difference in many kids and parents lives.

Wheather you think so or now. It does not get to me. So good luck in your endevours, how feble they might be. The one that cares"


One that Cares - This is the tactic that is used when the truth is told.  They twist it, read things into it that aren't there and piss you off so you will go away and stop saying positive things. I'm sorry it worked.  I appreciate the work you do and how you do it, with love and compassion, not just for the kids, but the time you take with the parents.  Though we didn't use an escort service, many kids that know they are going to get help will run and never get there. Hope you're just venting and will stay a while.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on December 31, 2004, 07:12:00 PM
Quote
On 2004-12-31 16:10:00, Anonymous wrote:

"
Quote

On 2004-12-31 07:01:00, Anonymous wrote:


"You are an Idiot!!! I'm done with you people, i'll just let you all live out of reality and leave you alone. You don't know me and you never will. No matter what i say i'm the eveil one. Tell that to the hundreads of kids i coached and transported. I coached kids and wahtched them grow up in front of me, maybe it was once a week, or 5 days a week in after school and summer camp. You see i did it all. And if i did only see them for once a week, allot of kids that was for 8 years once a week, you kind of get close to kid in that time just a little.You are so judgemental of things you know nothing about!! I am finished with you bone heads. You will say, that i am stoping because i am starting to feel quilty and you are getting to. You see i can see now how all your minds work, you are twisted now in your beliefs and i am tired of trying to convince you. So i will stop and that is the only reason. I will continue to make a difference in many kids and parents lives.


Wheather you think so or now. It does not get to me. So good luck in your endevours, how feble they might be. The one that cares"




One that Cares - This is the tactic that is used when the truth is told.  They twist it, read things into it that aren't there and piss you off so you will go away and stop saying positive things.  "



Pot calling the kettle black.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Deborah on January 01, 2005, 01:45:00 AM
Nihilanthic,
I appreciate your curiosity and persistence. I asked many of the same questions about the methods and seminars a while ago in a very lengthy thread.

The wwaspies who were active in that debate were reluctant to even admit the seminars were based on est. Not sure if they were ignorant of the fact at the time or would've prefered that people didn't know. My argument at that time... parents should be told before they write the check and send their kid that they will be required to participate in a confrontational, experimental, new age seminar experience.
Here are some of the highlights:

A wwaspie avoids discussing the link between est and the seminars
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?mo ... =210&Sort= (http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=3865&forum=9&start=210&Sort=)
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?mo ... =280&Sort= (http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=3865&forum=9&start=280&Sort=)

Previous discussions regarding seminars.
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?So ... =9&start=0 (http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?Sort=&topic=2587&forum=9&start=0)
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?So ... 9&start=20 (http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?Sort=&topic=2399&forum=9&start=20)
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?mo ... 9&start=10 (http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=2757&forum=9&start=10)
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?to ... rt=0&Sort= (http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?topic=3093&forum=9&start=0&Sort=)
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?So ... 9&start=90 (http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?Sort=&mode=viewtopic&topic=3865&forum=9&start=90)

On Program Methods
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?mo ... rt=0&Sort= (http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=3891&forum=9&start=0&Sort=)
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?mo ... =100&Sort= (http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=3865&forum=9&start=100&Sort=)

Inquiry re: Landre?s site stating that W programs use ?cognitive education? No one seemed to know why.
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?mo ... =290&Sort= (http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=3865&forum=9&start=290&Sort=)

How seminars got into public schools
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?mo ... =250&Sort= (http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=3865&forum=9&start=250&Sort=)

An excellent example of how the program supports redefine words to suit their purposes. In this case a parental consequence is defined as her son's choice.
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?mo ... =100&Sort= (http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=3865&forum=9&start=100&Sort=)

Top Fund Raiser For Your Family
The WWASP programs are very unique and offer one of the best cash incentives that a program family could want. How does this sound: ?FREE MONTH IN PROGRAM!? Doesn?t that grab your attention?
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?mo ... =210&Sort= (http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=3865&forum=9&start=210&Sort=)

Girl who consoles another is punished for ?Public Show of Affection?
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?topic=2695&forum=9 (http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?topic=2695&forum=9)

Very interesting commentary: TC's- The Psychology of Anti-Psychology
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?to ... &forum=9&1 (http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?topic=3362&forum=9&1)
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 01, 2005, 10:19:00 AM
Thank you to whoever it was that gave me the kind words. I am not going anywhere, But it does get very frustrating pulling teeth with these people. I will monitor and if there is something worth my comments, then i will respond. But for now it's pointless.Again Remember transporters only bring about half the kids to these schools, the rest are brought by thier parents, just like the one that has complimented me.Happy new year.
The one that cares
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 01, 2005, 10:22:00 AM
By the way i ran away at age 15 when my mom told me i was going to boarding school and Yes that is why my service is very important, so we can try to get these kids the help they need. Jails and death are not an option. I could have easily been killed as a run away. I was lucky!
The one that cares
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Deborah on January 01, 2005, 10:50:00 AM
Sweetie,
The statistics appear to indicate that your chances of dying of heart disease or in a car crash are higher than was your risk of being killed when you ran away.
Should we incarcerate you to protect you from those potential dangers? I'll see if I can arrange to have you kidnapped and then subject you to my philosophies regarding a healthy diet and exercise so you don't die prematurely from causes that can be prevented. We can see to it that you don't drive either. Sound like a plan?
This industry THRIVES on fear and fear mongering.

[ This Message was edited by: Deborah on 2005-01-01 07:51 ]
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 01, 2005, 11:09:00 AM
Sweetheart, you have no idea where i was living for a week, but i could have very easally been killed. I was in a very dangerous ghetto and had to defend my self a few times. I was gone for a week with my mother not knowing where i was and would not have found me unless i called. It's a long story and i will write a book or movie about my experiences one day.But unless you were there you have no idea what i went through and how lucky i am.I had 2 friends living in the area i was in and was sleeping in one of thier garages.You have no idea. You can take all your stats and put them somewhere. I'm living in reality. More ignorance. The one that cares
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 01, 2005, 12:39:00 PM
Quote
Yes that is why my service is very important, so we can try to get these kids the help they need.


Again, the one that kidnaps assumes he knows what's best for each and every child out there. The one that kidnaps thinks he is so talented that he knows what kind of "help" these children "need" based on what their hysterical parents tell him, and nothing else! Wow!

You make money out of kidnapping children. This is the lowest of the low. There is nothing more despicable than that, other than making money out of abusing children, as these gulags do. And you have managed to convince yourself that you are the Great Savior of American Children, and that you know what these children "need" without even talking to them.

Your powers of self-delusion are very impressive. Fortunately, people here are too smart to fall for for your scare tactics ("these kids will be deadorinjail if I don't kidnap them!!!").
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 01, 2005, 01:16:00 PM
HA HA!!Same bull. I can't save any kids i can only help. It is really up to the kid to change thier decision patterns. I really don't know what you think these parents can do when it has gotten to a point of no return for the child. Sure the parents might have made mistakes in the raising of thier kid, but there is no exact science to that and now it has gotten to a point, that yes i need to do an Intervention which is what i do. The parent can not control thier kid anymore, and that is very sad. But i was there at a point in my life and at the time i did not know why i was making bad choices and disrespecting my mom. I took me till i was about 27 to really investigate in my own mind why i did what i did as a teen. If these kids could get to thier deep hurt inside and deal with it, then we would not have as many problems, but they are too immature to figure it out or even try. Again it is an Intervention what i do, if you choose to call it kidnapping go right ahead, but again if it was i would have been arrested a long time ago. So it is only your opinion and the opinion of the other blinded people here.
Not the law!! How can i stay away this is so entertaining. I always need a good laugh in the day. The one that cares
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Deborah on January 01, 2005, 01:16:00 PM
Point being, One Who Cares, you survived; just like the majority of kids who runaway. And YOU ran to a 'ghetto'. The kids that I know who ranaway, including myself for a few weeks, went to friends houses.

I assume you're not interested in my offer. For a mere $5,000 a month + incidentals, I would be happy to isolate you from the world and significantly decrease your odds of dying of heart disease or auto accident- the two biggies. Sweet deal! Sweeter, is that you have a choice in the matter.

Deny the stats if you choose, but fact is- the hysteria promoted by this industry is unwarranted.
Isn't that a form of 'manipulation' or 'deception' or 'fear mongering'? I realize people will do what they have to do to protect their livlihoods, but those involved with this industry tend to exhibit a gross lack of integrity. In their defense, it might well be gross ignorance driven by fear.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Antigen on January 01, 2005, 01:16:00 PM
Quote
On 2005-01-01 07:22:00, Anonymous wrote:

"By the way i ran away at age 15 when my mom told me i was going to boarding school and Yes that is why my service is very important, so we can try to get these kids the help they need. Jails and death are not an option. I could have easily been killed as a run away. I was lucky!

The one that cares"


That's exactly what I did when I realized my mom was about to put me in a program. Up until that time, the worst thing I had ever done was to flunk Algebra. But running away was a big item on the list of druggie indicators and so that sealed it.

The only difference between you and me is that I resisted the brainwashing and you didn't.

For something that has spread with all the forethought of kudzu, the Internet isn't half bad."
-- Newsweek, 2/27/95

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 01, 2005, 01:21:00 PM
One more thing I can only assume the parent is right and %99 of the time they are. Every now and then i get kid that maybe does not need such a strict enviorment, but than again most of these kids are masters at manipulation and I have not lived with that child for 15 or 16 years and can only believe it is the plan of someone greater than all of us for this child to go through what ever they will go through. I bieliev a plan has been made for each of us and there is nothing we can do to change that. By the way I am not that religous although it might sound that way, but i do believe in god.I don;t go to church. The one that cares
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Antigen on January 01, 2005, 01:40:00 PM
Quote
On 2005-01-01 10:21:00, Anonymous wrote:

"One more thing I can only assume the parent is right and %99 of the time they are. Every now and then i get kid that maybe does not need such a strict enviorment, but than again most of these kids are masters at manipulation and I have not lived with that child for 15 or 16 years and can only believe it is the plan of someone greater than all of us for this child to go through what ever they will go through.

You haven't lived w/ the parents for 15 or 16 years either. How do you know they're not the master manipularots in the situation?

Quote
I bieliev a plan has been made for each of us and there is nothing we can do to change that.


Well then, since there's nothing you can do to change that then you should be extra careful to make sure you never, ever do any harm in an effort to try and change things.

You're not doing that. You simply are not. Perragaud told you she heard of abuses at her program and that she knew kids who simply didn't need to be there. Do you believe her?

And can either of you answer my question about what you think "out of control" means? Because, in my experiece w/ these programs, out of control can mean anything from failure to sit up straight enough to not looking at whoever's talking (for 12 solid hours every single god damned day w/o a break) or even smiling at another kid.

Religions are all alike; founded upon fables and mythologies.
--Thomas Jefferson, U.S. President, author, scientist, architect, educator, and diplomat



_________________
Ginger Warbis ~ Antigen
Seed sibling `71 - `80
Straight South (Sarasota, FL)
   10/80 - 10/82
Anonymity Anonymous
Some days, it's just not worth chewing through the leather straps.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 01, 2005, 01:48:00 PM
Quote
One more thing I can only assume the parent is right and %99 of the time they are.

As you said, you can only assume. How do know, then, that the parents are right?

Quote
Every now and then i get kid that maybe does not need such a strict enviorment,

But you still kidnap them and transport them to these gulags, don't you? Of course you do, you get good money out of that.

Quote
but than again most of these kids are masters at manipulation and I have not lived with that child for 15 or 16 years

First you state you are sure you can't believe anything a kid says because they are all "manipulators". Then you turn around and say that you don't actually know these kids, that you haven't lived with them and gotten to know them and that you know nothing of their problems.
Well, you're right. You don't know these kids at all. No kid deserved of needs to be kidnapped by the likes of you and be sent off to a program.

Parents are being fed that "children in this country are just getting worse and worse" bullshit constantly. They can not be trusted to even know what's going on when it comes to matters such as this. "Oh no! my kid got a C and he acted moody when he came home from school today. And he had troubles waking up! he must be on drugs!" Parents seem to be willing to believe the worst about their children. And people like you make a buck out of their fears and out of their children's misery.

Quote
and can only believe it is the plan of someone greater than all of us for this child to go through what ever they will go through. I bieliev a plan has been made for each of us and there is nothing we can do to change that. By the way I am not that religous although it might sound that way, but i do believe in god.I don;t go to church. The one that cares"


Oh, so now it's not your responsbility that a child is kidnapped and sent off to a gulag. Now it's all God's responsibility. What's that word you program people love so much? Accountability, isn't it? Look it up. The correct definition might surprise you.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 01, 2005, 02:46:00 PM
You guys always say the same thing, just in a different way. Just let all the troubled youth run wild, there won;t be any problems at all.
All the parents are wrong, ya right.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Antigen on January 01, 2005, 03:28:00 PM
I can agree w/ one thing you guys are saying. Parents are probably right a lot of the time. Funny you should guess 99% because that's about exactly the percentage of American parents who do NOT send their kids to gulag.

Another thing I agree with you guys about. You (who regularly post here) are not in it for the money. In my experience, the grunt staff and parent recruiters give and give, sacrifice after sacrifice till they're dead tired, broke and have burned bridges at work, w/ family and in their communities. The staff I remember from The Seed and Straight usually shared small apartments in bad parts of town, owned older little shabby cars and worn clothes. They worked many more than 40 hours per week for damned near nothing.

The money doesn't go to these people. They're true believers. Misguided, wrong, deluded, but not greedy in the least. They're just as dedicated and sincere as Jim Jones' followers or David Koresh's followers. Doesn't make what they do good or right. But it's important to know who and what you're dealing with.

The money goes somewhere else. And there's lots of documentation on that just here on this site, let alone decades of journalism and political/financial reporting. Then, of course, you can just look at their digs. Some joker who pretends to have the kids best interest at heart but who lives in a million dollar mansion and owns a jet and a nice yacht is full of shit.
 

They came with a Bible and their religion- stole our land, crushed our spirit... and now tell us we should be thankful to the 'Lord' for being saved.
--Chief Pontiac, American Indian Chieftain

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Antigen on January 01, 2005, 03:35:00 PM
Quote
On 2005-01-01 11:46:00, Anonymous wrote:

"You guys always say the same thing, just in a different way. Just let all the troubled youth run wild, there won;t be any problems at all.

All the parents are wrong, ya right."


That's right. Just leave out the thought reform, leave their college funds in the bank, skip the seminars and there won't be any more problems.

There won't be very many fewer problems, either, except for that a few tens of thousands of adults will not have to live w/ PTSD and other leftover neuroses from this form of Treatment.

The rest is negligable. Teenagers have been rebelling against their parents and their cultures since the days of Romeo and Juliette. That won't change, with or without teen gulags.

"Now, I'm a walking dead man," ... "And what bothers me is that I'm dead because I tried to help the kids. And it's all the fault of all those people over there at the DEA." [Dead Man Talking]


--Ben Guillory

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: mom2three on January 01, 2005, 03:48:00 PM
There is a difference between a child who is going through normal teenage problems, being surly and experimenting with boundries and one who is violent and a danger to himself and others.

Most kids grow out of this with love and support. I have witnessed it, I have lived it. $4,000 per month can buy a whole lot of FAMILY therapy and trips away WITH the family to get a change of scenery and foster family unity.

For those who are in a more dangerous situation where the kids are a serious danger to themselves and others, professional help may be required.This opinion should be based on actual professional assesments by people who are not financially interested in the outcome of the assesment.

 I am not niave that those kids are out there. THe problem is lumping a kid who is experimenting with limits and boundries in with one that is psychologically ill and in need of professional care.  

There is also the problem that many of these facilities pay low wages to underqualified support staff. I am sorry, if I cannot give my child what he/she needs, I dont want anyone who doesnt have a degree to either. Parents need to give themselves credit. If the average parent cannot handle a situation, why would they think average joe with a 3 month course in human service delivery can either?

I know some very good unqualified lay people as well, and I appreciate what they do but I feel that a facility/program that competes for qualified people and pays good wages will generally attract the best employees. It does not guarentee abuses dont happen, but it can help to lower the risk.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 01, 2005, 06:09:00 PM
I really don't like to bad mouth any of the other transport company's because it is not professional, but the fact does remain that most of these transport companies do not have people with degrees in the youth industry, they are just an exspensive cab ride. But my company does have at least one trained counsler on each job, they are the lead. That is my role, i do the majority of the talking with the child on the trip if they let me. I can't get through to every kid. I do see allot of them do relize they have been screwing up and now relize how serious it has gotten. I do feel deeply for every kid I transport, but if i let my self get too emotionally attached i would go nuts. So i have to try to let each one go after each intervention. I know you still won't agree with what i do, but again i would rather it be me who transports these kids other than the other companies who will just get them there with the same aatitude they had as they left the house with. I have been able to get so many ready for thier experience so they can do what they need to do to be there as short a time as possible.
But i do see many of them on trips back and have never got anything but a smile. The one that cares
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Antigen on January 01, 2005, 06:16:00 PM
And your training and qualification?

I do not believe in a personal God and I have never denied this but have expressed it clearly. If something is in me which can be called religion than it is the unbounded admiration for the structure of the world so far as our science can reveal it.
--Albert Einstein, German-born American physicist

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 01, 2005, 06:48:00 PM
Quote
On 2005-01-01 15:09:00, Anonymous wrote:

 But my company does have at least one trained counsler on each job, they are the lead.


Elaborate please.  What kind of training?
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 01, 2005, 07:27:00 PM
I;ve been through this before, that;s what i mean about you guys not reading everything or just letting everything i write go in one ear and out the other. I have a drug counseling degree with UCLA and was trained for some time before i was given the role of lead counsler. I have told you about my child abuse prevention classes also. I am not going to go into my qaulifications again. And you are right a very small % of kids get sent away, but there are still too many that need to be.
The one that cares
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Antigen on January 01, 2005, 07:43:00 PM
Given that role by whom? I thought you were self employed?

Yes, you told me about your child abuse prevention class. I thought you were joking. What incredible hubris for you to pretend to teach about child abuse preventin!

The first human who hurled an insult instead of a stone was the founder of civilization.
--Sigmund Freud

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 01, 2005, 08:00:00 PM
If you think transporting a kid is abuse or maybe having to handcuff a kid for maybe a half hour because i will  not keep a kid cffed if he or she has calmed down and tell them the small % of the time i have to use cuffs i did not want to have to do that and when they are ready thet can come off. If you think what i do is abuse that that is onlt your opinion, but it is not the laws. I have never done nothing but treat each kid with as much respect as they give me and my partner. I only use cuffs %2 of the time.
The one that cares
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on January 01, 2005, 08:09:00 PM
Making sense of your broken speech in text form with no grammar, syntax, and shitty spelling is abusive.

Anyway...

Its not 'disrespect' if a human being is distraught by being abducted and held captive. Get that through your head. If anyone kidnaps me I totally plan on showing as much respect as is necessary until I can put a knife in their throat.

You included. Dont trick yourself into thinking they had some sort of epiphany or catharsis-breakdown and start loving you because you kidnap them.

This bullshit in your mind about how extreme stress makes people all start loving eachother and 'face their problems' *but somehow take insanely long periods of time to do so, while captive!* is utter bullcrap.

You're basically putting them through a nonconsentual domination and bondage experience. But then again, I dont expect someone with your communication skills to understand consentual BDSM.

It's obnoxious to ask law enforcement to follow the law. That's insulting to every cop.

--John Lovell, lobbyist for the California police chief's association

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Antigen on January 01, 2005, 10:05:00 PM
Just for shits and giggles, lets call up some of the other kind of escort services. We'll describe what our "escort" friend here does and explain that we want it done to our 14yo daughter. Wonder what they'll say? Think they'll take the $2k?

Have you considered that system of holy lies and pious frauds that has raged and triumphed for 1500 years.
--John Adams, U.S. President

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 01, 2005, 11:37:00 PM
Grow up
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on January 02, 2005, 02:31:00 AM
Big words for such a small mind.

Need to get yelled at, terrified, mindfucked and told how to do that, or can you manage on your own?

Edit: Ginger, thanks for saying that! LOL! Funny you said that after my BDSM analogy. That would look AWFUL STRANGE if you called up someone and asked them to kidnap and tie up your daughter so she learns to be obedient! :rofl:

Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.
-- John F. Kennedy (1917-63), U.S. Democratic politician, president. Speech, 13 March 1962, the White House.

[ This Message was edited by: Nihilanthic on 2005-01-01 23:35 ][ This Message was edited by: Nihilanthic on 2005-01-01 23:36 ]
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 02, 2005, 04:33:00 AM
sorry for the broken english,im chinese, and am halving a very hard time viewing the screen.damn slants!
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 02, 2005, 09:00:00 AM
Whoever wrote the racist comment, you are part of the problem. The one that cares
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 02, 2005, 12:25:00 PM
Oh please.  The racial was comment was stupid, I agree but it has nothing to do with this conversation.  One idiot making a stupid comment doesn't mean that's part of this particular problem.  Nice try at distraction though. :wave:
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 02, 2005, 12:40:00 PM
You are so funny, i'm not distacting you or would i even try. There are some very immature people on this board who need to grow up and still need allot of help. Oh who am i to say someone needs help. Anyone that is racist needs help.they also tried to make it look like i wrote it. The one that cares
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 02, 2005, 12:44:00 PM
Nah, trust me.  We recongnize your posts and the majority of us also recongnized that the particular poster was not you.  Again, stupid racist comment has nothing to do with this particular problem no matter how many times you say it does.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: miseducated on January 02, 2005, 12:57:00 PM
I thought it was excellent of The One That Cares to come down on the racist comment. Ignoring racist comments can seem like acceptance or agreement with them.

I would like to suggest that the Anonymous posters register. It gets confusing sorting out who is whom. You do not become any more or less identifiable as a registered user, you just have a distinct id when you post that differentiates you from all of the other posters. It would make the conversation easier to follow.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 02, 2005, 12:58:00 PM
One that "cares"...

I still didn't get those sources I asked you to cite regarding AA's success rates.  I'd really like to see them.



Anyone else see this "movement" getting a little out of hand?

I did a Google search for the word 'anonymous'.  These came up in the first couple of pages.

?Alcoholics
Overeaters
Gamblers
Sex addicts
Narcotics
Cocaine (isn?t this considered ?narcotic??)
Marijuana
Nicotine
Debtors
Families??????
Emotions
Co-dependents
Parents
Recovering Couples
Survivors of Incest
He/She
Food Addicts
Homosexuals
Depressed
Trauma
Recovery
Workaholics
Grandparents
Obsessive Compulsive

I stopped after OC Anon.  There are more.  This seems to be getting a little ridiculous.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 02, 2005, 01:03:00 PM
Nihilanthic wrote:
...If anyone kidnaps me I totally plan on showing as much respect as is necessary until I can put a knife in their throat.

***********************************

Up until this time I thought he was just an angry young man. Now it's apparent there's something much scarier going on here.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 02, 2005, 01:06:00 PM
Quote
On 2005-01-02 10:03:00, Anonymous wrote:

"Nihilanthic wrote:

...If anyone kidnaps me I totally plan on showing as much respect as is necessary until I can put a knife in their throat.



***********************************



Up until this time I thought he was just an angry young man. Now it's apparent there's something much scarier going on here.  



"


So, you're saying that if you were being kidnapped, you would not resist in any way, and just go along with it.

You programmed parents have even lost the ability to protect yourselves. Not surprising-- since you constantly confuse getting hurt and abused with being helped-- but still very sad.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 02, 2005, 01:11:00 PM
I don't know the sucess rate for AA or any of the others, if you want to find out use all the time you have to search for it. I am not a spokesperson for AA. I do know that it has helped millions all over the world. There is nothing brainwashing about getting one self help.AA and all the others are purley voluntary and costs no money. How are they taking advantage of someone? You do want to have to want the help, you can only do it for yourself. I went to meetings a long time ago. I do still drink. So you see i have no care if you feel AA helps or not, but it does make me see how ignorant you are. You could go to a meeting and ask them for the stats.The one that cares
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: A name on January 02, 2005, 01:16:00 PM
You're the one that keeps stating that it's helped so many people.  Where are those stats?

Did you even read any of the site that I sent you to at all?
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 02, 2005, 01:54:00 PM
Quote
On 2005-01-02 10:06:00, Anonymous wrote:

"
Quote

On 2005-01-02 10:03:00, Anonymous wrote:


"Nihilanthic wrote:


...If anyone kidnaps me I totally plan on showing as much respect as is necessary until I can put a knife in their throat.





***********************************





Up until this time I thought he was just an angry young man. Now it's apparent there's something much scarier going on here.  





"




So, you're saying that if you were being kidnapped, you would not resist in any way, and just go along with it.



You programmed parents have even lost the ability to protect yourselves. Not surprising-- since you constantly confuse getting hurt and abused with being helped-- but still very sad. "


I think you're confusing "intervention" with an actual kidnapping:  

 Main Entry: kid·nap
: to seize and detain or carry away by unlawful force or fraud and often with a demand for ransom
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 02, 2005, 01:56:00 PM
There is someone who understands. I did not respond because it's a bad analogy.
The one that cares
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 02, 2005, 02:09:00 PM
Quote
On 2005-01-02 10:54:00, Anonymous wrote:

"
Quote

On 2005-01-02 10:06:00, Anonymous wrote:


"
Quote


On 2005-01-02 10:03:00, Anonymous wrote:



"Nihilanthic wrote:



...If anyone kidnaps me I totally plan on showing as much respect as is necessary until I can put a knife in their throat.







***********************************







Up until this time I thought he was just an angry young man. Now it's apparent there's something much scarier going on here.  







"







So, you're saying that if you were being kidnapped, you would not resist in any way, and just go along with it.





You programmed parents have even lost the ability to protect yourselves. Not surprising-- since you constantly confuse getting hurt and abused with being helped-- but still very sad. "




I think you're confusing "intervention" with an actual kidnapping:  



 Main Entry: kid·nap

: to seize and detain or carry away by unlawful force or fraud and often with a demand for ransom"


I think you're confusing abuse for treatment. And that definition fits what The One That Kidnaps does perfectly (except for the ransom part-- but you could say that ransom has already been paid, since the parents have hired the kidnappers in the first place).

But that's okay. Ignore the facts, stick to your little delusion that hurting your child actually means helping them, and continue worshipping the Holy Program. The concentration camps are closing down, one by one. The survivors are getting older, and they are better equipped to fight. The entire country, as well as certain areas abroad, are waking up to the reality of the American treatment cults and gulags. People with common sense and the ability to think critically understand what's going on in these places, and are taking action to make a difference.

So stick to your delusions while you can, programmed parent; and kidnap as many kids as you can, The One who Kidnaps. Your time is running out.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 02, 2005, 02:11:00 PM
Look, we can debate AA on a different thread.  Sorry, I know it's a touchy subject on ALL sides.  My point in this is that people like you, i.e. Antigen's grunt analogy, who basically believe you're doing good work are sadly mistaken.  While many of you may have the greatest of intentions, they're not really based in reality.  You can't really force someone to change.  I know, you all jump up and down screaming that you don't force them, you give them the "opportunity" and "tools for change".  Not really.  You take them out of all familiar surroundings, intently (and I mean intently) control every aspect of their lives and force feed all the "love" they can handle.  In order to get someone to abandon their own sense of critical thinking you have to break them down.  Even if these kids aren't necessarily being beaten (although they most certainly are in many, many cases) the damage to the psyche is far reaching and lasting.  Forced confessions (5. Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.) especially in group settings is unbelievably dangerous.  The breaking of someone in order to 'help' them is always dangerous.  Being told day after day after day that if you leave or reject their beliefs you'll DIE is dangerous. (Unless each A.A. member follows to the best of his ability our [Bill Wilson's] suggested [required] Twelve Steps to recovery, he almost certainly signs his own death warrant. Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, William G. Wilson, page 174) That's really not true at all and very often you end up with, yep you guessed it....a self-fulfilling prophecy.  

Have you ever heard in a meeting someone say how grateful they are to be an alcoholic?  I have, many, many times.  The rationale (and I've asked about this many, many times) is that without becoming an alcoholic they wouldn't have found AA and without AA they're lives wouldn't be as 'joyous, happy and free'.  Do you see anything particularly twisted about that??  

Now, I'll leave the AA thing alone unless you'd like to continue it on another thread.  My point was that the psychological damage that is done is horrendous.  These kids are being LIED to.  We're creating an entire generation of ANONYMOUS.  It's gotten out of hand and the teen help industry is a serious symptom of what's wrong with this line of thinking.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: A name on January 02, 2005, 02:11:00 PM
Ooops. that was me.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: A name on January 02, 2005, 02:21:00 PM
and just in case you missed this...

http://www.nmha.org/children/justjuv/bootcamp.cfm (http://www.nmha.org/children/justjuv/bootcamp.cfm)

Boot camps do not reduce recidivism. Numerous studies of adult and juvenile boot camps have shown that graduates do no better in terms of recidivism than offenders who were incarcerated or, in some cases, than those sentenced to regular probation supervision. In fact, some researchers have found that boot camp graduates are more likely to be re-arrested or are re-arrested more quickly than other offenders.

Boot camps may not be cost effective. Although some boot camps enable jurisdictions to save money because youth serve shorter sentences, others have found that the extra costs of operating boot camps outweigh the benefits. For example, boot camps tend to be more labor intensive and more expensive to operate. If youth are sentenced to a boot camp when they could have been placed in probation or a community-based program, jurisdictions are actually losing money.

Experts agree that a confrontational approach is not appropriate. Most correctional and military experts agree that a confrontational model, employing tactics of intimidation and humiliation, is counterproductive for most youth in the juvenile justice system. The use of this kind of model has led to disturbing incidents of abuse. For youth of color (who represent the vast majority of the juveniles sentenced to boot camps)-as well as for youth with emotional, behavioral, or learning problems-degrading tactics may be particularly inappropriate and potentially damaging. The bullying style and aggressive interactions that characterize the boot camp environment fail to model the pro-social behavior and development of empathy that these youth really need to learn.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 02, 2005, 02:27:00 PM
Quote
On 2005-01-02 10:03:00, Anonymous wrote:

"Nihilanthic wrote:

...If anyone kidnaps me I totally plan on showing as much respect as is necessary until I can put a knife in their throat.



***********************************



Up until this time I thought he was just an angry young man. Now it's apparent there's something much scarier going on here.  



"


I don't find it so.  And most of the country doesn't, or violence in self-defense wouldn't be legal.  As, of course, it is.

For anyone who believes in fundamental human rights, it's not scary at all.  It's laudable.

For kidnappers and thugs, I imagine it *is* rather scary to concieve of the possibility that when you use violent force on someone, they might just use violent force *back* on you.

You sound like a toddler who runs to mommy and tattles, "Mommy!  He hit me *back*!!!!"

Wah.

Grow the hell up.

What goes around, comes around.  When you violently attack someone, your violence begets the violence you recieve in return.

Humanity is the most successful large omnivorous predator on the planet.  Don't be so surprised when you attack one and it *doesn't* react like a sheep.

The *truth* is that the major difference between an adolescent and an adult is that when you suddenly violently attack an *adult* who doesn't want to go with you, to incarcerate him or her, it is *much* more likely that that adult will use whatever force is necessary to stop you, up to and including killing you, up to and including killing *multiple* assailants, rather than meekly going along with you.

The major difference between an adult and an adolescent is that it's considerably *safer* to attack an adolescent.

Woe betide anyone who tried to kidnap or attack me or mine---if you're any student of history, all I should need to say is that my ancestors fought at Kings Mountain, TN and that my friends and family tend to be just as deadly.

Nihlanthic--you're exactly right.  Resisting a violent kidnapping with deadly force, even if it has to include some component of biding your time to be effective, is perfectly appropriate.

Don't like it, monsters?  Then don't take blood money to violently attack people who've never done you a bit of harm.

If you're a minor, you well might be prosecuted and jailed---but that's a flaw in the laws, not a flaw in you.

The right to self-defense is one of the natural rights of man, as is the right of personal liberty.

Yes, people can legitimately be deprived of their liberty if they're active dangers (to innocent people who aren't actually violently attacking them) or if they've committed crimes---but only with due process of law.

That teens are routinely violently kidnapped and incarcerated *without* due process of law is as much an evil flaw of our government as slavery, or when wives were chattel, or any other of the historically nightmare violations of fundamental human rights.

Sometimes the law is wrong.

Which, of course, is why I'm trying to change the law.  I'd rather it be upfront and on the table for people who would do kidnappings for money that not only do they risk their own lives and freedom, but that if their intended victims may well use deadly force to stop the kidnappers' crime.

And, of course, I *don't* think someone who resists a kidnapping with force proportional to that used by the kidnappers should be prosecuted.

Kidnapping an individual over the age of reason, without due process of law, is malum in se.  It doesn't *matter* if it's legal.  It's still malum in se.

If they legalized rape, it would still be *moral* for a woman being attacked by a man attempting to rape her to fight back, even if she had to kill him to stop his attack.  Because rape is malum in se---wrong in and of itself.

You can legalize something that's malum in se, but making it legal doesn't make it right.  Just as making self-defense illegal doesn't make it immoral for someone who's being attacked to defend himself.

Good on you, Nihlanthic.

Timoclea
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 02, 2005, 02:33:00 PM
If you think it is better to keep ones feelings tied up inside and not share them with someone, then you really are nuts. It is nothing but healthy to get to ones feelings and let them out. It is very healthy to cry and not hold it in till you explode, which is what;s happening with most of these kids. A parent has died, or a divorce or some kind of traumatic experience. for me it was my fathers death, but had no idea why i was acting out. I know now it later also had to to with my mom having a boyfriend who lived with us did not work and just use the shit out of my mom, thus i was given too much freedom and neglected. I know my mom has never stoped loving me, but was very lost at the most important time of my life. Unfortunatly i see the same story over and over again. So you see i do blame the parents for this my having to do an intervention on thier child. Very few kids have a mom and dad living in the same house or one has died. You want stats, from my 200 or so intterventions i would say about 5-10 kids had a complete household. The one that cares
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 02, 2005, 02:38:00 PM
An Intervention is not a violent attack! It is anything but. If a kid does flip out, then we restrain them as safely as possible, get them cuffed and then walk them to the car.Once we are in the car it is to the kid when the cuffs come off. More stats for you, because of the way i do my job, i can count on one hand how many times i have used cuffs.I do know it is policy of some other transport companies to use cuffs. Not ours.
The one that cares
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: A name on January 02, 2005, 02:45:00 PM
COMPLETELY missing my point......again.  Of course I'm not advocating bottling up one's feelings about a traumatic event in life, you ninny.  That's what friends, family and true[/b] therapy are for.

The confessions these kids are forced into are later used against them.  If they are caught breaking a rule or if they simply express the desire to leave the program.  It usually goes something like this:

Kid - I want to leave.(having previously disclosed some sexual experience, which are the favorite at these places)

Staff/peer group: - So you want to go back out there and spread your legs like you did before???
 

It happens, and much worse ALL THE TIME.  The more gruesome the tale, the more tears that are cried the more 'love' you get.   But then it's held in escrow to be used at a later time.  It's neither healthy nor therapeutic to devulge ones deepest, darkest secrets to a large group of teenages.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 02, 2005, 02:55:00 PM
Actually, the main difference between an adult human and a juvenile human is that you *can't* manipulate an adult into abject compliance with the same ease you can a juvenile---and it's damned dangerous to try.

A pubescent juvenile will tell you to go to hell when you tell him to do something, in a knee jerk kind of way, just because you told him to do it, just to hack you off.  And then if you apply real pressure, the juvenile will cave in and fold.

An *adult* will consider whether what you told him to do is, all things considered, in his best interests *according to him* or not---and if it is, he won't allow your telling him to do it to either persuade or dissuade him.  If it isn't, he'll tell you to go to hell.

And then if you apply real pressure, an adult *may* or may not fold---but either way the adult will recognize you thereafter as an enemy and will treat you as such.  You'll never be able to turn your back on that adult again, and generally speaking he *will* eventually "get you" for it.

It's not *safe* to victimize adults.  Once an adult human has processed you into the "threat" category, he *will* bend his mind on how to neutralize that threat to himself---and don't even *think* about threatening his family.

In a civilized society, we have a lot of *chronological* adults walking around with adolescent minds.  The kicker is that being victimized will frequently and unpredictably turn a random adolescent who's chronologically adult into an actual adult---and the process doesn't work in reverse.  Once the mind change has occurred, there's no going back.

The natural human adult, like any other large predator, evaluates threats and acts to remove them----like a wild dog or a feral cat.

Domesticated dogs and cats are a lot like kittens or puppies, mentally.  Pretty much always.  They never *have* to evaluate and deal effectively with threats or die, so they never make the transition.

The difference you see in Nihlanthic is that he's been presented with large enough of a threat that he can mentally conceive of as real to trigger a chronological adolescent to cross the border into adulthood, mentally.

And the truth is that even if Nihlanthic hasn't realized it yet, the odds of him being kidnapped like one of the teens that gets stuck in programs just went way, way down.

The reason is simple:

He's thinking in terms of self-preservation, not walking around in a fog where self-destructive behavior is something to be played around with because he's convinced he's immortal---I'll bet you anything that deep down he's *not* convinced he's immortal or not (even if he hasn't yet noticed the change).

Nihlanthic very likely wouldn't make the mistake of hacking off his parents as badly as kids that end up in the programs do---he's likely to treat his parents gently, like pretty packages of nitroglycerin that won't be disarmed until the moment he turns 18.  He'll likely make his own decisions, but make very sure if he's doing things his parents would disapprove of that they don't know or find out anything that would hurt *him*.

It's just that your average adult doesn't go walking around *saying*, "If I had to kill an attacker to keep him from raping me, he's dead meat, I'd kill him."  We typically don't go around listing all the various hypothetical threats out there---because the chronologically adult puppies won't understand, and our psychologically adult fellows (half the adults walking around, at least) don't need it to be said.  And generally we limit how much we say it to avoid scaring the puppies.  I'm not sure if that's a good or a bad thing, personally.  There are pluses and minuses.

I'm sure Nihlanthic isn't slavering at the thought of being attacked just so he could kill the attackers.  It's just that he's just absorbed, on a gut level, that some clear and present dangers, some *active* threats, are worth killing or dying over.

Welcome to adulthood, son.  I hope you never have to personally fight off a violent attack.  Just as I hope that I and mine never have to.

But I *would*, if I had to.  Just as you would.

And that very willingness lets you catalog and deal with most potential threats before it ever gets far enough along for violence on *either* side to become a real possibility.  Ironically, the willingness to use violence in defense, and the awareness of when you might have to, makes you able to plan ahead so hopefully it never comes to that.

Timoclea
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 02, 2005, 03:01:00 PM
The groups i had with my fellow dormmates 20 something years ago were very helpful and nothing like that happened at the school i was in. I agree that would not be right to do.But these kids to become like family, i've seen it. We did at my school. Of course there are always kids you don't get along with and staff you don't like either. In november my self and a partner transfered 2 boys from one school to another. They told me that there was really no one there that was all that bad and they would miss allot of the kids and staff. The next morning at the airport they had to part ways as i was flying with one to 1 school and my partner with the other somewherelse. It was very touching the 2 boys not only gave each other a hug goodbye, but also gave hugs to me and my partner and thanked us for treating them so well.
We were together for about 16 hours, before we seperated.We stayed in a hotel for about 6 hours after driving about 7 hours.so if it feels like family and there is legitament caring then it is very healthy to share your problems if you are comfortable with it. We were never forced.
The one that cares
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Antigen on January 02, 2005, 03:55:00 PM
In my experience w/ teenagers, it takes a good long time to earn any real affection or respect. You can spend a few hours w/ a toddler, say babysitting over the course of a couple of days, and win a great deal of trust and fondness from them. But more mature people take longer. They're not so needy, they know more about the world and are not so quick to trust.

What makes you think there's anything natural or healthy about the way you describe these kids' behavior? In all honesty, every encounter you describe sounds like you're dealing w/ people who have been traumatized to the point of regression.

And I notice that you continually refer to these creepy expressions of love and respect like so many trophies on your book-shelf. That says a lot about you.

I was born a heretic. I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires.
--Susan B. Anthony, U.S. reformer and suffragist

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 02, 2005, 04:20:00 PM
Almost every restraint I saw at desisto was done by unlicensed students. Restraints are delecate and a kid can get seriously hurt. The fact is that we were all forced to restrain out fellow students because tthere was inadequate security and not enough staff. These were also some of the main reasons leading for Desisto's inability tto obtain licensing from the state. I for one was a participant in a restraint where a kid punched out a window. In the restraint his wrist got pulled down into a glass frame, slashing it open. If it were licensed care staff doing the restraint these mistakes would not have been made, but the policy of mostly student restraints (especially in the new kids dorms) was VERY DANGEROUS and i witnessed MANY A SERIOUS INJURY CREATED FROM THIS POLLICY. YOU STEWARD ASS MOTHERFUCKERS ARE SO SILLY, YOU NEED TO STOP POINTING THE FOCUS ON ALL OF SOCIETYS PROBLEMS, TRYING TO COMPARE THE EVILS OF SOCIETY TTO THE (you claim not so bad)  "NECECARRY EVILS" OF DESISTO. LIFE IS FUCKED UP, THIS IS TRUE, BUT IT DOES IN NO WAY EXCUSE HOW MY CIVIL RIGHTS AND SAFETY WAS JEAPORDIZED, not to mention psychological abuse to the extreme.

THE FACT IS DESISTO WAS AN UNSAFE AND ABUSIVE ENVIRONMENT! IF ANYONE WHO WAS THERE CAN CONVINCE ME OF OTHERWISE, I WILL TIP MY HAT. But you cant explain away or overjustify what me and other students went thru...


dcept360

michaels babys need to get a life, your savior is dead :skull:
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 02, 2005, 04:27:00 PM
Also, 20 years ago the school was somewhat sane. I cant speak for that, but about 10 years before the close (around 94 or so) there was a series of riots. After that everything changed, unlicensed staff thorazining the kids up, and all the crazy policy i speak of. It was VERY DIFFERENT because of the fluidity of the rules and how they evolved to cope witth these kids that they were simply unprepared for. The result was all the crazy shit i speak against. 20 years ago it really wasnt even the same school, so let it go. the 95-2004 years were the really bad times i sppeak of.

and im sorry, i dont see how being forced to hold hands and avert my gaze from the normal populace by being forced to hold our heads down like some sort of freak in the Berkshire Mall on Christmas eve served any purpose but to further draw a spike between myself and "normal society".

Quite frankley i know that nobody in the world except for my classmates from that period know what went on, and they are all glad the state finally stepped in (took their sweet fucking time, thatks dicks!)

once again
dcept360

come get you some stewards...
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: spots on January 02, 2005, 05:34:00 PM
Quote
On 2005-01-02 12:01:00, Anonymous wrote:

"...But these kids to become like family, i've seen it.

Human beings crave family.  That is definitive of our breed. Taken away, humans re-create family from whatever is available.  The Program specifically works to quickly and emphatically erase all former family and authority figures, thus speeding the substitution of The Program as the family/authority.  Sever the ties, and rebuild new ones with The Program as family.  

Does The Program tell kids from Day 1 that their "real" families hate them for what they've done to the family?  Yep.  Does the Program tell parents to write their kids that they are taking a well-deserved vacation without the screw-up kid?  Yep.  Does The Program demand a kid ask for toilet privileges, to move across a threshold, to raise a hand to speak?  Yep. This is a regression that puts the teenage kids back into toddler-land.  This is their "family", starting all over again.  

Why aren't parents allowed to call their kids soon, often, and unsupervised when first in The Program? Because The Program must have "worked", becoming the ultimate substitute family, even stronger and more demanding than the kid's original  family.  If the kid hasn't replaced his own family/authority with The Program's, he doesn't get a call home, now does he?  If that substitution mentality never comes, if the kid never buckles, then the kid can languish without contact with his parents for months and years (it happened to me and mine). You take away the basic social structure required by a human, and put something else up in front of him.  No matter how weird the kid may think this new "family", it's making the best of a bad lot, and he'll eventually adopt his new "family".  Add an "escort" who gives a tiny bit of normalcy ("Hey, how's it going?"), and the unrequited need for love springs forward.  THAT'S what your hugs of love are, One Who Kidnaps.  The ticket-taker at the airport could just as easily be the object of such love if she said, "Have a nice day"...it's just not physically possible for her to get hugged.

Quote
 
It was very touching the 2 boys not only gave each other a hug goodbye, but also gave hugs to me and my partner and thanked us for treating them so well.

We were together for about 16 hours, before we seperated.We stayed in a hotel for about 6 hours after driving about 7 hours.


This dramatic "clinging", expressing love and gratitude for the slightest social warmth, is not normal.  Like Ginger says, it shows the degree of regression these kids have fallen to.  When I asked my kid how she could have made good friends with kids at WWASPS when she wasn't allowed to speak, she replied that she "knew" them from their confession stories in group, and from that very sad state of affairs became friends with people she had never spoken to.  Could you  have as your best friend a movie star who "spoke" to you from a script?  Could you love The Program director if you were not allowed to look directly at him (opposite sex), but it was he who allowed you to eat (enter the cafeteria)?  There's nothing *real* there, but for lack of a better word, some would call it love.  

It seems the majority of survivors of gulags eventually revert to more normal social relationships...they understand eventually what is, and is not, love.  It denotes a serious psychological gap when a hired thug thinks desperate hugs from kids going from one miserable family to yet another miserable experience is love.  DeSisto may have been bad for you, One Who, but you seem to have never fully recovered enough to understand truth.  Tough it is, but Love it isn't.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 02, 2005, 05:56:00 PM
Sure there's a better word for it.

It's called, "Stockholm Syndrome."

And it's the reason the kids subjected to it end up on somebody's couch years later with PTSD.

Every one of these kids should get before and after brain scans, and when the facility causes PTSD, they should pay, and pay, and pay.

Timoclea
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 02, 2005, 06:13:00 PM
Spots,

I would add to your insightful comments:

This too is how the sexual predators are able to take advantage of the kids who have been isolated,neglected,abandoned,starved for normal attention and physical contact.

God does not like those who hurt the children.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 02, 2005, 06:15:00 PM
Of course, the only reason that would be fair is because if they were paying attention to each child's needs and treating their problems properly, no way in hell they'd be causing PTSD that the kid *didn't* already come in with----that would have showed up in the pre-admission scan.

If they cause further damage, if they harm instead of healing, they should pay damages.  If they do it wilfully, they should have to pay punitive damages.

Timoclea
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 02, 2005, 07:31:00 PM
I never fell into the desisto stuff, i made a deal with my mom that if i did well i would get out after my 10th grade year and she held to her promise. But i screwed up more when i went home and on every vacation from the school i smoked pot, and never got caught.I did however make some friends while i was there. It was also not as strict as the BM schools today. I had a private thearapist once a week and the dorm meeetings with my peers. I do know that some of these schools you have to pay extra for thearapy.
I'm not sure what happened to the desisto school after 94 as one of the last posts says, but again it was a fair and caring school when i went there. I never saw anyone get hurt getting restrained and yes it was done by staff and whoever was near students included. I had to done to me and helped with about 3 while i was there. Again can't speak for it after 20 something years ago. I have also said that i did not personally like Mike desisto he was creepy.
But i had very little contact with him in my 8 months. The one that cares
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on January 02, 2005, 08:38:00 PM
Timoclea, I'm recently 20. Dec 8th, FYI.

I got involved in this when I found out it existed. And yeah, I am personally hurt that this exists on this planet, this country, and other human beings do this. About April of 04.

Oh, and OWC, up yours! Its not some issue that I would not go along with being kidnapped. Its your head being completely screwed up thinking kidnapping, regression, extreme distress and EXTENDED captivity is NORMAL and we all have 'issues' to work out.

Your 'treatment' at Desisto turned into a damn religion for you. It should have ended the moment you go out. It shouldnt be your god damn way of life.

I mean jesus christ you don't worship the doctor that helped your mom give birth, or someone who put a bandage on some boo-boo when you were a kid, do you?

The hypothalamus is one of the most important parts of the brain, involved in many kinds of motivation, among other functions.  The hypothalamus controls the "Four F's": 1. fighting;  2. fleeing;  3.feeding; and  4. mating.
-- Psychology professor in neuropsychology intro course

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 02, 2005, 10:05:00 PM
Happy Birthday Nih !!
I appreciate your Sagitarian fire and passion.
May it continue to burn bright and strong, illuninating the dark closets of the industry.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: miseducated on January 03, 2005, 12:03:00 AM
I totally love your focus and intelligence, Nihilanthic. Thanks for taking up our cause. It is expeshly painful for me to read the postings of the brainwashed and/or program abuse posters -- hits too close ya know. so I can't hang around here too much. I feel like the battle is in good hands with the likes of you though, who are able to keep head above water.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on January 03, 2005, 02:32:00 AM
lol, thanks.

I'm not in this for pats on the back, though. I'm here because this is total bullcrap and the authorities are being amazingly apathetic.

I'm someone who ACTUALLY cares about others, not just out to use it as an excuse to make money kidnapping people and reaffirm my own ridiculous ideals about how its okay to kidnap, hold captive, torture and break down CHILDREN as a JOB.

Harmlessly passing your time in the grasslands away;
Only dimly aware of a certain unease in the air.
you better watchout,
there may be dogs about.
I've looked over Jordan, and have seen.
Things are not what they seem.


--Roger Waters 1977

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Perrigaud on January 03, 2005, 04:49:00 AM
20! That explains a lot. To whoever asked me about the restraining thing: Girls who decided that it was ok to cut on themselves got restrained. Girls who attacked others were restrained. That's all I saw. Oh and girls who started to hit themselves. Well Niles,  you sure did start some hot debate. Did you have any other questions?
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Perrigaud on January 03, 2005, 05:05:00 AM
The program never made me feel helpless. Please, I never was molested, harmed, harshly disciplined, or such.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on January 03, 2005, 05:14:00 AM
My age doesnt change much, but maybe it explains how hotheaded I am.  :wink:

And, yeah, 'restraining' someone who attacks others or cuts themself... thats never been an issue!

Doing it in a inhumane way to terorrize and torutre someone, even if necessary, and especially as a form of physical and psychological punishment, is the issue here regarding restraint.. So is accountability of it... and as far as I know there is none.



Save our planet; it's the only one with chocolate!

--Andi, domestic goddess

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Perrigaud on January 03, 2005, 05:17:00 AM
There's a thin line between abuse and for the good. It's challenging 'cause everyone has an opinion. What was acceptable for me may not be for someone else. Naturally beating anyone while they are restrained is not allowable (in my head). By the way I'm 21 so I understand completely about the flare.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on January 03, 2005, 06:10:00 AM
Thin line between abuse and 'for the good' my ass!

Saying in so many words "I dont think it was abusive although someone else might" is just an attempt to make torture based behavior modification 'okay'. Tearing someone apart with terror, brutally enforced submission and conformity, and harshness in general has no intrinsic 'therapy' or good in it at all.

You dont fix a problem with more brutality. Breaking down and reprogramming someones mind, or breaking them like a slave or work animal, is not good, its not okay. You might as well spank or lock up your kid for saying they have a fever.

Yeah, the fever will go away in time and the kid will shut up, but you didnt fix a damn thing. You just got the behavior you wanted.

'Mindrape' (fine, psychologically regressive) seminars are not okay either. Period. Gilcrease and resourcesrealizations can kiss my ass.

You mean to tell me its for ANYONES good to beat or be brutal or harsh on someone? Strictness doesnt do anything except be strict! There's no benefit from treating someone that way unless you mean being trained to suffer without complaint.  

I still havent seen the real therapy from the original question. I'm inclined to think its nonexistant. I see that its advertised as a "pay extra" kind of thing, but thats BALONEY.

All I've gathered so far is these places do nothing more than detain kids brought by parents, or kidnapthem FOR the bastards, keep them captive and in harsh, dominating, uncomfortable, pleasureless environments and force them to do as told, beg to be allowed to do anything, restrained as corporal punishment, and forced into said regressive seminars.

Isnt it funny how you see cameras in prisons, but not in these treatment centers?

The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty.
-- John Adams, (1772)

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Perrigaud on January 03, 2005, 06:48:00 AM
Actually Niles there are cameras in CCM. I don't know about the other locations. I didn't say that extreme was ok. Damn you're stubborn. You hear what you want to. Or maybe I didn't word it right. What I meant to say was that you could put one kid in the corner for coloring on the furniture and he would understand that it's not ok. Whereas another kid you might have to take away the tv. I didn't say go ahead and beat one sensless and the other not. Common now, don't dramatize everything I say.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Perrigaud on January 03, 2005, 06:54:00 AM
If a person goes into these "mind altering" seminars and says they were brainwashed then that person wasn't mentally strong. Brainwash? There's only so much brainwashing a person can do to another. It may last a little bit, but if that person isn't subject to it for years and years they'll eventually snap out of it. I refuse to think that people are that weak. If you personally were to go into these seminars do you think that you are so weak of a person that you would be brainwashed into conforming to their ways? Who ever said that they were the end all? I never did. I still don't say that they are the end all. I don't agree with everything. It's so easy to blame others.  [ This Message was edited by: Perrigaud on 2005-01-03 03:55 ]
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 03, 2005, 07:42:00 AM
Quote
On 2005-01-03 03:54:00, Perrigaud wrote:

"If a person goes into these "mind altering" seminars and says they were brainwashed then that person wasn't mentally strong. Brainwash? There's only so much brainwashing a person can do to another. It may last a little bit, but if that person isn't subject to it for years and years they'll eventually snap out of it. I refuse to think that people are that weak. If you personally were to go into these seminars do you think that you are so weak of a person that you would be brainwashed into conforming to their ways? Who ever said that they were the end all? I never did. I still don't say that they are the end all. I don't agree with everything. It's so easy to blame others.  [ This Message was edited by: Perrigaud on 2005-01-03 03:55 ]"


Perrigaud,

They break these children down to make them weak. Children who arrive at these places in a normal, healthy state are allowed to leave only when they are broken down and have either accepted the program ideology (= the program is never wrong, I was a terrible person before the program, the program saved my life, etc.) or they are so terrorized and traumatized that they don't dare to say anything critical, for fear of being sent back.

And, yes, people are that weak. Many of them are. You are one of them, Perrigaud. You gave in and graduated the program. This is not your fault, though. It is THEIR fault.

It doesn't take being subjected to it "for years and years" to fall right into it. Just look at the programmed parents. Three days is all it takes.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 03, 2005, 07:44:00 AM
Quote
On 2005-01-03 03:48:00, Perrigaud wrote:

"Actually Niles there are cameras in CCM. I don't know about the other locations. I didn't say that extreme was ok. Damn you're stubborn. You hear what you want to. Or maybe I didn't word it right. What I meant to say was that you could put one kid in the corner for coloring on the furniture and he would understand that it's not ok. Whereas another kid you might have to take away the tv. I didn't say go ahead and beat one sensless and the other not. Common now, don't dramatize everything I say. "


While I agree with you that different methods work for different children, I disagree with your implication that this extends to the program, and that some children need to be subjected to life at a WWASP concentration camp in order to "understand" that their behavior is not okay.

And, yes, we've all heard about the cameras. They are installed in the director's office, so that s/he can see what is going on in the OP rooms. Which is totally sick.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 03, 2005, 08:13:00 AM
I don;t think you understand me i was not and still am not a desistoite. I am and have always been my own person. The only thing i got out of my 8 months at desisto was good grades for a year and the fact that i am my own person and no one can tell me what to do if i think it is not right. You see before i went to there i was hanging out with older kids and being infuenced to do things i would not normally do. I mentioned that i screwed up again after leaving desisto, but then at least i was screwing up making my own decisions and not being told to do things. You are so wrong about me. But that what this board is all about DISTRUST. I don't trust you and you don't trust me. The fact that you are 20 and have allot of maturing to do explains allot. The people that say you have insight, are blinded with tunnel vision. You need to live a allot longer before i start seeing you have insight. You did sound like a kid all this time.
The one that cares
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 03, 2005, 08:17:00 AM
I believe they only have OP in jamaica now, all the others have switched. All they do in the other schools now is have them sit in a room ith staff and other kids that are in trouble, untill they are ready to go work.They call it intervention room now.No OP unless you go to jamaica and then you still need to really screw up to be in thier.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Perrigaud on January 03, 2005, 09:17:00 AM
No. Wrong. I am not weak. If I was I'd blame everything on the program and say I had no control. I didn't give in. But if that's what you want to believe than go right ahead. I never said it saved my life. That's as bad as saying religion is full of brainwashing. Sure. Along with the media and so on. Please, if anything it has helped (not entirely) keep you and your kids safe from who I was. You would have hated to cross my path.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Perrigaud on January 03, 2005, 09:18:00 AM
That's right keep blaming the program.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 03, 2005, 09:24:00 AM
You should be very proud of yourself perrigaud!
Don't let anything these people say get to you at all. Just laugh it off. We can see the truth and have both even admitted to these people we don't agree with everything, but do know it is better than were most of these kids would end up.
They however refuse to believe that anyone has been helped, just brainwashed. Well if i did have a kid and he or she was brianwashed to not do drugs and make better decisions then hey if that's what you call brainwashing fine. Lets do it to more kids that need help. There are allot of kids out there who's parents can't afford these schools and it's a shame. they do charge way to much! The one that cares
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 03, 2005, 09:35:00 AM
OP,R and R, The hobbit. Its all the same, used for punishment and Isolation
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 03, 2005, 09:39:00 AM
Quote
On 2005-01-03 06:17:00, Perrigaud wrote:

" That's as bad as saying religion is full of brainwashing.

I won't even go there.  You're too young.

 
Quote
Please, if anything it has helped (not entirely) keep you and your kids safe from who I was. You would have hated to cross my path. "


Awww, go on with your bad self.  Don't kid yourself.  You weren't any worse than half the teens running around today.  Should we round all of them up too???
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Perrigaud on January 03, 2005, 09:48:00 AM
Um, wish you could see my record. 10 of my friends are dead, disabled, or locked up for good. But yeah, I'm just like everyone else right?
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 03, 2005, 09:58:00 AM
Quote
On 2005-01-03 05:17:00, Anonymous wrote:

"I believe they only have OP in jamaica now, all the others have switched. All they do in the other schools now is have them sit in a room ith staff and other kids that are in trouble, untill they are ready to go work.They call it intervention room now.No OP unless you go to jamaica and then you still need to really screw up to be in thier."


I find that very hard to believe that WWASP has 'softened up' in any way. Besides, it doesn't matter what they call it, It's still solitary confinement and it's still wrong.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 03, 2005, 10:04:00 AM
Quote
On 2005-01-03 06:17:00, Perrigaud wrote:

"No. Wrong. I am not weak. If I was I'd blame everything on the program and say I had no control.

WWASPie BULLSHIT!!!

You SHOULD blame the program, because the program is at fault! The fact that you don't means that you GAVE IN. You SURRENDERED.

And you didn't have control AT ALL, since WWASP controlled every aspect of your life, 24/7. Remember having to ask permission to open a door, or talk, or use the toilet, or get up, or sit down? Remember having to keep your head down at all times? Remember not being allowed to talk to other girls, at all? Remember not knowing anything about what was going on in the outside world?

WWASP still has so much control over you. Your actions and your thoughts. It is sad and scary to read what you write. You defend the people who murdered your soul.

Quote
I didn't give in.

You graduated, and you believe in the program. So, yes, you gave in.

Quote
Please, if anything it has helped (not entirely) keep you and your kids safe from who I was. You would have hated to cross my path. "


Yeah, yeah, I know, you were a horrible person, the scum of the earth, before the Holy Program stepped in and saved you. I've heard that bullshit thousands of times before.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: BuzzKill on January 03, 2005, 10:33:00 AM
Quote
On 2005-01-03 05:17:00, Anonymous wrote:

"I believe they only have OP in jamaica now, all the others have switched. All they do in the other schools now is have them sit in a room ith staff and other kids that are in trouble, untill they are ready to go work.They call it intervention room now.No OP unless you go to jamaica and then you still need to really screw up to be in thier."


And who might you be to have such inside knowledge?
By inferance, this seems to be an addmission that OP/ r&r/ The Hobbit and so on, are "wrong". Abusive, even. So, why is it, Jay is still abusing the kids? And please define "really screwing up". In the past this has often ment no more than speaking a few words to someone - even as a courtisy or simple request. Does it now require a kid to shout or curse to get weeks or even months "on their face"?
I do a little doubt the pratice of forced stress positions, silence, hunger, forced extream exercise and lack of tolet breaks, with brutal restraint has been abandoned by the program - tho I would not be at all surprized if you have dicided its time for a name change.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 03, 2005, 11:02:00 AM
Even if the Program has softened up,which would only happen do to the scrutiny they have been under.

Even if: the damage has been done to so many .

The predators should have been stopped years ago when the Kays knew what had happened.When they knew what was happening. No excuse ever will make up for the damage they have done.

How dare those low lives pepper spray a troubled kid. How dare they do what they did.

The same will come back to you!!
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Deborah on January 03, 2005, 12:36:00 PM
***That's as bad as saying religion is full of brainwashing. Sure. Along with the media and so on.

There are many who feel religion is a form of brainwashing. Brainwashing = conditioning the thoughts and behaviors of others. One has to analyse the information presented and determine if it is inline with their values. If they have no values or independent thoughts, they are more suseptable for adopting the rhetoric presented.

The church I was forced to attend had music to set the tone. Songs that reminded the churchgoers of their pitiful, sinful nature and how their salvation was dependent on jesus. The message was fraught with fear mongering. Their interpretation of the bible was literal. Testimonies were given about how finding religion had saved one's life. People were pressured to walk down the aisle and make a public confession and accept jesus as their savior. Pressured to join the church and be loyal and faithful to that particular sect- ensuring that the church would receive 10% of their earnings.

The goal, keep people in a fearful state- believing in a sadistic god who can count the number of hairs on your head, who will judges your every action and determines your eternal fate, condition people to interpret the bible in such a way that benefits the institution of religion.

Are people forced against their will? Not usually in a physical way, although that has happened... but most definitely in a subtle, covert way. The preacher and followers will manipulate one's fear to keep them coming back and, of course, tithing.

It's quiet the racket and goes pretty much against everything that their 'lord jesus', who died for thier sins, taught.

And the media. Do you seriously believe that the media is not in total about conditioning/ brainwashing the masses. Yes, there may be a few exceptions, but every program, every commercial, every documentary has the power to condition the thinking of the masses. That racket is also extremely profitable.

I appreciate your right to believe that the program saved you. On a very gross level it may have, by simply removing you from the outside world and potentially dangerous behavior. Are there other, more respectful ways to accomplish the same. Yes. Some people are just not aware of them and see the program (and/or organized religion, not much difference) as the solution.

Same could be said about public education. I particularly resent that kids are not given accurate information in their text books. Read a history book lately? What vested interest do the authors have in re-writing history and conditioning young americans to believe their outright lies? Brainwashing? Conditioning? Yeh.
And to a large degree, kids are a captive audience since few have options such as private school or homeschool. Conditioning of the masses.

There aren't any new tricks, just different spins.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Antigen on January 03, 2005, 08:50:00 PM
Perrigaud,
  You say that kids were restrained for carving on themselves or acting out violently.

  I don't know about you, but I've never seen anyone carve on themselves outside of the Program. Have you? I know it happens, people don't usually do that sort of thing, except under extreme duress. Very few of the girls (and it was mostly an issue on the girls' side) never did that before entering the Program. Have you been able to talk to any of the girls you went through the program with enough to know when they started carving? If you ask around you might find that your experience is similar to mine in that regard. I know it's not exactly a light or pleasant topic of conversation. Especially around the holidays (which can be hard for some, especially those with past or present family troubles) but, if you're going to think about it, think about it from all angles.

  I note another similarity between you and me. I never fought either. Different reasons. I went in w/ the intention of proving that I was already straight enough and nothing they could do to me would make me loose my temper and help them pretend I was an animal. I'd had good training. I was picked on a lot by peers and older brothers and sisters as a kid and my dad had always taught me how to defend myself and how to know when violence is the only/best way to do that (practically never)
 
  But I saw what happened. Didn't have the same impact on me because my family had been involved w/ the Program for around 10 years. So I wasn't surprised by anything. Didn't even make a big deal about the strip search, so even that had little shock effect.

  Take any incident that you can remember of a kid getting restrained and put it in normal context. Pretend the staff are regular public school faculty, and the kids (including the one restrained) are all public school students. Would the same things happen? Would you view it the same?

  I mean, if I took someone out of their bed at night, flew them to some secluded place, strip searched them and enforced 'normal' program rules and routines on them, I'd expect to get knocked out somewhere along the line.

  What I saw happen, over and over again, were relatively normal kids pushed, prodded and antagonized to the point of losing their temper and then blamed for 'acting out' and even shamed for 'making' us sit on them.

  Can you say that any of these restraints that you saw could have happened the way they did out in the real world (where wittnesses have no strong incentive to cover up)

If people let government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny.
Thomas Jefferson

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 03, 2005, 10:34:00 PM
Antigen wrote: I don't know about you, but I've never seen anyone carve on themselves outside of the Program. Have you? I know it happens, people don't usually do that sort of thing, except under extreme duress. Very few of the girls (and it was mostly an issue on the girls' side) never did that before entering the Program...

This is an interesting link on self-abuse/cutting.  I know a girl who was admitted to Cross Creek for this.  She said it made her feel in control and feel good.  Hard for me to understand, but I don't doubt it.  This link also has a message board and also links to other informative links.

http://groups.msn.com/WhispersofAbuseSa ... abuse.msnw (http://groups.msn.com/WhispersofAbuseSafeHaven/selfabuse.msnw)
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Deborah on January 03, 2005, 11:26:00 PM
My son cut near the end and for a short time after returning from a military bm facility. Never before.
My perception of this is that it is misdirected anger- turned toward self. He was tortured on a daily basis. Came home after 6 months with 'PTSD'. I think this is more likely when a kid is abused and has no outlet for the anger and indignation they feel about what's happening to them. When they are abused and silenced- can not defend themselves. The anger has to come out, therefore it is directed at the only safe target there is, self. Compounding the issue, is a daily barrage of psych attacks, drilling one with the message that they are a miserable piece of shit, worthless, no one cares about them. He also mentioned at one point that he thought it was a way that he kept in touch with reality. Cutting forced him to feel when he really just wanted to zone out and be numb. He only did it when he was angry.
In the program, it was almost a ritual to toughen himself to abuse. To increase his tolerance to pain.
I think the self administered 'tatoo' which is done with a straight pen and ink, which was a program ritual, might have been his first introduction to cutting.

I can't imagine that a program is the 'cure' for cutting, as participation in a program caused my son to cut. I imagine the girls that might have cut prior to program, if there were any, were in pretty miserable situations and felt extremely  stifled and worthless.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Perrigaud on January 04, 2005, 07:29:00 AM
One more time for the dense person that keeps thinking I'm all about the program. Read the rest of my posts and get it through your head. So I had to do a lot of things that were about compliancy. Get it compliancy to the rules. The emotional stuff helped me. The program is not "holy". I never said that. I did say that it helped. Helped (not cured or healed). I took what I needed from it and threw away what I didn't. I don't blame the program. I have the self control to realize that it's not the programs fault. Whatever, no point in fighting what you say. I agree to disagree.
***********************************************
In my public school there were about 5 cutters I knew. Their parents tried to keep it hush hush. One of em was my close friend. She said it helped her feel in control and she liked it. I never understood that. In my school there was an incident where a kid started cutting his arm with an exacto knife 'cause he "felt like it". I don't know just how common it is.
What are your feelings about military school?[ This Message was edited by: Perrigaud on 2005-01-05 05:37 ]
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 04, 2005, 07:31:00 AM
I picked up a allot of cutters and thier parents had no idea they were doing it until i told them. We are trained to notice things like that and the last time my female partner noticed her cuts when they went to the bathroom. you would not see someone cut them selves outside of a program because they do it in private and suicides the same. There is the possiblity that boy was cutting before he went to milatary school and the parent and the school never found out. Think about the uniform long sleves very thick.Also you should all watch the movie Thirteen. If you have not seen it it will go into this particualr problem for you to see and others that young girls go through. The movie is based on a true story. It is a hard movie to watch, but well worth it. The one that cares
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: BuzzKill on January 04, 2005, 11:45:00 AM
Cutting was once very rare and was a common symptom of BPD; which was also very rare.
BPD, is for reasons not understood,(I have my own theory) now at epidemic levels. So is cutting. Lot of kids are cutting, and a lot of them are BPD. BPD was once largely a female disorder. For reasons not understood,(I have my own theory)the percentage of males affected is evening out. What was once 90% female, is now more like 50/50. So, you have a lot more boys also cutting now.
Cutters do "get off on it". It is an addicting type of behavior and is very difficult to stop. I feel it might be related to Tricotilomania - Hair pulling. I feel is is a type of OCD; like the hair pulling. OCD is a common co-disorder with BPD.
Lots of these kids are prime candidates for Programs, b/c they are often out of controll in many ways - and often are a danger to themselves and others. The rages some have are extreme; and the behavior when having an episode can be very disturbing. Others are very with drawn and turned inward and likely to be placed out of concerns over depression and failing grades ect.
The horrible thing about this is (as if suffering with the disorder isn't horrible enough) is Stress makes it worse! School can be to stressful.
Every symptom and destructive impulse is heightened and made worse by stress.
These "Programs" are all about inflicting intolerable stress. It is an absolute nightmare.
Whats worse, is there are effective - truly very helpful treatments! DPT therapy is working wonders. Some medications help a lot. Eye movement therapy is also showing terrific results (amazing to me, but true)So, there are real, true helpful things that can be done.
Yet parents in their ignorance and with their lack of understanding are turning to these programs in droves!
I lay much blame on the schools and the Psyche professionals. They are the ones who Ought to know what is going on with a kid suffering through this; and they are the ones who ought to be able to direct the family to real help.
Instead, the advice most families get is only going to exasperate the problems and make recovery much more difficult.
Its an outrage.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Deborah on January 04, 2005, 02:38:00 PM
OWC,
I realize you are accustomed to dealing with parents who are so out of touch with their children that they have to be 'trained' in how to notice things so obvious at cut marks. And or they are so removed from their kids life that they don't notice. But, that is not me. Rest assured he was not cutting prior to the program. I don't believe the academy would have cared. And they certainly had opportunity to notice. The boys were tshirt and shorts or sweats most of the time. The 'long sleeved shirts' are not daily attire.

Perri,
As to your question of how I feel about military academies... our lawsuit settled last year. Does that give you an indication of my opinion?
They use the same MO, right down to telling parents to ignore their kids complaints (manipulation) and report them immediately to staff so they can 'handle it'. Many parents were snowballed until a kids throat was cut in the middle of the night. That incident allowed the light to shine in on all the abuse occuring there.
And in case your wondering, I did not support my son's placement. It was done without my knowledge or consent and it took six months to get him home.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Perrigaud on January 05, 2005, 08:40:00 AM
Thanks for your input Deb.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Antigen on January 05, 2005, 11:23:00 PM
Quote
On 2005-01-04 04:31:00, Anonymous wrote:

Also you should all watch the movie Thirteen. If you have not seen it it will go into this particualr problem for you to see and others that young girls go through. The movie is based on a true story. It is a hard movie to watch, but well worth it. The one that cares


Ok, more common ground.

I too think we should all try and catch this movie. Shouldn't be too hard. They've been spamming it all over cable for awhile now. I watched it w/ my kids. And it struck me as having been based on those outrageous confessions that Program kids had to make up in order to condemn their past selves before the almighty Group. Never seen anyone put up w/ that level of bullshit for very long.

I've seen some fucked up shit, mind you. I remember a party house where the cokehead mother of the wannabe lead singer was fucking all the young boys he and his sisters could lead into her den. But we really only hung out there cause it was like a train wreck; you just couldn't turn away. It was perversely entertaining.

But then we all grew up and couldn't find the time for it. The craziest motherfucker of them all has been steadily, mundanely employed at Universal Studios for the past dacade and a half. Another one works at Costco and another as a tech for a video distribution co. Another is still trying to get rich quick off of real estate and insurance scams. The band was good, but it takes more than that.

Let's see... another one is still a printer, hapily married (provided Ernie hasn't got his current phone number and played that prank tape) and another is still a mechanic as far as I know. Dunno what ever happened to Ed the Head or his bitchy sister. The old hag probably finally fulfiled her death wish.

I and my (then) new boyfriend married, had a couple of kids and are now living comfortably enough for me to spend just about all the time I can stand looking after social issues like a proper housewife.  Sure wish we'd gone w/ Google or bought Netscape when it opened @ .71/share, but we can't complain.

That's how these stories actually end. The stuff that happens in that movie, you'll only hear as the confessions resulting from what the Senate has just defined as torture:

http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?So ... 79&forum=7 (http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?Sort=U&topic=7679&forum=7)

All religions have been made by men.
--Napoleon Bonaparte, French emperor

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Antigen on January 06, 2005, 12:24:00 AM
Quote
On 2005-01-04 11:38:00, Deborah wrote:

"


They use the same MO, right down to telling parents to ignore their kids complaints (manipulation) and report them immediately to staff so they can 'handle it'.


That was one thing that I felt physically, like a punch to the gut. At one point, my own father lied to a cop in order to get me arrested and (hopefully) sent back to the Program.

Around a year later he asked me (in anger) why, if all this shit about the program were true, I'd never just told him. I just looked him in the face and reminded him that, if I had, he would have turned me in. We never spoke of it again. Never needed to.

We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark.  The real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.  
--Plato

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Antigen on January 06, 2005, 12:26:00 AM
Quote
On 2005-01-05 21:24:00, Crazy Mac wrote:


We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark. The real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.
--Plato


And God bless you for being a bigger man than that.

It is criminal to steal a purse. It is daring to steal a fortune. It is a mark of greatness to steal a crown. The blame diminishes as the guilt increases

--Schiller (1759-1805)



_________________
Ginger Warbis ~ Antigen
Seed sibling `71 - `80
Straight South (Sarasota, FL)
   10/80 - 10/82
Anonymity Anonymous
Some days, it's just not worth chewing through the leather straps.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 06, 2005, 01:45:00 AM
I don't know about your program, Antigen, but I do know that kids are NOT forced into false confessions at WWASPS.  Yes, some do make things up, but eventually they get real.  I know for me it was very cleansing to bring to the surface things I had kept hidden from anyone that ever tried to be close to me.  Once I realized that other people did care I could finally deal with it, heal it and move on. Sometimes they would just listen, other times, share similar experiences.  Yes, it was painful, but it was even more painful and more long term to keep it inside.

I watched "Thirteen" and in between the "movie hype" it had a very clear message that no matter how bad things are, not matter what destructive decisions this girl made, she was loved and her mom cared enough to stop her from going down completely.  

How many moms would have had the strength to do what she did for her daughter?  I don't think she went to a program after that, either.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on January 06, 2005, 02:50:00 AM
Disclosing your shit and hearing others and the constant 'pain' and 'crying' seems to be a very common theme in all of these programs.

Why the need for such intense emotions?

Read up on Psychological regression. Its obvious you ignore what everyone whose been to a program and DIDN'T like it had to say.

I cannot see how a man of any large degree of humorous perception can ever be religious -- unless he purposely shut the eyes of his mind and keep them shut by force.
--Samuel Clemens "Mark Twain", American author and humorist

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Perrigaud on January 06, 2005, 05:52:00 AM
The reason for such high emotion is for support from others who have been there. Plus being in the program one gets pretty emotional very easily. In the real world we aren't as willing to expose our feelings and emotions. [ This Message was edited by: Perrigaud on 2005-01-06 02:53 ]
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 06, 2005, 09:14:00 AM
Quote
On 2005-01-06 02:52:00, Perrigaud wrote:

"The reason for such high emotion is for support from others who have been there. Plus being in the program one gets pretty emotional very easily. In the real world we aren't as willing to expose our feelings and emotions. [ This Message was edited by: Perrigaud on 2005-01-06 02:53 ]"


I agree with what you said about the real world Perrigaud and there is the paradox. These programs don't teach real world skills. In the real world we aren't meant to share it all. If I have a bad day nobody at works cares to hear about it. I can just imagine me telling my Boss "I feel ____ about ____ b/c ____." Or better yet "Can we share for a moment." These programs don't teach kids to handle things on their own. They teach them the only way to inner peace is confession. Somethings aren't meant to be shared. I have been out of my program for over a decade (and never believed a word they were telling me) and I still struggle with the line between open communication and telling it all. The truth is the average person doesn't want to know your every emotion. In fact I find people become very uncomfortable with to much disclosure. But somehow that has been the hardest part of my program to leave behind (that nagging must tell it all feeling).

I don't know if I have made any sense or not, but that is my opinion.
The Graduate
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Perrigaud on January 06, 2005, 09:36:00 AM
I completely understand how you feel. I guess that's why I keep a journal. I don't care if someone wants to read it. However, I will not voluntarily bust out my all of my emotions. When I first graduated I did do that and found that people were looking at me in somewhat of a shock. Nowadays I don't do that as much.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 06, 2005, 10:13:00 AM
Once we know that "letting it all out" is a good thing, there are ways to continue this without making other people feel uncomfortable with our openness - like Perrigaud said, journaling is a big one.  Another is family.  For some, a therapist might be an option.  Keeping it inside is such a waste of precious energy.

One of the big things we learn in both the program and the seminars is that family won't get upset or uncomfortable when we are having some struggles.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 06, 2005, 12:35:00 PM
Quote
On 2005-01-06 07:13:00, Anonymous wrote:


One of the big things we learn in both the program and the seminars is that family won't get upset or uncomfortable when we are having some struggles.   "


But in the programs and the seminars people are devulging their deepest, darkest secrets to STRANGERS.  Teenagers at that.  There is something very, very wrong about that and it does spill over into real life after getting out.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Antigen on January 06, 2005, 01:30:00 PM
Quote
On 2005-01-06 07:13:00, Anonymous wrote:


One of the big things we learn in both the program and the seminars is that family won't get upset or uncomfortable when we are having some struggles.   "


More things you can learn from a TOUGHLOVE hategroup ralley.

Don't get upset, just...

Use threats and coercion to snap that troubling teen right back into place. Just ask Laura Murphy how well that worked out. Here's there story.
http://denver.rockymountainnews.com/des ... esp1.shtml (http://denver.rockymountainnews.com/desperate/site-desperate/0702desp1.shtml) I shit you not, at the time RMN interviewed her, she STILL thought the Program had saved her son! Even after his funeral she believed it!

Withhold moral and material support and affection, change the locks if necessary, tell friends and relatives false and outrageous things about the kid
Or ask my mom, if you happen to speak w/ her. And say hi to her for me. She really, really took this one to heart! In over 20 years, she's never initiated contact w/ me. Eventually I just quit calling her after the last time she tried to convince me I was a drug addict in need of treatment.

And she's not upset about any of it. That much is true.

I believe that when I die I shall rot, and nothing of my ego will survive. I am not young, and I love life. But I should scorn to shiver with terror at the thought of annihilation. Happiness is none the less true happiness because it must come to an end, nor do thought and love lose their value because they are not everlasting.
--Bertrand Russell, British philosopher, educator, mathemetician, and social critic

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on January 06, 2005, 03:45:00 PM
Getting people to disclose and divulge helps establish a dominant - submissive kind of relationship. Same for threats and coersion. "Knowing your place" come to mind?

Withholding support and affection until they fall in line is another way to enforce that kind of power hierarchy.

I'm sure the moral fundys here are gonna complain (like I care... :roll:) but here goes. I found out about this 'issue' just a little after a friend first revealed the whole BDSM subculture to me.

It took a while to 'get it' as being a good thing  and not torture, but the same methods are *OBVIOUSLY* able to be misued to screw with people, and kids. But it seems the only things done with all of this is slave-training in the nonsexual sense, though sometimes accusations come out that indicate some people take it all the way through to sexual submission.

If the person enjoys it and consents its fun for adults, but forcing it on anyone, ESPECIALLY a child, is complete misery.

The parents enjoy it because:

1. in the seminars the stress, and then the release after it and the euphoria at the end is quite a rush. That can get addictive.

2. they get programmed into their dominant role over the household and enjoy having control and blaming everything on the kid. Whats better than being in control?

3. they get what they want!

As far as the children in there go, they can either be defiant and face further torment, act submissive and if they pull it off get out, or totally submit to the program by choice or by being broken.

Thats not therapeutic! If thats therapy, then I could go kidnap some cute girl and give her 'tough love' and then charge her for it... but it doesnt work that way, does it?

Once you get broken or willingly submit to the whole mindfuck you'll find yourself enjoying being the submissive and doing as told and be blissful in completing your tasks and dumping all your shit on other people. Dominantion is another rush all together - but thats what the parents, coaches, people who work in the programs, or higher-level students get to do.

And just incase anyone was wondering, I'm dom, not sub. So yeah I know how this works in your mind.

The BIG difference between me and them is that they can stop anytime they want, they're really getting what they want and nothing they dont, and its a game, not a new reality or life-change, when they play with me, vs unconsentual abduction and training in  a program.

In Germany they came first for the Communists, and I didn?t speak up because I wasn?t a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn?t speak up because I wasn?t a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn?t speak up because I wasn?t a trade unionist. Then they came for Catholics, and I didn?t speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up."
--Protestant minister Martin Neimoller

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 06, 2005, 07:27:00 PM
***Getting people to disclose and divulge helps establish a dominant - submissive kind of relationship. Same for threats and coersion. "Knowing your place" come to mind?

Sometimes. Doesn't have to. But appears to be a basic MO in the industry/seminars.

Withholding support and affection until they fall in line is another way to enforce that kind of power hierarchy.

Always. I think people who do this are a tad sadistic and haven't a clue how to cooperate or communicate, forget honest communication.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 06, 2005, 09:42:00 PM
Where in the HELL do you get the idea that parents or staff withhold love and support until the teen "falls into line?"  The love and support is what's constant.  Are there parents that fall into withholding love and support as punishment?  I'm sure there are, but if they've gone to any of the seminars, they know that doesn't work. Parents have the right to be parents and make decisions for their child, until they are an adult.  Don't like it, sorry. Those decisions, for the most part, do NOT include withholding love or support.  

As far as sharing stuff in or out of a program:

I wouldn't share with my pool playing, dart shooting co-worker about my great yoga class, nor would a person in therapy share that with anyone other than a good friend or family member.

People can usually sense who would be open or not either before they start talking or within seconds of talking.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Antigen on January 06, 2005, 10:14:00 PM
Quote
On 2005-01-06 18:42:00, Anonymous wrote:

Parents have the right to be parents and make decisions for their child, until they are an adult. Don't like it, sorry. Those decisions, for the most part, do NOT include withholding love or support.

Except during the first couple months in the program, thereafter if the kid is on restriction, during the parent/child seminars if the parent hasn't complied so far and in any situation where parents are encouraged to call in to staff or other Program parents for advice because they don't know what to do next. Then, of course, there are those situations when TOUGHLOVE dogma dicates severing financial support, evicting the kid from the family home or returning them to the program.

Except for those situation, sure, right, WWASP and other coercive rehabs thoroughly respect a parent's right to be a parent, whatever.

Quote
As far as sharing stuff in or out of a program:

I wouldn't share with my pool playing, dart shooting co-worker about my great yoga class, nor would a person in therapy share that with anyone other than a good friend or family member.

People can usually sense who would be open or not either before they start talking or within seconds of talking.



LOL, sure YOU have that prerogative (except for during seminars and maybe a few other occasions). But your kid's alternatives to divulging all their innermost secrets may well be either making shit up and hoping against hope they don't get busted or facing various kinds of punishment, including denial of contact with you. I've been there and listened to others who have too. You can't make this shit up!


Don't laugh when you leave this courtroom, thinking you have beat the system because you have looked these things up yourself. We are going to get you down the road.
Anonymity Anonymous (http://fornits.com/anonanon)
Some days, it's just not worth chewing through the leather straps.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Deborah on January 06, 2005, 11:02:00 PM
Pretty standard for parents to relinquish control(abdicate responsibility) to the program.
In my son's program, and many I've read about, you either 'work the program' or you're forced to withdrawn your child- labled 'advarsarial'.

In one case, the parent was 'asked' to withdraw her child, then was denied a refund of pre-paid tuition because he was 'withdrawn'. That's some pretty lame-ass manipulation, straight from the pros at it.

Working the program does not allow for asking 'too many' questions, or challenging any decision they make. You're either their ally in torturing your kid or you walk. No independent thinkers wanted.

As we've heard here, if a W parent refuses to attend the seminars they are not allowed physical visits with their child. That anyone would tolerate being manipulated by this goes beyond my sense of reason.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 07, 2005, 12:18:00 AM
The parents, at least most of them, are not being manipulated into going to the first seminar.  Yes, it is a requirement to go to the Parent/Child workshops.  The purpose?  To have learned some valuable communication and honesty "tools" that opened up a good place for all of us.  No one is told they have to attend the subsequent seminars including the Keys to Success seminars: Understanding Addiction, Relationships, Effective Communication, Living in Abundance, etc.  All of them are valuable.  

Nothing in the beginning of my son's process stopped me from loving him or withholding my support.  I'm sorry if other program's do this.

If a kid turns 18, chooses to leave, then some parents are giving their child a clear message that since they are now an adult, they will no longer be responsible for their financial welfare.  Don't confuse that with withholding their love.  It's not a water faucet.  The love and emotional support are there.  The child is no longer a child, but an adult making their own life choices and wouldn't leave the program unless they know they can make it without their parent's money.  Money does not equal love and support. They just need to trust themselves enough to know they don't need the money and they can make it on their own.  It is used as a control issue with some parents desparate to see their child graduate and to complete this powerful program.  They can see what completion has created for the graduates and what choosing out has for others. I don't agree with the control.  I do agree with the ultimate purpose.

You can't control your parents, only yourself and your choices.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 07, 2005, 12:23:00 AM
Deborah, forgot to address your statement about parents not being allowed physical visits with their child if they don't attend the seminars. Not true.  THey just won't be invited to attend the parent/child workshops if they haven't completed the first one.  Visits are not a part of that.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on January 07, 2005, 12:59:00 AM
Not manipulated into the seminar... but not told about whats really going on before hand.

Total lack of informed consent.

Also, being totally cut off from you and locked up in some facility after being tricked there or kidnapped there is stopping love and support. I dont consider captivity a good thing.

Furthermore, your excuse for leaving the program = not being supported when you turn 18 and have *NO* way to get a decent job of supporting yourself after being STUCK IN A PROGRAM FOR MONTHS TO YEARS *TERRIBLY* amusing.

From the moment you walk into or are taken into a program your life is on HOLD. A kid not stuck in one might very well be able to support themself at 18.

Having had a shitty or nonexistant education, no job experience, and no experience in the REAL world, only in the program's universe, makes them utterly dependant on the program or their parents.

Considering it would be hard as hell for them to be able to manage getting a job and a roomie in the wake of that "powerful" program experience, I find your excuse about totally cutting off support if they decide they want out of that dog and pony show as them "deciding they can make it on their own" a real hoot.

No, sorry. Its bullshit. If you hadn't kept them locked up for years, it would be different. But, well, no, you TOTALLY cut them off from loved ones, friends, the chance to network and meet people, having a real job, school, etc, so yeah, they're basically stuck with you and that awful program.

This little tidbit out of you is particularly interesting: "They can see what completion has created for the graduates and what choosing out has for others. I don't agree with the control. I do agree with the ultimate purpose. "

How amusing EVERYONE says the same thing, just in different words... if they're involved in the programs? So they have to complete to be well off, and 'choosing out' is bad? Thats the same old "deadorinjail"/can only be saved through the program dogma in new packaging.

"You can't control your parents, only yourself and your choices." <- couldn't have said it better myself. Maybe it would be a lot harder to start off with *NOTHING* having had those essential years of their lives stolen away from them, and then the almost essential parental support after 18 that most kids get, but they'd be away from the environment of being forced to submit, the pain and punishments, the seminars, and their parents.

You programmies are broken records.

Those who beat their swords into plowshares will plow for those who don't.
-- Anonymous

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Perrigaud on January 07, 2005, 03:35:00 AM
I disagree about the whole being in a program and having no "real life experience" = dependancy on the program and/or parents. When I came home I didn't choose to follow my "home contract". My parents gave me an "exit plan" which basically was "you're on your own, good luck, we'll be here to talk but not to give any money." I ended up getting hired at a job that paid $15 an hour, paying my own rent, my own insurance, and so on. It's all on case by case basis. Some kids probably would have a hard time. I was in the program since I was 16 and left at the age of 18. I believe that everyone needs to relieve their stress somehow and someway. I used to beat it out. [ This Message was edited by: Perrigaud on 2005-01-07 00:47 ]
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 07, 2005, 10:09:00 AM
Niles - you just don't get it.  You read it, but you ignore it.  If you're lumping all programs into this, cutting a kid off from "real life" may be true.  I'm specifically talking about Cross Creek.  From the middle of their process, they go into town, play sports, go hiking or other activities. They come home a few times before graduation.  Their on campus workshops include life skills like keeping a checkbook, job interviewing, and many things that help them that even the public schools here don't provide.  No shitty education there.  In fact it was much better.  THey have to maintain an A or B to pass.  All credits transfer to their home school.  

"Programmies" are a broken record? Read all your past posts - not only broken, but warped.  Like I said way back in the beginning, you don't listen.

 :wink:
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Deborah on January 07, 2005, 10:43:00 AM
The damn frustrating thing about program parents is the 'all or nothing' mentality. My way or the highway. No middle ground. That's the MO of people who live in fear.

So, you say W parents are required to take the first seminar. We have agreement. And the consequence if they opt out? There are certainly those who claim that they weren't allowed contact and were harrangued to attend.

I imagine this will sound rude as hell. But, I don't hear 'honesty' when I read posts by program parents. I read confusion of terms, fear (that their kid will die without the program), more fear (that the parent will end up with a financially dependent kid), and the most covert forms of manipulation known to humans.

It's 2005 on planet Earth. Most parents expect to help their young adult offspring get started. At the very least, their door is open if their kid is homeless or hungry. In terms of financial aid for college the feds consider them dependents until their 24, as I recently learned. What I hear is the parents inability to set boundaries, even after lengthy time in the program. There is a difference between allowing someone to be dependent and providing support and guidance. Perhaps you can't define the difference and therefore must take such a staunch stance in order to avoid being 'used'.

BTW, Perri, where did you land a job for $15/hr, just out of a BM facility? That is certainly the exception, not the rule. Do you pay your own medical/dental expenses, etc? Your parents help you with nothing? What might happen if you had a med/dental emergency you couldn't pay for? At the very least, a loving and supportive parents would guide- inform their child of where to seek social services. It's a big world out here. There are adults who don't know how to access the basic of services when in need.

The economy pretty much demands two incomes to survive. It takes a little time to get set up with a job and a roomie. Giving them a bus ticket and $30 to some remote and unfamiliar city, is not support in that situation. It is manipulation in the Nth degree, and damn near sadistic. And also seems to fly in the face of the program Fear Mantra, used to justify the austere placement- s/he would be dead. And to close your door, severing contact, to that child is not loving or supportive. As Nih so aptly stated, they come out ill prepared for the real world.

Depending on how deep you are into the 'tough' aspect of tough love, the least you could do is direct your child to homeless shelters and soup kitchens, free public clinics, and other social services. To put them on the streets with nothing is absolutely NOT love and support, in my dictionary anyway.

Again, we are working from polar opposite philosophies and definitions of love and support. It is very necessary for the program to redefine words and behaviors to support their purpose. Many would definitely consider allowing the program to sever, limit, or monitor phone contact with parents, and to deny contact with siblings and other family members to be excessively cruel and unnecessary. Most states have regulations stating that to do so one must show that the relationship is damaging, and not by program definition. That policy appears to most benefit the program's purpose- to establish their role as authority in the child's life. And those letters, "We're on vacation in Hawaii... having a blast without you." What can you say, just uncalled for and unnecessarily cruel. No way in hell that can be construed to mean love and support, by any definition.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Deborah on January 07, 2005, 11:18:00 AM
To add to this, and further elaborate on the program's own manipulation of teen and parent:

My son's program told parents they would have a short off campus visit with their child at 4 months and a home visit after 8 months. They also put a disclaimer in there, "provided the 'student' isn't on restriction OR behind in school work".

This gives the program 4 months to redefine common words and condition the parents and establish authority with the teen.

Well sure enough, 8 months rolled around and my son was denied his home visit. I was livid. I requested of the headmaster (does that mean they are in charge of the toilet?  :lol:) to know how many of the teens in their care actually go home for their 8 month visit. Oh course, he didn't respond. I would bet money that the majority do not.

You folks are so damned worried about being manipulated by your kids that you can't see the obvious- the program plays you like a fiddle. And all to their gain. If you think for a moment that the program owners or staff have any vested interest in your child, you are sorely mistaken... or is it the other M word... manipulated.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 07, 2005, 11:55:00 AM
Quote
On 2005-01-07 07:09:00, Anonymous wrote:

"THey have to maintain an A or B to pass."

They have to take the same test until they get an A or B.  It doesn't matter if they understand the subject matter.  Not what I call education.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 07, 2005, 01:04:00 PM
Any "exit plan" that doesn't include the deposit and first month's rent on an efficiency apartment or roommate situation (affordable on an entry-level income), in a city with good public transit on the bus/subway line, help transporting the kid's personal effects including a full week's worth of casual clothes in good repair, a transit card for a month for the bus line, a month's medication for any chronic illnesses the kid has, and the first month's grocery money is *grossly* inadequate.

Maybe the kid *will* go blow his grocery money on drugs, maybe not.

But if you love your child--or even if you don't love your child, just if you're a human being and not an irresponsible monster, that's the absolute *minimum* you will provide your child with before cutting off contact and support.

And I would have *zero* problem with that support being required by law, delivered in a lump, on or before the kid's 18th birthday.  If delivered before, in order for it to count the parents must allow/help the kid to use it to move out.

The reason we as a society mostly get along okay without it being required by law is because *most* parents are not selfish, control-freak bastards and generally love their children.

Any parent who kicks a kid out with less is a dirty rotten bastard.  I say that as a 37 year old parent with the normal experience of a more-or-less typical middle aged adult in growing up and supporting myself.

Dirty rotten bastards who have (and neglect) children get away with kicking a kid out with less once the kid is barely legally adult, or when the kid is fresh out of a tightly controlled situation like a program or a program-parent's home, because we haven't passed a law making the negligence of those dirty rotten bastards a crime.

What they're doing is legal, but a lot of really horrible and evil things are legal.

Most people in this world are basically good people who would treat their kids and neighbors fairly well even without laws.

We as a society pass laws so that when one of the people who *isn't* basically good, but is instead a dirty rotten bastard, does something really awful we have a fair, formalized procedure for punishing him/her.

Obviously, we *either* need another law to fix this problem, *or*, if we decide such a law would be difficult to enforce, we need a program to provide any child who claims them with a one-time emancipation aid benefit at age 18 or immediately upon high school graduation or when kicked out---kid's choice.

Probably the best way to implement it is to use public service announcements, and announcements in school, to make kids aware of it, and then have it available as emergency aid from the local welfare office--having the bureaucrats contact the parents and try to arrange the aid *voluntarily* through them---and if the parents won't comply voluntarily, then the welfare agency sets up the minimum at government expense and bills the parents for reimbursement----and collects it the same way they collect if you don't pay your taxes.

Sure, if the parents are dirt poor, you can't get blood out of turnip---but *most* of these $30, cheap-ass, control-freak, exit-plan, program parents can afford it, they're just dirty rotten bastards.

For the sake of the *rest* of us in society and the future cost in social services to the rest of us if a new adult doesn't get at least a fighting chance to start out self-supporting, we have the right and apparently the need to establish this rule.

It also would be *one* helpful reform of the teen RTC industry, because it would take one of the abusive levers they use for abusive over-control right out of their hands.

Timoclea
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on January 07, 2005, 04:52:00 PM
No, anon, you dont get it.

What I was told by people in some programs is they were more or less stuck in there the whole time. I've never heard of them going out to do fun shit.

And these visits seem to be little more than spending a little time with the parent (but still under the total domination of program dogma, go read up on that gum punishment thread sometime)and showing that their kid is alive, healthy and 'improving' or whatever.

Skills like keeping a checkbook, job interviewing, etc? Ok, show it! All I've seen that the programs do is day to day domination, seminars whenever, and punishments when you dont do as told.

Yeah, I have heard you, Anon, I just dont believe you. I've yet to see evidence of them doing any of that!

Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd.
--Francois Marie Arouet "Voltaire", French author and playwright

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 07, 2005, 08:59:00 PM
Timoclea - Don't get in a huff.  The parents do have a couple of months rent, food, school tuition and sometimes other things built into an independence plan (part of the home contract)

The exit plan is different, and my not include much of anything.  This is when the teen isn't following the house rules/values and has chosen to leave under those circumstances.  Not always a negative thing for the teen because they know in advance what kind of monetary help they will get if they choose out of the home.  Some of us have to grow up hard and fast by realizing what it really takes to live outside the home with someone else paying the bills.

Niles - what kind of "proof" do you need?  You choose to ignore the photos of the kids going off campus, their stories, etc., and as far as the workshops for life skills, I'm not sure what kind of proof anyone can provide other than to tell you. If you weren't there, then I can't think of any other way to "prove it."
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on January 07, 2005, 09:40:00 PM
Um ok, those photos of kids off campus are just clipart or just photographs! Note the disclaimers at the bottom of the websites about how it may not represent blablabla. Some pics from model agencies or whatever dont really cut it.

These "workshops" (seminars) I've seen plenty of proof of from the people who gave detailed writeups about it.

Sorry but clipart on a webpage and your stories about the seminars really dont cut it.

If you believe that people cannot be trusted to govern themselves,
then can they be trusted to govern others?
 
--Thomas Jefferson

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 08, 2005, 12:27:00 AM
Quote
On 2005-01-07 18:40:00, Nihilanthic wrote:

"Um ok, those photos of kids off campus are just clipart or just photographs! Note the disclaimers at the bottom of the websites about how it may not represent blablabla. Some pics from model agencies or whatever dont really cut it.



These "workshops" (seminars) I've seen plenty of proof of from the people who gave detailed writeups about it.



Sorry but clipart on a webpage and your stories about the seminars really dont cut it.

If you believe that people cannot be trusted to govern themselves,
then can they be trusted to govern others?
 
--Thomas Jefferson

"


Must be the Source Magazine that shows "real" kids on "real" fun activities. The websites don't count.

Reading all this is interesting.  What does it mean to read "plenty" of people giving detailed (negative?) write ups - that apparently you'd rather believe?  Who are the plenty of people? I've only seen one, from like, 5 years ago.  And why don't you believe the ones that have good to say?  What's it like to live such a one-sided, negative existence?   No one, no how, no way will EVER give you the answers you're looking for because it seems, to me, you are only searching for validation for the dark side of life.  Do you wear black all the time?

Do you EVER have anything positive or really worthwhile to say?  ::kiss::
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 08, 2005, 01:02:00 AM
::ftard::

This is a possible scenario:

A parent (typically mom) finds info on a website about a school in sunny Jamaica. Sends "Johnny" via paid escorts against his will to the island BM facility. "Johnny" is 15, and will not see mom and/or dad until he complies with the BM agenda. Just so happens a year goes by, mom and/or dad have not yet been to Jamaica, as "Johnny is still at level 1 and not allowed to see his parents. Besides, they trust the website, family reps and fellow parents that go to seminars and are assured that their son is just fine. They may even find it somewhat frustrating yet humorous that their son is a frequent visitor in OP. Another year goes by and well, "Johnny" saw some light and is now "working" that program. It takes at least a year or so to master that task so now he's 17 and is progressing through the levels but will not be graduating before he is 18. Since his life has been full of abuse and mindraping bullshit for the last couple years, he wants to leave, come home and try living a "normal" life. WHOAH!!! The parent has decided that "Johnny" will not come home, he must be flown to a city at least 1500 miles from away, oh, and the parents moved in the meantime anyway so he wouldn't know where they are, let alone his belongings they trashed as per BM rules... Either way, how/why in the hell can a REAL parent, you know, one who loves their child, do this? It's the norm at the BM places. There has to be some way shape or form that this type of policy is illegal. The whole idea is FULLOFSHIT. Whoever came up with this is bound to go to hell in a handbasket.
Sick, plain sick. You said $30? I bet there's many kids that don't even get that much money, and some don't even get the customary plane ride.  :flame:  :skull:  :skull:
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Perrigaud on January 08, 2005, 02:04:00 AM
I actually did (and still do) pay for all of my expenses, got my own insurance, have everything in my name, and have a sufficient enough saving's account should anything happen to me. I have been saving money since I don't know how long. Birthday money and such. It had accumulated. Anyhow, the job I work at has great health benefits. I started out as a teller in a bank. I live in a ski resort so that explains the money I make. However, I do make more than most people who aren't on salary. I continue to go to school so I can make a lot more. Financial stability is important to me. Not everyone is this lucky though.

Niles,
 At CCM the more you move up the levels the more interaction you have with the real world. I even went to Dixie State. In case you don't know what that is it's a community college. [ This Message was edited by: Perrigaud on 2005-01-07 23:09 ]
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on January 08, 2005, 04:00:00 AM
Perrigaud, just you, and the program magazine, is somehow the final word?

Please, spare me. The source is about as biased as humanly possible, a lot of the stuff in one issue I saw looked like just pictues from google image search or just stuff along the lines of pics from travel brocures.

Ok, you saying you did all this at CCM is a good thing - not that isolation until you comply and them using the real world as a 'priviladge' is something I'd accept - but it would be a good thing if program kids actually got out.

I still have trouble believing it. Sorry. No, I dont wear all black. My cars are white and red, respectively, and I have on a grey t-shirt and khaki shorts.

Saying I'm out to find everything to be all bad to discredit any investigation into accusations is baloney. The original accusations of abuse are still unresolved.

Until the authorities come in, its regulated and reformed where needed, I wont be satisfied.

Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul alike.
-- John Muir

[ This Message was edited by: Nihilanthic on 2005-01-08 01:01 ]
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Perrigaud on January 08, 2005, 05:55:00 AM
Niles,
  Somehow I don't think that you would be satisfied. I don't think you'll ever be satisfied. Oh and if you weren't paying close attention it wasn't just me saying that we did get to experience the outer world. [ This Message was edited by: Perrigaud on 2005-01-08 02:55 ]
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 08, 2005, 11:51:00 AM
Quote
On 2005-01-07 22:02:00, Anonymous wrote:

"  ::ftard::



This is a possible scenario:



A parent (typically mom) finds info on a website about a school in sunny Jamaica. Sends "Johnny" via paid escorts against his will to the island BM facility. "Johnny" is 15, and will not see mom and/or dad until he complies with the BM agenda. Just so happens a year goes by, mom and/or dad have not yet been to Jamaica, as "Johnny is still at level 1 and not allowed to see his parents. Besides, they trust the website, family reps and fellow parents that go to seminars and are assured that their son is just fine. They may even find it somewhat frustrating yet humorous that their son is a frequent visitor in OP. Another year goes by and well, "Johnny" saw some light and is now "working" that program. It takes at least a year or so to master that task so now he's 17 and is progressing through the levels but will not be graduating before he is 18. Since his life has been full of abuse and mindraping bullshit for the last couple years, he wants to leave, come home and try living a "normal" life. WHOAH!!! The parent has decided that "Johnny" will not come home, he must be flown to a city at least 1500 miles from away, oh, and the parents moved in the meantime anyway so he wouldn't know where they are, let alone his belongings they trashed as per BM rules... Either way, how/why in the hell can a REAL parent, you know, one who loves their child, do this? It's the norm at the BM places. There has to be some way shape or form that this type of policy is illegal. The whole idea is FULLOFSHIT. Whoever came up with this is bound to go to hell in a handbasket.

Sick, plain sick. You said $30? I bet there's many kids that don't even get that much money, and some don't even get the customary plane ride.  :flame:  :skull:  :skull: "


How about making little "Dickey" responsible for HIS choice be there?   Say, little Dickey was making life miserable at home, you know making up his own rules at home that didn't include cleaning his room - like breaking curfew, drinking, doing drugs, breaking things in the house, skipping school, etc.  Say, Little Dickey didn't want to go anywhere to remove himself from tearing up the household and himself. Say, Llittle Dickey knew the rules at the "program" and decided that he was going to break them over and over again.  Say Little Dickey knew what would get him out of there, and didn't think enough of himself to get better.  

So mom and dad still remember what is it was like when he was home, decided that if he wasn't going to make an effort to change.   they decide they don't want him at home after he turns 18 - after all, Little Dickey knows he would be better off on the streets and is an adult that thought he knew it all PRIOR to going ther and can now do as he pleases, yet again.
 
So, in reality, it isn't about the parents, it's about Little Dickey and being responsible for himself and what he's chosen to do with his Little Dickey life.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 08, 2005, 12:11:00 PM
Quote
On 2005-01-08 08:51:00, Anonymous wrote:

"
Quote

On 2005-01-07 22:02:00, Anonymous wrote:


"  ::ftard::





This is a possible scenario:





A parent (typically mom) finds info on a website about a school in sunny Jamaica. Sends "Johnny" via paid escorts against his will to the island BM facility. "Johnny" is 15, and will not see mom and/or dad until he complies with the BM agenda. Just so happens a year goes by, mom and/or dad have not yet been to Jamaica, as "Johnny is still at level 1 and not allowed to see his parents. Besides, they trust the website, family reps and fellow parents that go to seminars and are assured that their son is just fine. They may even find it somewhat frustrating yet humorous that their son is a frequent visitor in OP. Another year goes by and well, "Johnny" saw some light and is now "working" that program. It takes at least a year or so to master that task so now he's 17 and is progressing through the levels but will not be graduating before he is 18. Since his life has been full of abuse and mindraping bullshit for the last couple years, he wants to leave, come home and try living a "normal" life. WHOAH!!! The parent has decided that "Johnny" will not come home, he must be flown to a city at least 1500 miles from away, oh, and the parents moved in the meantime anyway so he wouldn't know where they are, let alone his belongings they trashed as per BM rules... Either way, how/why in the hell can a REAL parent, you know, one who loves their child, do this? It's the norm at the BM places. There has to be some way shape or form that this type of policy is illegal. The whole idea is FULLOFSHIT. Whoever came up with this is bound to go to hell in a handbasket.


Sick, plain sick. You said $30? I bet there's many kids that don't even get that much money, and some don't even get the customary plane ride.  :flame:  :skull:  :skull: "




How about making little "Dickey" responsible for HIS choice be there?   Say, little Dickey was making life miserable at home, you know making up his own rules at home that didn't include cleaning his room - like breaking curfew, drinking, doing drugs, breaking things in the house, skipping school, etc.  Say, Little Dickey didn't want to go anywhere to remove himself from tearing up the household and himself. Say, Llittle Dickey knew the rules at the "program" and decided that he was going to break them over and over again.  Say Little Dickey knew what would get him out of there, and didn't think enough of himself to get better.  



So mom and dad still remember what is it was like when he was home, decided that if he wasn't going to make an effort to change.   they decide they don't want him at home after he turns 18 - after all, Little Dickey knows he would be better off on the streets and is an adult that thought he knew it all PRIOR to going ther and can now do as he pleases, yet again.

 
So, in reality, it isn't about the parents, it's about Little Dickey and being responsible for himself and what he's chosen to do with his Little Dickey life.  "




That is so much bullshit.

Saying a child "chooses" to be sent to a Program is like saying a woman "chooses" to be raped.

Frankly, your sense of "reality" is delusional.

No person "chooses" what some *other* person does to them.

If I punish someone, that punishing behavior of mine is *my* responsibility, not the responsibility of the person I punish.

I may either be justified or unjustified in punishing that person based on that person's behavior, but "in reality" I don't get to beg the question and just say the person I punish "chose" the punishment----without ever having to justify my own decision to punish and without ever having to take personal responsibility for that decision and whether it was right or wrong.

Are there children in programs that chose to behave badly enough to deserve private prison?  I'm sure there are.

Are there children in programs that did *not* behave that badly and *don't* deserve the private prison their parents *chose* to send them to?  Absolutely.

Begging the question, like you did, lets the parent off the hook for choosing to send their kid to prison, and tries to just sweep the question about whether the kid's behavior justified the response OR NOT under the rug.

I'm sure that feels good for the parent and allows them to rationalize away and abdicate responsibility for their choice, and I'm sure it works really well in closed, groupthink environments where all the parents are program parents and have all tacitly agreed to all reassure each other that they did the Right Thing---regardless of what the true, individual facts of that placement or that private prison may be.

Groupthink rationalizations don't work so well in the outside world where you run into parents who *didn't* send their kid to a private prison, or don't make money from running or working for a private prison, and don't have a vested interest in cooperating with your Dr. Feelgood denial and rationalization and abdication of personal responsibility for Your Own choices.

Bluntly, the rationalizations don't work when you run into other parents who don't buy into your load of self-serving bullshit.

Timoclea
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 08, 2005, 01:09:00 PM
Quote
On 2005-01-08 02:55:00, Perrigaud wrote:

"Niles,

  Somehow I don't think that you would be satisfied. I don't think you'll ever be satisfied. Oh and if you weren't paying close attention it wasn't just me saying that we did get to experience the outer world. [ This Message was edited by: Perrigaud on 2005-01-08 02:55 ]"


Perrigaud--look, I believe that you believe Niles wouldn't be satisfied.  I believe that Niles is young and *possibly* wouldn't recognize appropriate safeguards as adequate.

*However*---I'm middle-aged, and I and a whole raft of other middle-aged parents with kids of varying ages, including teens, including special needs teens who can be a handful, all agree that the current teen residential care and outpatient care system has problems and needs improvements.

One of my friends did send her daughter to a program, and did have good results.

While I might not have sent my daughter in the same situation, I agree that in her daughter's case she had good reason to be concerned that her daughter was actively a danger to herself and needed to be watched round the clock while being stabilized.  It was not a totally *unreasonable* call on her part.

I have seen a kid sent to a program, and graduate, where the placement was inappropriate and it *was* a totally unreasonable call on the part of downright flaky parents.

The friend who used a program agrees that there are things about the system that could use new safeguards and could use fixing.

I have trouble seeing how anybody running an honest program and not a conjob could disagree that reforms and safeguards are needed, frankly.

For one thing, if we had governmental oversight and safeguards in place to guarantee a kid admitted to a program needed to be there and that the specific program was appropriate to the kid's needs, then it would be easier to arrange both insurance coverage for the kid's hospitalization and funding for the educational part of the program under federal IDEA legislation that requires a free and appropriate education for each kid regardless.  Envision for a moment parents *not* having to lose their house to commit their dangerously unstable kid for *needed*, appropriate, competent, compassionate treatment.

Why would *any* reasonable, competent program have a problem with that?  They wouldn't.  Which is why when they aggressively resist even talking about reform and oversight, despite the obvious benefits  to them if it's done *right*, I get *very* suspicious of their motives.

When I talk about people that might someday legitimately need involuntary commitment, I'm talking about me and my family.  I don't want any of us to need it, but if we do, I want it to be done right, and work right, and not catastrophically bankrupt the family to the point that our functional members quit being functional and become yet more burdens on society.

I'm not saying we want services and we don't want to pay---I'm saying it's in nobody's best interests if the payment is structured catastrophically so that it prevents those of us who can contribute to society from doing so.

Look, a lot of the kids that are getting committed to programs maybe *are* too wild for outpatient care.  But a lot of them (not all) could be served with a couple of weeks inpatient to stabilize them and then in a day hospitalization program and back home in the evening with deadbolts on the doors to reduce the temptation to sneak out at night.

With the *right* safeguards on the system, referrals to day hospitalization could be tracked and matched to make sure that supply was adequate to demand.  Day hospitalization is, incidentally, cheaper to provide than full inpatient residential treatment.

Some of the kids need foster care---like the gay kid (a program staffer friend told me about him) who got placed in her program because his parents wanted him "cured" and what they really had to do was provide a safe place for the kid while they jerked a knot in the parents and told them, "Your kid is gay.  He's not going to quit being gay no matter what you do.  You're being ridiculous.  Learn to live with it and leave him alone."

That kid didn't need a program.  He needed foster care and outpatient family therapy.  Which would have been a lot cheaper to provide, by the way.

Why I'm pointing out cost is that it would be a lot easier for government and insurance to help with the costs of this care for the kids that need it if inappropriate placements were being intercepted and diverted to less restrictive, effective, and incidentally less expensive alternatives.

When a kid absolutely loathes a new stepparent but *otherwise* there's not a lot wrong with the kid, foster care is an appropriate solution.  It gets the kid out of the house safely for everyone, but is all he really needs.

Day hospitalization, AA or NA, family therapy, and deadbolts on the house for nighttime may work better for drug rehab (for *real* addicts, not parent-imagined ones) after the intensive first three weeks, anyway.  Reason being that the kid learns to live sober around home and family--reducing the odds of relapse.

Some kids (hell, some adults) really do need to be involuntarily committed.  Some people deserve to be imprisoned for the safety of everyone else in society.  Fine.

Many of us who are critics really would be satisfied with specific, reasonable, workable reforms to the system.

I mean, Ginger and I disagree on methods---but if her consumer education campaign actually fixed the problem, I'd cheer and be satisfied.  I'm sure if we got workable legislation that was enforced and actually fixed the problem, she'd be one of the first ones out there celebrating.  Deborah and I disagree on the medication issue---but if the problem got fixed so that better therapies and better medicines were actually helping the kids that needed each respective solution (with fewer risks and side effects) and the problems with the programs got fixed, hey, I'd take her out to lunch with cake, confetti, and streamers.

And wouldn't *you* cheer if a safeguard process *also* meant that in cases where the kid really did need inpatient care it was not only quality care but the parents got more financial assistance so they weren't spending their savings for the kid's college?

Really, wouldn't you cheer?

Niles heart is in the right place.  And he's mostly on the right track.  Is he young?  Sure.  We all are or have been, and we all get over it.

I have more faith in him than you do, though.  I think if the safeguards were there, that there would be a lot more fun things to do in this world than stand around and bitch about something that wasn't a problem anymore.

Look, I'm glad you feel well-served and came out okay, but does that have to be a reason not to fix the parts of the system that are broke?  What harm would it have done you if in the first 48 hours you were there, yet another shrink came by, talked to you, looked at your record, and said, "Yep, you're in the right place" if some kid who *didn't* need to be there got a less restrictive treatment as a result?

I've got a friend who's divorced and has a daughter who's a cutter.  My friend has legal custody, but the daughter was living with dad and was starting to have teen social conflicts with dad.  Dad hospitalized her against the advice of the girl's psychiatrist, mostly to get her out of the house (loves her, but was overstressed and is rather immature).  Mom faxed the hospital the custody papers and went and got daughter.  Daughter is getting treatment, is in a less stressful home environment, and is cooperating fully with outpatient treatment program.

Sometimes the person who wants to take the kid *out* of the program is right.  Or right enough.

Can you really say the current system is so perfect that it can't stand a few reforms?

Timoclea
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on January 08, 2005, 02:37:00 PM
Thanks for your... enouragement, Timoclea.

The reason I'm here is because of a LOT of accusations of abuse stretching past 25+ years. I'm not going to go into detail (again) how tens of thousands, if not more, over 25 years, cant all tell the same lie.

Shits going down in there and its so secretive we dont KNOW yet. Trying to discredit investigation is frankly stupid.

Yeah, if the problems werent there, if people were not there who did not need to be there and ONLY people who had to were there, I'd shut up and be on my way.

But, no, its not that way, the few cases who do require being held captive sure are there, and a lot of people who do NOT need it are there and likely being messed up. There are also these ridiculously manipulative seminars and sales-pitches to try to get as many people to go there as they can, because these businesses want MONEY.

Legit treatment wont fill a family with program dogma. Legit treatment finds the problems, fixes them, and leaves them to their lives, not this newagey bullshit where they have to change their lives. Legit treatment wont take in a kid that doesnt need it, and legit treatment would offer real education and let them out when they didnt need to be kept caged up.

I just happen to have a problem with children being kidnapped and held captive until they submit, regardless of any problems, real or imagined, everyone. If you have a problem with that, tough shit!

Confinement for SAFETY, not submission, and ONLY when necessary, I'll accept, but not as a method to get people to conform to some mode of behavior.

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

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 08, 2005, 04:04:00 PM
Sorry, Nihlanthic.  Guess I deserved that :wink:

My point was that even though I could see why Perrigaud would make that statement (not agree with it, just see why he made it)---it didn't fly because there is ample reason to see the industry *needs* reform, and ample reason te believe the people who want reform would be readily satisfied by anything that stopped the inappropriate admissions and provided the safeguards necessary to ensure treatment was actual treatment for real problems and not just brainwashing.

Look, mind control is not necessarily bad.  If someone *wants* to quit smoking, and hires someone to hypnotize them to help, well hurray for them.  Because it's *voluntary*.

Mind control techniques should never be used to involuntarily manipulate a subject's psyche.

If someone is dangerous to themselves or others and prefers physical commitment to treatment, that should be his or her choice.

Involuntary application of mind control techniques is unethical and wrong.

But I don't have a problem with telling a suicidal person with chronic major depression that she either takes her medication so she won't be suicidal, or she stays hospitalized (outpatient commitment---you quit taking your meds, back into the hospital you go).  And I don't have a problem with telling someone dangerous to others the equivalent thing---take your meds, or stay/be hospitalized.

That's where *I* believe the ethical line is.

So while I believe mind control techniques *can* be used positively, I think for them to be used *ethically* the intent must not only be positive, but there must also be informed consent of the patient, not just the patient's parent, if the patient is twelve or older.

(In "mind control techniques" I don't include conventional discipline applied by the parent or guardian in a single-family home within the family.)

On the subject of minors and consent for medical treatment, what the law says and what's ethical can be very different.

I used to work for an ENT surgeon.  He had a young teenage patient who met the medical criteria for having tonsils out but did not want the surgery.  The parents wanted the surgery done.  He was not willing to do the surgery because of the patient's lack of consent.

The doctor was a grandfather and a very wise man, and I believe he made the ethical choice.

Patients do not have the right to run around loose being actively dangerous to themselves or others, but patients, even adolescent patients, do have the right to refuse treatment.

None of us is so infallible as to be able to ethically take on the weight of substituting our own judgement for the patient's informed consent---or lack of consent.  A functioning set of gonads and thirty years does not automatically confer wisdom.

Minors have the right to have adequate food, shelter, medical care, educational opportunity, and clothing provided to them regardless of how bad their behavior is and regardless of their refusal to work.  Parents have the responsibility to provide adequate food, shelter, medical care, educational opportunity, and clothing to their minor children regardless of the child's behavior or refusal to work.  The only *moral* exception to this responsibility on the part of the parent, to the child, incurred by the parent bringing the child into the world and not modified one whit by what the child does or is or fails to do or be, is to emancipate the child.

To the extent that Programs limit minor children's access to adequate food, shelter, medical care, educational opportunity, and clothing based on their behavior and refusal to work, the Programs engage in child abuse and/or neglect.

Any kid is a significant pain in the ass sometimes. Some kids are a significant pain in the ass all the time.

If you aren't willing to accept these responsibilities and risks that go with having a child, get your relevant tubes tied or snipped and don't have any.

Program parents who pick programs that make the child's fundamental needs I just listed conditional on behavior are irresponsible, selfish, and juvenile.

It's understandable if their *kids* are irresponsible, selfish, and juvenile.  They're teenagers---it's age appropriate.

What the hell is the parents' excuse?

Kids have a right to expect their fundamental needs to be met by their parents.  Society has a right to expect people who choose to have kids to live up to the responsibility of meeting those kids fundamental needs until they're grown.

The biggest problem with the "teen help" industry is that we in society have failed to provide clear, sure, and appropriate consequences to selfish, immature, irresponsible, spoiled *parents* who incur obligations of their own free will and then fail to live up to the responsibilities that they themselves really have chosen.

I'm not talking about parents who involuntarily commit their dangerous child to a facility that *does* provide the basic needs regardless of behavior.

I *am* talking about the parents who are themselves far more guilty of the very character flaws they criticize in their kids---and with far less mitigating their failings.

Educational opportunity, for a kid, is not a privilege--it's a right parents have voluntarily incurred the responsibility to provide.

Food, shelter, and clothing, for kids, are not privileges---they're rights parents have voluntarily incurred the responsibility to provide.

A bed, for a kid, is not a privilege--it's a right parents have voluntarily incurred the responsibility to provide.

Prompt medical care, for a kid, is not a privilege--it's a right parents have voluntarily incurred the responsibility to provide.

When parents send their kids to boot camps that deprive them of sleep, make them sleep on the ground, make them exercise or work or they won't eat, make them stay off restriction or some other low status or they can't go to school, make them wait months for needed medical care---the parents should be prosecuted for child neglect along with the owners and staffers at the facility.

If you send your child there, you have a responsibility to know.  It's not like the public libraries don't have computers with access to Google, it's not like Fornits and ISAC and such aren't out there making the risks abundantly clear to any parent that behaves *responsibly*.

So *some* of reform is tightening and enforcing the child neglect laws to keep parents from subcontracting out systematic child neglect applied as a behavior modification tool.

Hrms.  Sorry, was reading something else and got my hot buttons pushed on this---guess I went off at a tangent.

Okay, I suppose that makes it much clearer something I consider an *essential* part of reasonable and necessary reform.

Timoclea
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on January 08, 2005, 04:24:00 PM
LOL, dont apologize for going on tangents or ranting. Especially not to me  :grin:

Anyway, yeah, I agree with everything you have to say. I just said it in different ways and came at it from the POV of the child.

My childhood sucked. And yeah, I was a pain in the ass, but not because of my misbehavior. I'm mildly autistic and needed social skills therapy and emotional support, and the school system here sucked so bad my parents were constantly having shouting matches and table dancing with teachers and administrators.

They also had a bad habit of not doing a damn thing about bully students AND teachers (Fuck you. Miss Schmitt) and thinking I should be on drugs when I felt depressed due to mistreatment.

Sorry, but that didnt cut it. When I threw the damn prozac in the trash and got my emotions back and told the adminstrators to take care of the problem students who bother me, or I'd bother them, they got REALLY pissed off. But guess what?  When I got on their case and held them accountable  to their responsibilities, and the bullshit ended, I felt better! Imagine that!

Another thing is in 5th grade (before anyone even heard the name "aspergers") I acted out when my apathetic teacher didnt care that I got attacked by a bunch of 'peers' of mine and I was bleeding from being shoved onto the stumps of a bush that was cut down to the ground.

Some woman came from 'the county' to 'observe me'. (Later I found out this was probably planted...) but someone wrote down "fuck you chris" (in hindsight, adult handwriting!) on a table in artclass and I yelled at a few people and at the teacher for not doinga damn thing, and that bitch from the 'county' was scribbling away!

Well, I found myself pulled out from regular school, and going to this place called "Bridges" out in the middle of nowhere of Raleigh for about a half day each day, in a taxi paid for by the county. It was for kids with some sort of behavior or emotional problems. The classwork was absurdly easy and I noticed they had 1. obese adultt who dogpiled on kids who flipped out and 2. a room with a springloaded lock on it!

I asked about the room and thbe funny lock. THey said they'd lock up kids in there (time out room) who were having 'problmes' and even reminded us that you can bang on it until your fists bleed, it wont break. Well, goodie, my claustrophobic self found out they had a little room with a steel door to lock me in.

I asked about the lock, and they said its so you have to hold it shut. I asked why. They said some kid was locked in there during a fire and died from smoke inhalation.

I was out in a few months because 1. summer break 2. the work was way too easy 3. I was a meek, nerdy child with no behavior problems, just I'd get vocal and verbally attack the a-dolts in my school for not doing their damn jobs. Apparnetly they thought I was unstable or bipolar. Whatever.

In highschool the shit ended when a good psychologist found out why I had poor social skills and attracted the crap, and physically grew big enough I'd intimidate people who tried to give me trouble.

So yeah, I have reasons to be here. I know what its like going through shit, clueless to what the higher ups are thinking of doing to me, clueless or just outright APATHETIC administrators and teachers not doing their job, and being DRUGGED TO FEEL BETTER DUE TO DEPRESSION, WHEN THE PROBLEM WAS HOW I WAS BEING TREATED!

How funny. Its 'wrong' to recreationally use a drug to feel good, but if I get depressed I can suck down anti-depressants that will fuck with my brain chemistry! Hell, I got two friends permanantly fucked by paxil. PERMANANTLY. One got off two years ago and is still in withdrawl, the other cant get off or she ends up in the hospital. She needs some sort of paxil 'methadone' to get off but one doesnt exist.

So, yeah, I'm sure perrigaud or "one who cares" thinks I need to go vent out in a seminar and have my emotions fucked with, but I can deal with my shit myself. I'm here because I can sympathize and I dont want to let other children go through the shit I did when I was one.

The only voluntary urine sample they'll get from me is a taste test
--Bumper Sticker

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Deborah on January 08, 2005, 04:27:00 PM
Tim,
I know you put a lot of stock in government solving this problem with regulations and oversight. While I would like to believe they will, my personal experience says different.
Rather than repeat that experience, there are some links below. Pay close attention to the threads regarding ICPC.

You think we need MORE laws. I don?t. Except in states that have no regulating body over the industry.  The ICPC covers this issue well and would significantly decrease the number of kids being shipped out of state for ?treatment?. Some program advocates will probably rebut this and give their twisted version, but you go to these threads and follow the links I provided. If you read the ICPC Articles and Regulations carefully you will see that it is all the ?law? we need. The problem is getting anyone to get off the lazy asses and enforce it. You will also read about my experience with the Tx and Ga ICPC offices.

Most states have existing laws/regulations regarding residential treatment facilities. Does no good if the facility is flying below the radar. You will read my experience, or a small part of it, in the link below re: ORS- Ga licensing. To my knowledge, the facility?s wilderness program had to acquire a license and make some significant changes. The TBS portion, last I checked, is still operating without a license, although I am aware that they had to make some significant changes re: restriction diet, food service in general, etc. There is also the reality that the licensing people are often in cahoots with the programs- ignore violations, etc. Also, they only check these facilities once a year and the program knows when they are coming, or about. What happens the other 364 days? And some programs aren?t visited but every 2 years. So?.. how much can ?government? really do.

Given my experience, I don?t put as much stock in that as I do public education. Having been a regular here for two and a half years, I have seen this forum grow exponentially. Word is getting out. And if enough parents educate themselves, THEY will be the ones who make the most change, even if it?s as small as refusing to have monitored contact with their kids and following up on complaints of abuse. The industry will bend to meet consumer demands. The consumer must be educated and not led by their fear.

I personally do not want my tax dollars being funneled into programs for kids whose parents are too lazy and narcissistic to parent. Nor do I want my insurance company raising my rates to help pay for ?disabled? kids education when in fact they just need good parenting. The programs have to get off the fence, and the insurance companies should bring pressure on them to do so. You can claim to be a boarding school with state licensing and advertise that you treat psych disorders straight from the DSM. Programs do not like the ICPC, even though most operate inspite of it, and it's frequently a topic at their industry assoc mtgs- link in one of the threads. I welcome the day that the fraud ends.

Debate: Does ICPC apply to parents sending their kid across state lines
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?mo ... t=20&Sort= (http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=2046&forum=9&start=20&Sort=)

http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?topic=2265&forum=9 (http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?topic=2265&forum=9)

My experience with Ga Office of Regulatory Services
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?topic=2379&forum=9 (http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?topic=2379&forum=9)
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Antigen on January 08, 2005, 04:38:00 PM
Quote
On 2005-01-07 21:27:00, Anonymous wrote:

And why don't you believe the ones that have good to say?


This must be very hard on you. Seems that every time an outsider gets into the frey, they come down more-or-less on our side of the argument.

Same sort of discussion is going on in another thread. http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?to ... t=10#73819 (http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?topic=7265&forum=9&Sort=U&start=10#73819) Here, the objective observer heard evidence in the murder trial of Charles Long II and decided to convict him.

Same kind of expansive statements and outrageous accusations there. Check out this amazing feat of logical gymnastics.

http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?mo ... =40&Sort=U (http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=7265&forum=9&start=40&Sort=U) (page 5)

The function of the press is very high. It is almost holy. It ought to
serve as a forum for the people, through which the people may know freely what is going on. To misstate or suppress the news is a breach of trust.
--Mr. Justice Brandeis

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Antigen on January 08, 2005, 06:12:00 PM
Perigaud, it sounds like you've got a pretty good handle on things. It's good to hear. And I hope  you never find yourself in circumstances similar to Bill Gagan http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?So ... 87&forum=9 (http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?Sort=U&topic=7687&forum=9)

But just think how much you could do w/ the full support and backing of your family. Not that you really have a choice, I didn't either. But, living in SW PA for a few years, I've learned a lot about old-fashioned family values and fidelity.

These yenzers are very conservative. I know 17yo boys who are not allowed to ride the public bus system because their parents are afraid of the trouble they might find if they could go to "the city" on their own. However, no matter what kind of trouble a kid gets into, home is still the place where they have to take you in. And the result is families who raise their children in the same home their grandfather bought just before marrying grandma. Adult chidlren living at home till they purchase the house next door. here, there's no shame in it. There's an accepted role for adult children who live at home. They don't live as children, they take on an adult role, pay bills, make repairs, stock the kitchen, etc. Parents (grandparents) almost always pitch in on each kid's first home before starting to spend their pensions on vacations and things.

Around here, they stay together, no matter what. I envy them like you wouldn't believe.

Experience is that marvelous thing that enables you recognize a mistake when you make it again.
-- F. P. Jones

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Perrigaud on January 08, 2005, 07:40:00 PM
Crimeney people! First off I'm a she. Second, Niles get over the whole I'm behind the program 100%. If it is one thing I have learned is that there are a lot of views I had never really listened to before I stumbled across this forum. I agree with Timoclea and N when it comes to better refining these programs. Please Niles, that whole comment on me probably suggesting a seminar was childish. I wouldn't reccommend a seminar because it wouldn't help. In fact it may even harm or stir more of your anger. So no, and don't ASSume. I do wish there were a way to govern these institutions somehow so less harm would come out of 'em.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on January 08, 2005, 10:34:00 PM
Wow, we agree on something. Less harm from these 'teen help' programs!

That would be reform and regulation, and the regulatory bodies doing their jobs!

Imagine that.

However, it does mean a lot less kids would end up in the programs, and these money making businesses would be a lot more specialized, a bit more costly (Requiring professionals) and have a lot less revenue (less people locked in with parents paying for it). So, naturally, the 'industry' will fight tooth and nail to make sure we dont ruin their profits.

I apologize about how I come across, but I am just a little fed up with the rather large amount of bullshit that comes along with the programs as of right now. A 25+ year history of abuse, suspicion, and questionable secrecy is RIDICULOUS.

I'm just not exactly a trusting person right now.

Just because you do not take an interest in politics, doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you.
PERICLES (430 BC)

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 09, 2005, 11:01:00 AM
Quote
On 2005-01-08 19:34:00, Nihilanthic wrote:

"Wow, we agree on something. Less harm from these 'teen help' programs!



That would be reform and regulation, and the regulatory bodies doing their jobs!



Imagine that.



However, it does mean a lot less kids would end up in the programs, and these money making businesses would be a lot more specialized, a bit more costly (Requiring professionals) and have a lot less revenue (less people locked in with parents paying for it). So, naturally, the 'industry' will fight tooth and nail to make sure we dont ruin their profits.



I apologize about how I come across, but I am just a little fed up with the rather large amount of bullshit that comes along with the programs as of right now. A 25+ year history of abuse, suspicion, and questionable secrecy is RIDICULOUS.



I'm just not exactly a trusting person right now.

Just because you do not take an interest in politics, doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you.
PERICLES (430 BC)

"


Niles---actually, there would be an industry shakeout.  The places that couldn't, or wouldn't, comply with the rules would be the ones that would be shut down or have the kids removed, so when you narrowed it down to just the kids on *voluntary* commitment or the kids who really needed involuntary commitment, the remaining facilities would have an easier time filling beds.  The difference is that if all the kids they were taking really needed to be there, they would be having to actually take care of all these sicker kids.

I imagine it's much easier to manage a kid who doesn't really have anything wrong with her except she was screwing her boyfriend.  A kid who *wants* to play the game and move up through the levels and just go home.  You don't have to actually care for that kid--you can go through the motions and even load her up with various responsibilities for some of the tasks that keep the place running.

Realistically, probably a number of the kids who really have problems but don't *quite* need to be committed would be in day programs and home at night.  But at least they'd be wearing their own clothes and home at night.  And their parents would probably *not* stop them from mailing letters to people from the family mailbox in the morning on the way to the hospital.

The thing is, day hospitalization programs are still programs---but if the kid is with her own family at least part of each day, it reduces a lot of the potential for serious abuses.

Timoclea
(Sorry if I called you a "he" Perrigaud.)
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 09, 2005, 04:49:00 PM
Save the baby seals!!
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: nightcrawler on January 09, 2005, 11:08:00 PM
Timoclea -- Check your PM
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Perrigaud on January 10, 2005, 01:44:00 AM
T,
 I guess the way I look at it I do have the support of my family if it falls within what they deem as supportworthy. They're always around to listen and talk to. That's nice. Anyhow, in the end it worked out. We have a great relationship. I'm not mad at them for choosing to parent me the way they did. That was their choice. I was adopted and 1/2 dead when I was so. I'm from a third world country. Who knows where I could be now had I not been adopted. I am very thankful for the oppurtunities I have received. Anyhow, my point is that I didn't get to choose my parents (no one does). Things in life will never be perfect. Sometimes they may even be downright very difficult. It's all about working through it and moving on.

As for the whole reformation of programs. That would be ideal. However, no matter how reformed and refined theses institutions would get, there would always be a group of people complaining and rallying against them. That's the way of the world. Nothing is ever supported 100%. But, I do aggree with the purifying of these programs. Screening employees, thoroughly screening the patients and correctly analyzing them. And less cases of abuse (that's a big one). Again, I didn't have the misfortune of running across this. But I know it happens. [ This Message was edited by: Perrigaud on 2005-01-09 22:49 ]
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on January 10, 2005, 04:09:00 AM
Timoclea - If they cant deal with voluntary commitment or only involuntary ones that are actually necessary, they can kiss my ass.

If it takes breaking rules of ethics and human compassion to turn a profit, then screw 'em. I dont care!

Perrigaud - I hear what youre saying, but you seem to be a little too accepting of that 'bad things happen' and had to throw in that little quip about how there'd always still be people protesting it.

The point of a free, open society is you can counter argue or disprove the protestors. If the industry was able to ACTUALLY do that it would be better. But now, it doesnt, all it does is hide behind a veil of secrecy. The CIA and our defence contractors can do that, but not programs treating children. The people making bombs and airplanes have a valid reason, not just excuses.

One last thing, though. Please dont take this as an insult or being a freud-wannabe, but..

"I'm not mad at them for choosing to parent me the way they did. That was their choice. I was adopted and 1/2 dead when I was so. I'm from a third world country. Who knows where I could be now had I not been adopted. I am very thankful for the oppurtunities I have received."

I really am sorry but I get this big vibe of "the parents are perfect, I should always thank my parents, I cant be mad at my parents, they can do no wrong, I should just accept it and shut up and be glad".

That kind of programming is one of the roots to my passion against this industry. They adopted you for themselves. You just had dumb luck either way, Perrigaud. Believe it or not you dont owe anyone jack.

Your real parents abaondoned you, the adoptive (and wealthy) ones got a foreign kid for their own reasons and the program spat your current self out for their profit.

From where I stand all 3 sets of people deserve a good slap in the face, and you dont have to have everything rest on your shoulders.

You have your freedom now and youre trying to reconcile what happened out of your control. Then you bump into people like me who forget your feelings in our empassioned drive to try to get justice for those abused and prevent it in the future.

So, Perrigaud, I'm sorry if I've come across as an ass or made you feel bad.

Thats not what I'm here to do. I just get worked up *very* easy by this and the ridiculous secrecy and double speak of this damn conspiracy (yeah yeah) makes me get quick tempered. After hearing the kind of crap out of "one who cares", the kays and lichfields, and the operators of these places, I've gotten a short fuse. Thats one of my problems I have to recognize. The internet prevents me from directly seeing if I cause distress to people.

When I first found out about this, I had my own little regression, but without a seminar. I cried for weeks when I discovered how bad it was for some people and how long its gone on.

This has been seared into my memory and I wont forget about this until I die. I wont stop acting until I see real measures in place.

So yeah, all the programmies, see? I can face my shit and spill the beans within control of the situation without the need for a seminar. Go chew on that.

Now, I have to go to sleep, to have the wrapup session with my speech therapist that I CHOSE to go to :razz:

Faith is a cop-out. It is intellectual bankruptcy. If the only way you can accept an assertion is by faith, then you are conceding that it can't be taken on its own merits.
--Dan Barker, author and former evangelist

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Perrigaud on January 10, 2005, 04:16:00 AM
Niles,
 Yet again you've misinterpreted me. My whole point on the parent thing was that my parent's aren't perfect. A lot of others would have gone about raising me a different way. No use in me crying about how horrible my childhood was and so on. My parents have made many many mistakes. But I'm not going to live in the past. In the end it made me a stronger person. Also, as for my biological parents, well it's actually parent. I have an open adoption which means I can look into my papers and see all my info. My mother had 3 girls. I'm the youngest. Well, in Guatemala there are a lot of guerilla warfare. My father was a guerilla and died in action. My mother didn't have the means to support all 3 girls. In fact the middle sister died of malnutrition. My mother gave both my sister and I up for adoption. So you see, you should really learn all the facts before jumping to conclusions.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 10, 2005, 07:57:00 AM
Just an observation:
There appears to be many adopted kids in programs. In a perfect world, those who adopt might channel the money their paying out to programs to the biological parent so the family can stay together. Why adopt and put the kid in residential 'treatment'?
Two thousand a month would go a long way in 'a third world' country.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 10, 2005, 09:56:00 AM
Found this in the SEED forum.  EXCELLENT info.
Scary stuff though.

http://www.ex-cult.org/bite.html (http://www.ex-cult.org/bite.html)


Quote
I. Behavior Control

1. Regulation of individual?s physical reality

a. Where, how and with whom the member lives and associates with
b. What clothes, colors, hairstyles the person wears
c. What food the person eats, drinks, adopts, and rejects
d. How much sleep the person is able to have
e. Financial dependence
f. Little or no time spent on leisure, entertainment, vacations


2. Major time commitment required for indoctrination sessions and group rituals

3. Need to ask permission for major decisions

4. Need to report thoughts, feelings and activities to superiors

5. Rewards and punishments (behavior modification techniques- positive and negative).

5. Individualism discouraged; group think prevails

6. Rigid rules and regulations

7. Need for obedience and dependency


II. Information Control

1. Use of deception

a. Deliberately holding back information
b. Distorting information to make it acceptable
c. Outright lying


2. Access to non-cult sources of information minimized or discouraged


a. Books, articles, newspapers, magazines, TV, radio
b. Critical information
c. Former members
d. Keep members so busy they don?t have time to think


3. Compartmentalization of information; Outsider vs. Insider doctrines


a. Information is not freely accessible
b. Information varies at different levels and missions within pyramid
c. Leadership decides who "needs to know" what


4. Spying on other members is encouraged


a. Pairing up with "buddy" system to monitor and control
b. Reporting deviant thoughts, feelings, and actions to leadership


5. Extensive use of cult generated information and propaganda


a. Newsletters, magazines, journals, audio tapes, videotapes, etc.
b. Misquotations, statements taken out of context from non-cult sources


6. Unethical use of confession


a. Information about "sins" used to abolish identity boundaries
b. Past "sins" used to manipulate and control; no forgiveness or absolution
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on January 10, 2005, 10:56:00 AM
Perrigaud - you're right, but you still deserve an apology from them, or at least more support than the program seems to indicate they could give.

Yeah, I misinterpret things. I'm technically autistic (aspergers syndrome). Learning is part of growing up.

As for your mom giving you up that way... that was, indeed, a hard thing for her to do. I should have waited for the facts before jumping to a conclusion, but I didnt know where you were from or why you were given up.

Yeah, what doesnt kill us makes us stronger, but its not a favor to be misparented. Having had a dismal failure of a father, and by contrast a much better STEPfather, I'm probably very critical of parents who make mistakes or act out of their tempers or throw money around (like my dad) instead of try to understand the childs feelings and help them understand instead of dominate them (like my stepdad did).

I'm not thanking my dad for anything except his habit of premature ejaculation and my conception. Thats all hes done for me. I dont dwell on it either, but I dont exactly just give him forgiveness. If he admits hes screwed up and changes how he is, I would. But I doubt he will. I want more parent accountability.

Guess I got some egg on my face and I need to apologize again. Sorry, Perrigaud.
 

And suffering is not a badge of honor. Experiencing tyranny does not deserve a bow or a kiss. The honor is in removing the stumbling stone. The honor is in the impolite destruction of tyranny through honest, powerful dialogue - not etiquette. Not political correctness.

Maximus

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 10, 2005, 11:15:00 AM
I think this quote is very appropriate here:

And suffering is not a badge of honor. Experiencing tyranny does not deserve a bow or a kiss. The honor is in removing the stumbling stone. The honor is in the impolite destruction of tyranny through honest, powerful dialogue - not etiquette. Not political correctness.
Maximus
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Perrigaud on January 11, 2005, 03:40:00 AM
N,
  No worries. Life is all about learning. To all those people that owe apologies don't expect to get them (the apologies). If it happens great but if it doesn't oh well. What does that say about their character? Life's too short to be angry. I'm not saying forget about the pain, hurt, or whatever harm they have caused. Just learn from their mistakes, don't do them yourself and know that that makes you that much stronger of a person. And should the topic arise don't be afraid to say what you need to say. I don't think that would be hard for you to do.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: chi3 on January 12, 2005, 06:23:00 AM
O.K., so hi to all of you on this thread.I started reading this thread about 4 hours ago, and was so interested, I had to join this site. I do not know much about this, so please try and cut me some slack. First off, I have a child in the wwasps program. It was a decision made by my husband and I, him mostly, because we were truly at a loss of what to do with our child. We have tried everything, and I do mean everything, and we really were scared she would do something that she couldn't get out of. Her behavior has always been odd since she was very small (age 2 or so). She is very hard to deal with. She lies, and lies, so much, she can't keep them straight to herself. We believe she has some mental issue, but could never get a straight answer. I let my husband research the info for the schools. He chose the teen help program. He didn't tell me all he knew, he truly felt it would just upset me for no reason. I didn't know they were going to keep her there w/o contact with us for a great length of time. I didn't know anything about the seminars, levels, point system, etc. I was lead to believe that it was a"strict" boarding school. She hasn't been there very long, but after I started finding out the story on what the whole "program" was about, I was not happy. I started reading as much as I could find about the wwasps schools. I freaked out. This is not what I had intended! I tried to discuss this with my husband who says that stuff is old info, it didn't happen at "our" school. Well, I also asked some of the other parents. They all jumped on me like I said that I worshipped Satan or something. These people are total "stepford" parents. If you don't agree with everything the program says, you are against it, and you are to be outcasted. They push you immediately to go to the seminars, and parent support meetings. We recently attended the Discovery seminar because we were told we could not see our child until we had graduated Discovery and Focus. If you read Karen Lile's statement about her experience 5 or 6 yrs ago, it was almost exactly like ours. I did not feel intimidated, but felt like we were being treated as children, manipulated to the highest degree, and fed total bullshit. There were a few things said that were o.k., but for the most part, the objective is to brainwash you as they do your children. I am so damn confused! I want help for my daughter, I feel like we have tried so much stuff, but this place is driving me crazy. I can't see how it is doing any good for her. She sees a psycologist that we pay extra for, but only intermittently. I think that the doctor is pretty sharp, but the rest of the staff are so "programmed" they are completely against any negative words about the system. I will never leave my child in this place years! I will never do some exit plan where she gets abandonded! I can't imagine having strangers coming into my house and removing my child! If she was that bad, I would have her in a mental facility getting full time help. I am truly liking the idea about a day facility. Does anyone have much info about this? I am open to all, I am at wit's end.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Perrigaud on January 12, 2005, 06:46:00 AM
I can only imagine how you are feeling right now. Which facility was she sent to? I am a graduate of CCM and Casa. Mainly Cross Creek though. Well, I too used to lie compulsively. I never did drugs or had a problem with alcohol. Be prepared to hear all sorts of views and sides. I would say read up on all the archives. Personally it helped me. I don't agree with everything that goes on in the seminars or the program. But I took what I needed and left what I didn't. I've been out for over 3 years and am living my life the way I always wanted to. Feel free to ask any questions. I do mean any. I will answer them fully.
I've got one question for you, did you ever ask her why she lies all the time?
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 12, 2005, 09:44:00 AM
Chi3,

Get your kid out of there, NOW. WWASPS programs are extremely abusive and harmful.

If you need any help in getting her back home, or more info, check here: http://www.isaccorp.org (http://www.isaccorp.org)
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Perrigaud on January 12, 2005, 09:46:00 AM
Told you. Get ready for a bunch of opinions, facts, lies, truth, you name it.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 12, 2005, 10:15:00 AM
Sounds like she's already begun to realize the truth herself.  She probably doesn't need any convincing from us if she'll trust her own instincts, which right now seem to be telling her that there is something very, very wrong.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Timoclea on January 12, 2005, 11:03:00 AM
First of all, if she sees a psychiatrist there, if the psychiatrist is at all competent, you should have a diagnosis now.  That doesn't mean it's the *right* diagnosis.  You should get a second opinion, and you should insist on being able to remove her to drive her to her second opinion, even if you then drive her right back.  If they won't let you remove her for needed medical treatment---and a second opinion from a board certified pediatric psychiatrist, even one in another state, counts as needed medical treatment---then you should pull her out of there pronto.

Depriving a child of needed medical treatment is child neglect.  If they won't let you take her out to drive her to that and then then immediately return her, then all the stories about how abusive they are have just been proven directly to you and you have every reason to know for sure.

Has it ever occurred to you to think about *why* they try to brainwash the parents not to question them?  I, and others, believe that WWASPS is a psychotherapy cult.  I don't know whether or not they've got their hooks into your husband or you and he just disagree, but I would use whether you can pull her for a second opinion with a board certified pediatric psychiatrist who is completely unaffiliated with WWASPS as the gold standard touchstone for determining what is going on.

If the second opinion disagrees with the opinion of WWASPS psychiatrist, get a third one.  If you still can't get a firm diagnosis, get SPECT done on her (Dr. Amen has a webpage with information about where to get this and what it is).  SPECT can *at least* tell you whether you're looking at a kid with a normal brain, a kid with a very *abnormal* brain, or something in between, and even if you still can't get a firm diagnosis, you can at least know based on which parts of the brain are affected (if any) what therapies or medications are most likely to help her.

If your child has been noticeably abnormal since age 2, there is *something* going on.  It could be anything from a genetic problem to brain damage from a hard knock on the head---maybe even one you didn't know about.

If it's from a knock on the head, maybe one that happened when she was with a babysitter or something that you just never heard about, it may not fit into the profile of any standard psychiatric disorder and it may be that SPECT may be the *only* way you find out where the damage is (if there is any).  I say this because the behavior you're telling me doesn't fit right off with any diagnosis I know about---but it may be that I don't have enough information, and it's sure hard to tell over the internet.

If the second opinion and the WWASPS psychiatrist agree about what's wrong with her, then you just need to decide what the appropriate treatment for that disorder is.

One thing to think about is that the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH), a federal government organization, recently released a statement that said that for mentally ill children, boot camps or boarding schools that place them right alongside juvenile delinquents are not helpful and are even harmful.

WWASPS accepts juvenile delinquents (no offense, Perrigaud, but it sounds like that's part of what your problems were, based on what you've told us).

If your daughter is mentally ill, you might want to consider NIMH's statements in your decisions about the best place for her.

If I were you, after you get a firm diagnosis, I'd contact NAMI (National Alliance of the Mentally Ill) and get their advice about how to handle the situation.

She may need to be hospitalized, she may not--we don't have enough information about whether she's an active danger to herself or others.

But you need a firm, reliable diagnosis about exactly what's wrong with her before you decide what treatment she needs.

If her symptoms don't fit with a known illness--that is, if board certified pediatricians have trouble categorizing what's wrong with her---then the next thing I'd do is check for brain damage with a SPECT scan.

In my experience, kids with loving parents don't just "go wrong" at age 2 unless there is something  seriously biologically wrong.

Timoclea
(I'm *not* an expert, but I have bipolar disorder, I have a bipolar child, and I have a bachelor's degree in Applied Psychology from Georgia Tech.  *I'm* not an expert---but I sure know enough to know you *need* experts.  Real ones.  WWASPS has too much of a financial conflict of interests WRT your child to leave her there without a *competent* second opinion from an unaffiliated board certified pediatric psychiatrist.)

Preacher man don't tell me heaven is under the earth; you don't know what life is worth;.......If you know what life is worth, you will look for your's on earth.

--Bob Marley

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: chi3 on January 12, 2005, 11:42:00 AM
Thanks,
I appreciate ALL opinions. I always make my own decisions the best I can based on the information I have. I try very hard to find out all the facts. I don't know if there is anything mentally wrong with my daughter, but she is not like other kids I know this for sure. She has avery high i.q. but makes poor judgements on her behavior. She was never left with a babysitter or out of my care except school. I worked in her classes from K-3. She doesn't know why she lies, or even seem to realize she does. She appears to have no morals,values, or any of the beliefs of our family. I appreciate the suggestion of the 2nd opinion. Good idea. I also will continue to read all the info I can, past or present. She is at CSA. Has anyone else been there, or had a child there?
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Timoclea on January 12, 2005, 11:51:00 AM
Quote
On 2005-01-12 08:42:00, chi3 wrote:

"Thanks,

I appreciate ALL opinions. I always make my own decisions the best I can based on the information I have. I try very hard to find out all the facts. I don't know if there is anything mentally wrong with my daughter, but she is not like other kids I know this for sure. She has avery high i.q. but makes poor judgements on her behavior. She was never left with a babysitter or out of my care except school. I worked in her classes from K-3. She doesn't know why she lies, or even seem to realize she does. She appears to have no morals,values, or any of the beliefs of our family. I appreciate the suggestion of the 2nd opinion. Good idea. I also will continue to read all the info I can, past or present. She is at CSA. Has anyone else been there, or had a child there?"


Does she empathize with others?

Does she show remorse or regret if she hurts someone?

Does she have the ability to visualize images of places---can she draw a picture in her head?

Can she visualize consequences, or does she seem to have a poor ability to do that?

Does she seem to enjoy hurting people?

Does she have a history of hurting animals?

Does she seem emotionally numb?

Does she show an unusual pattern of sensation seeking?

Is she violent?

Does she respect the property of others?

Does she think people with morals are stupidly naive or just hypocrites faking having morals?

Obviously, I'm a stranger, so if you don't want to share all this, I'll understand.

Timoclea

A drug is neither moral nor immoral - it's a chemical compound. The compound itself is not a menace to society until a human being treats it as if consumption bestowed a temporary license to act like an asshole.
--Frank Zappa

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Antigen on January 12, 2005, 08:27:00 PM
Chi3, I agree w/ the Anon who said "Sounds like she's already begun to realize the truth herself." Follow your gut.

My first thought is that if you know your daughter is a compulsive liar then you have absolutely NO way of gaining even thin assurance that everything is ok. Timoclea has some good advice there.

Second, if your daughter really is emotionally or psychologically frail then it's a pretty good bet she wouldn't come out of the Program anywhere near as self posessed and clear-headed as Perrigaud. (and I do think you'll realize even more about your fairly recent experience as time goes on, Perrigaud)

I'm also concerned about how sold on the whole thing your husband might be. If WWASP is a cult, and I have reason to believe that it is, then you may have to be careful not to make your husband choose between you and the program. Never mind setting him off and not having any sway with him. If you're deemed a noncompliant parent, you'll lose any shot at contact w/ your daughter.

My family was involved w/ a similar treatment cult for about 12 years; from the time I was 6. At first, my dad resisted and went ahead and complained out loud. He was banned from the house till my older brothers graduated their program.

When my turn came along, he went along... but not really. It did effect him, but not completely. Toward the end of the ordeal, he let me know he'd left a screwdriver under a dresser drawer in case I needed to pick the lock on my bedroom door or defend myself against another kid trying to escape. (In my program, kids on lower phases were locked into the bedrooms of kids on high enough phases to be living at home)

I'm sorry I can't offer you any sure fire solution to your daughter's problems. I hope you understand that that's largely because there aren't any, no matter how much you pay or how sincere the people making the offer. But, based on my contact w/ former WWASP students, I'm fairly confident that if the kid actually has a problem and it's not just you WWASP isn't going to help her. If it's just you, time away and just time to grow up will help her and, hopefully, she's tough enough to not be seriously broken by "the process". Either way, there must be a less risky option than leaving her incommunicado w/ a bunch of cultish TOUGHLOVE hategroup proponants.

Innocence implies the ability to restrain from the initiation of aggression, and to question those who don't.
Sorin Cucerai

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: spots on January 13, 2005, 12:59:00 AM
Quote
< If it's just you, time away and just time to grow up will help her and, hopefully, she's tough enough to not be seriously broken by "the process".


A very real result for many many many children sent to these cult facilities is that they do, in fact, "grow up" and often think the Program had a lot to do with it.  Probably not.  But...the time your child spends abandoned in a harsh hateful tough love environment will forever be a wedge between you and him.  He will no longer trust you, he will no longer want to confide in you as he works through to maturity, and he will possibly no longer love you.  Proceed at you own risk, keeping your kid locked up in a private prison.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 13, 2005, 04:06:00 AM
wow! I wasn't expecting so much, thanks. My husband thinks the seminars are crap...for adults. He thinks my daughter will get a lot from them. She has went to Orientation, and we spoke with her on Christmas Eve and she said she likd it. Yes, she lies, How do I know they didn't make her say it? Because she has been saying whatever she has wanted back in forth in her letters, in her journal, and in the phone call. I was surprised. I thought that wasn't allowed. Apparently they don't seem too care to much about that, anymore. I think they eally only started having big expectations of them there when they reach level 3 and beyond. Mostly there like where, you'll know when there ready and so will we. Timoclea, she is apathetic to others and cold,but there are a few people she become "obsessive" about. She thinks its funny to hurt others, sees it as no big deal unless it is a big deal, then just seems really uncomfortable. Loves Pets, small chidren, disabled people, or those not quite quick, seeks out thrills and dangerous situations, continouosly.Not sure if that's all or if I expressed it correctly, let me know, I will try to re-word.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Perrigaud on January 13, 2005, 04:42:00 AM
It's crazy how much I can relate to her. My mom said that she knew there was something wrong with me the day we were driving in her car and the brakes faltered for some reason. She screamed and did her best to get control. I, on the other hand, didn't even flinch. I would describe myself as dead inside. I didn't care much for anyone or anything. My father had once asked me to stop lying. My response was "I can't". There were a handful of people that I was loyal and caring about. They were friends that had it bad and I protected them at all cost.


*I suggest you do read everyone's posts. They'll be helpful.*
[ This Message was edited by: Perrigaud on 2005-01-13 01:45 ]
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 13, 2005, 07:29:00 AM
Quote
On 2005-01-13 01:06:00, Anonymous wrote:

"wow! I wasn't expecting so much, thanks. My husband thinks the seminars are crap...for adults. He thinks my daughter will get a lot from them. She has went to Orientation, and we spoke with her on Christmas Eve and she said she likd it. Yes, she lies, How do I know they didn't make her say it? Because she has been saying whatever she has wanted back in forth in her letters, in her journal, and in the phone call. I was surprised. I thought that wasn't allowed. Apparently they don't seem too care to much about that, anymore. I think they eally only started having big expectations of them there when they reach level 3 and beyond. Mostly there like where, you'll know when there ready and so will we. Timoclea, she is apathetic to others and cold,but there are a few people she become "obsessive" about. She thinks its funny to hurt others, sees it as no big deal unless it is a big deal, then just seems really uncomfortable. Loves Pets, small chidren, disabled people, or those not quite quick, seeks out thrills and dangerous situations, continouosly.Not sure if that's all or if I expressed it correctly, let me know, I will try to re-word. "


WWASP often lets the kids say negative (but not too negative) things about the program in their letters, so that WWASP could tell the parents that their child is being "amnipulative". It's a way to make sure the parents are in line with the program.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 13, 2005, 07:39:00 AM
Chi, just be prepared that the majority of these people on these posts will stop at nothing to have you pull your child out. Just remember most of them were not at a wwasp program and are just going on what is said by a very small percentage of kids and parents that have been through the program. They live for parents that pull thier kids or programs that get shut down. Perigaud went through a wwwasp program and look at her, she is doing great. This guy niles is only 20 years old and is no authority on this subject.
I agree do what is in your gut, that is always best. I have personally seen kids  many months later in the program and most of them are doing great and give me a smile and a hello, even though i'm the one that brought them there.
All these people say it's fake and they are forced, i say that's BS, I have a gut to and it tells me they are very real. I used to be an actor and I can see a bad acting job if it was there. The one that cares
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Perrigaud on January 13, 2005, 08:15:00 AM
Should you decide to keep her in there don't let her forget that she's in a somewhat surreal environment. If she doesn't keep that in her head she will surely fall on her face when she comes home. Also tell her that not everything in the program is right. This is all if she stays.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Timoclea on January 13, 2005, 11:18:00 AM
Quote
On 2005-01-13 01:06:00, Anonymous wrote:

"wow! I wasn't expecting so much, thanks. My husband thinks the seminars are crap...for adults. He thinks my daughter will get a lot from them. She has went to Orientation, and we spoke with her on Christmas Eve and she said she likd it. Yes, she lies, How do I know they didn't make her say it? Because she has been saying whatever she has wanted back in forth in her letters, in her journal, and in the phone call. I was surprised. I thought that wasn't allowed. Apparently they don't seem too care to much about that, anymore. I think they eally only started having big expectations of them there when they reach level 3 and beyond. Mostly there like where, you'll know when there ready and so will we. Timoclea, she is apathetic to others and cold,but there are a few people she become "obsessive" about. She thinks its funny to hurt others, sees it as no big deal unless it is a big deal, then just seems really uncomfortable. Loves Pets, small chidren, disabled people, or those not quite quick, seeks out thrills and dangerous situations, continouosly.Not sure if that's all or if I expressed it correctly, let me know, I will try to re-word. "


Thinking it's funny to hurt people and thrill seeking I'd be worried about, but it's largely a question of degree, and nobody can tell just over the internet how different her behavior is from an average teen her age.

If you bring her back home, you might try enrolling her in martial arts.  A good dojo is really good for developing self-discipline, and an understanding that your actions really could harm someone else along with the determination not to, and a relatively *safe* place to get your thrills sparring the other students in supervised bouts.  If she wants an adrenaline rush, the sparring ring is a relatively good place to get it with limited real risk.

I wish you the best of luck with whatever you decide.  She *probably* mostly needs time to grow up.  *If* she's dangerous to others, if I were you  I might have her somewhere---but it wouldn't be WWASPS.  Those folks are just scary.

Timoclea

People everywhere enjoy believing things that they know are not true. It spares them the ordeal of thinking for themselves and taking responsibility for what they know.
BROOKS ATKINSON (1894-1984), Once Around The Sun, 1951.

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on January 13, 2005, 01:17:00 PM
Ok... if all of us want you to pull the kid out.

And the *FACT* is you are in the dark about your childs wellbeing, and its a MYSTERY...

Why are you going to tolerate not knowing just because someone who has something to hide insists on keeping the kid in the program?

They're isolated, unable to contact you without going through them, unable to contact any authorities for help, and physically held captive in there.

If something is going on youre the only person who can find out.

So lets say I'm wrong. Why not go there and prove me wrong?

If the program is great afterall, there wont be any harm in taking a kid out of it anymore than taking a kid out of school.

Hands that help are far better then lips that pray.
--Robert G. Ingersoll, American politician and lecturer

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: chi3 on January 14, 2005, 04:04:00 AM
I sincerely want to thank everyone for their time. I am amazed that you all have responded with so much thought. I did as you suggested. I read tons of info at isaccorp, and I am seriously appalled at what I found. How in the world can this be so unregulated?? My nail salon has more regulations than this! I called the ATTY Gen. office, stated board of ed., child protective services, etc. they couldn't tell me anything other than it is not accredited in the state, credits do not transfer, and that their was no open litigation concerning the school. I want to know, if I do go up to get her out, how do I do it? Will they give me a hard time? My husband IS concerned, he looked into a REAL boarding school yesterday, but he says until we have a plan in motion on where to take her, he doesn't believe she is in imminent danger. He also wants to know how come he has met and heard of so many kids that have been through the program that are doing well. I countered that some people do well when brainwashed. I believe that is so. I am just not sure if that is a good idea for my daughter. I know I am not going to be. My daughter picks the worst people to be friends with. She was very involved with the gothic group, the gay group, the kids with serious issues, who are very confused. She says she likes people with more problems than she, so that she can focus on theirs, not hers. Unfortunately she gets too involved and they pull her down. For the one who cares: I have no problem with you doing your job. I still say that lies with the PARENTS. I just hope that if you do this job you are not one of the few that I know who have been abusive to children. That is outrageous that these companies hire people who have arrest records, for any reason! Some for  DUI and some for previous child abuse. I hope if you do this job, you do it with a conscience!!! I cannot tell you how much I wanted to physically harm these damn people who have abused these children with no recourse. SICK,SICK,SICK! May you all roast in HELL!
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 14, 2005, 06:13:00 AM
Quote
On 2005-01-14 01:04:00, chi3 wrote:

"I sincerely want to thank everyone for their time. I am amazed that you all have responded with so much thought. I did as you suggested. I read tons of info at isaccorp, and I am seriously appalled at what I found. How in the world can this be so unregulated?? My nail salon has more regulations than this! I called the ATTY Gen. office, stated board of ed., child protective services, etc. they couldn't tell me anything other than it is not accredited in the state, credits do not transfer, and that their was no open litigation concerning the school. I want to know, if I do go up to get her out, how do I do it? Will they give me a hard time? My husband IS concerned, he looked into a REAL boarding school yesterday, but he says until we have a plan in motion on where to take her, he doesn't believe she is in imminent danger. He also wants to know how come he has met and heard of so many kids that have been through the program that are doing well. I countered that some people do well when brainwashed. I believe that is so. I am just not sure if that is a good idea for my daughter. I know I am not going to be. My daughter picks the worst people to be friends with. She was very involved with the gothic group, the gay group, the kids with serious issues, who are very confused. She says she likes people with more problems than she, so that she can focus on theirs, not hers. Unfortunately she gets too involved and they pull her down. For the one who cares: I have no problem with you doing your job. I still say that lies with the PARENTS. I just hope that if you do this job you are not one of the few that I know who have been abusive to children. That is outrageous that these companies hire people who have arrest records, for any reason! Some for  DUI and some for previous child abuse. I hope if you do this job, you do it with a conscience!!! I cannot tell you how much I wanted to physically harm these damn people who have abused these children with no recourse. SICK,SICK,SICK! May you all roast in HELL!"


Chi3,

First of all, I'm glad you read what's on that site-- as a parents, it's important that you have as much information as possible about the people who are now caring for your child on a day-to-day basis. And WWASP will ONLY tell you what they want to tell you-- they won't tell you about the abuse, the deprivation, the way they manipulate parents into keeping their child in the program for just another week, just another month, just another year. "Yeah, we're not accredited, there's an investigation against our facility, there have been charges of abuse, but LOOK!! your child is doing GREAT here! wouldn't you want to keep her a little while longer?? You know she will be DEAD OR IN JAIL (WWASP's favorite phrase) without us! You wouldn't want your child to DIE, would you???"

Please, please, get your daughter out of there. Get her out and take her to see a psychologist who will evaluate her properly and may be able to point you to a real treatment program. There are many options out there.

I wish you and your daughter the best of luck.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: chi3 on January 14, 2005, 06:44:00 AM
i am working on that as we speak. i am not worried about the money, they can keep the shit. i want my kid back! i need to know if anyone has had trouble getting their kid out. do i need to take the police with me? child protective services? i have full legal custody.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Perrigaud on January 14, 2005, 07:33:00 AM
All the girls that were pulled from the program that I knew simply had parents that wouldn't listen to the facility and it's faculty. If you want to get her out be prepared to listen to a bunch of disagreements.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 14, 2005, 08:27:00 AM
Chi, you do have to look at what your husband asked. Why are there so many kids and parents giving the program so much praise. If you did not notice there are very few kids and parents who went to wwasp who are complaing and that is out of thousands of kids that have been through wwasp programs. It is most likely kids that rebelled at the school and never let them selves get anything out of it. The odds are for the wwasp program if you look at how many perople praise it and how many people don't. I have never been to CSA, but i have been to other wwasp schools and have seen a very strict school, but nothing else. I go there at all times of day and have been taken around without anyone alerting the other staff that i am coming throgh. I care deeply about kids and you can be sure if i ever saw any abuse taking place, i would be fighting to close them also. I have about 3 years experince now dropping kids at wwasp schools and other programs. I don;t really know if a regular boarding school is right for your daughter, but the parent knows what's best for thier child. A regular baording school has all the problems of a regular school. Drugs, cutting, fights ect... Go with your gut.
The one who cares
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 14, 2005, 09:16:00 AM
Quote
On 2005-01-14 03:44:00, chi3 wrote:

"i am working on that as we speak. i am not worried about the money, they can keep the shit. i want my kid back! i need to know if anyone has had trouble getting their kid out. do i need to take the police with me? child protective services? i have full legal custody."


Chi3,

You, as a parent, can come and get your daughter out at any time. They may try to argue with you and talk you out of it, but be firm and get out of there quickly.

If you need more advice, contact ISAC-- they have experience with getting kids out of these places. If you feel you need someone to come with you, ISAC may be able to provide that, also.

Good luck.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 14, 2005, 09:53:00 AM
Yes chi, you can get your child anytime, but the school will try to convince you not to, but that is all they will do. They can not stop you from taking your daughter. Just remeber the opposite is happening here they will stop at nothing to get you to take your kid, and if you do they will look at it as a victory for this site and the ones who are only acting on heresay.
The one who cares
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Timoclea on January 14, 2005, 10:11:00 AM
Stop at nothing?

Please.

I'm a professional writer.  Not to be immodest, but my book hit the NYT.  Did I rake up scads of horror stories and deluge her?  Did I post the link to the Hartford Courant's expose on restraint deaths?  I could have been a *lot* more alarmist.

Did I even say her kid *didn't* need residential care?

No.

If I was willing to be unethical, I could have been a lot more persuasive.  But I don't do that.

Personally, I just tried to get her to get a professional second opinion and make reasonable checks on her kid's welfare and decide from there.  And to make reasonable checks on WWASPS history.

Of course there are lots of kids who went through WWASPS that are doing well.  But that's not due to WWASPS.  Most teenagers who had problems who *didn't* go to WWASPS are *also* doing well.  Children grow up.  The credit for that goes to mother nature, not WWASPS.

What's it to you if this child gets a professional second opinion and a careful, appropriate selection of treatment plans from licensed providers, and goes to an accredited school?

Nobody here is trying to talk this mom into ignoring her kid's needs and getting her *no* care and education.  We're just trying to get her to up the qualifications of the providers and have a better chance of matching the care to the kid.

If you care so much, why the heck would you have a problem with a kid getting better care?

Timoclea

You never see animals going through the absurd and often horrible fooleries of magic and religion. Only man behaves with such gratuitous folly. It is the price he has to pay for being intelligent but not, as yet, intelligent enough.
--Aldous Huxley, author

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 14, 2005, 11:22:00 AM
Maybe not u tim,OWC
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 14, 2005, 11:37:00 AM
Quote
On 2005-01-14 06:53:00, Anonymous wrote:

" Just remeber the opposite is happening here they will stop at nothing to get you to take your kid, and if you do they will look at it as a victory for this site and the ones who are only acting on heresay.

The one who cares"


One Who Kidnaps...Most of us here do NOT look at it that way.  There is no our side/your side.  That's YOUR mentality.

Chi, you do what you think is right.  People have given various opinions here, all valid.  If you do decide to make an impromptu check on your daughter or inquire about pulling her out, pay very close attention to how they respond.  I'm not talking about just trying to talk you out of it.  Of course they're going to do that.  Be aware of the tactics they use in doing so.  

It sounds to me like your gut has been telling you something from the start.  You're doing the smart thing, investigating further.  I've always told my kids that the MOST important lesson I could ever teach them is to TRUST YOUR GUT.  It's never failed me when I've really, really listened to it.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 14, 2005, 11:43:00 AM
Quote
MOST important lesson I could ever teach them is to TRUST YOUR GUT. It's never failed me when I've really, really listened to it.

In WWASPspeak your gut is called your "chattering pig" and you are supposed to ignore it.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 14, 2005, 11:51:00 AM
I am just stating how i feel, it feels like i'm on one side and most of you on the other. The people on this board have made me feel this way. I am on the childs side, but know there are parents that can not go on and keep trying things that don't work for thier kid. Again most of these parents have tried everything they can and calling me is a last resort. I have never heard the term chattering pig before, but that looks like something i don't agree with. One's Gut is usually right. It's kind of hard not to feel on one side with all the comments that have been said to me here. But that is everyones right to speak thier mind.The one who cares
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 14, 2005, 11:57:00 AM
Yes, I agree.  We are on two very opposite sides.  My point, which you seem to have missed.....again (you have a real habit of doing that), was that most of the people here are not going to see this as a victory for "this site".  I'll certainly be glad that one less kid will have to go through the humiliation, degredation, mindrape, yes....absolutely.  But a victory for this site?????????   :roll: That's not what we're about.  I'm aware that that's precisely how YOU view us, but it's not reality.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 14, 2005, 12:22:00 PM
***I am just stating how i feel, it feels like i'm on one side and most of you on the other.

REALITY CHECK: You do realize where you are, don't you? This is a 'survivor' site. Did you expect something different? You might feel alot less frustrated if you accepted that.

***The people on this board have made me feel this way.

Nope, no one can 'make' you feel anything, short of physically hurting you.  

***I am on the childs side,

In case you haven't noticed, that is precisely how we advocates think of ourselves. It's a difference of perspective and opinion. We don't do this work for our health. Most of us know beyond a shadow of a doubt that there are options that the parents haven't tried. Options that are much more humane and respectful to the child.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 14, 2005, 12:50:00 PM
My daughter picks the worst people to be friends with. She was very involved with the gothic group, the gay group, the kids with serious issues, who are very confused. She says she likes people with more problems than she, so that she can focus on theirs, not hers. Unfortunately she gets too involved and they pull her down.


OK,  I can see how the "gothic" look may be upsetting.  But, speaking from experience, all the black clothes, and wild makeup, and brooding thoughts cover personalities of a rare sweetness and sensitivity.

Spooky, yeah, but how many of the 4 decades plus people who read this board were fans of  "Dark Shadows"?

For some thoughful, well researched, and footnoted information on Goth:

http://www.religioustolerance.org/goth.htm (http://www.religioustolerance.org/goth.htm)
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Antigen on January 14, 2005, 04:02:00 PM
OWC, I know this is going to be very hard for you to wrap your mind around, but I've been pretty much where you are. Not exactly. I did come to my senses as an adult. But there was a time when I would have gone out w/ the goon squad to track down a runnaway, tackled them to the ground and dragged them back kicking and screaming into group at their parents' request. And I would not have perceived any abuse whatever. In fact, when I did split one time and the goon squad (Marti, Robin and I don't remember who else) showed up at my door, I didn't think they were doing anything wrong. I simply determined to outsmart or outrun them. No hard feelings at all.

I believe you when you say that you've never wittnessed any abuse in these programs. In fact, I think you could take part in one of those extended seminars where they focus the entire group's attention on one little girl's childhood rape experience, yell at her, call her names and break her down for hours and you still would not perceive any abuse. I just don't have all that much faith in your perceptions.

"The FARC is part of the history of Colombia and a historical phenomenon", (President Pastrana) says, "and they must be treated as Colombians". ... They come and ask for bread [aid from Washington], and you give them stones.

Robert White is a former American ambassador to Paraguay and El Salvador, and former No. 2 man with the U.S. Embassy in Bogota, is president of the Centre for International Policy in Washington D.C.
Robert White

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: chi3 on January 14, 2005, 04:32:00 PM
i don't think i explained it well when i said the gay/goth group. i was all into the whole punk rock thing. no biggie. just a clothing decision in my school. this isn't just clothes. it is a way of life. us against them, whatever it takes. they are very violent to themselves and others. lots of cutters, suicides. they also shove the sexuality thing down everyone's throat by actively doing things to provoke conflict. just 3 days ago one of the goths attacked a boy and a teacher out of the blue threatening to cut off their heads. it took 2 coaches to subdue him then the cops came and arresred him. this is supposedly a very "good" school. but their is sex going on in the bathrooms after school, drugs, etc. the gay group openly display affection and the guys shave their legs in boys showers just to piss off people. these are the people my daughter has as friends. for the one who cares: i appreciate your concern, but i came here for all thoughs good and bad. i can decipher how i feel when i get them. i don't make decisions that quickly nor just on people's word. if i had of made the school decision instead of leaving it up to my husband, she wouldn't be there. i would never left her somewhere that i couldn't see my daughter much less not even spend the holidays with her. this was very traumatic for her and the whole family. never again.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: chi3 on January 14, 2005, 04:34:00 PM
sorry about spelling, syntax, etc. very tired.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Antigen on January 14, 2005, 04:57:00 PM
Quote
On 2005-01-14 13:34:00, chi3 wrote:

"sorry about spelling, syntax, etc. very tired."


More than understandable.

"...In general, it's just an overall sign in America that there doesn't seem to be as much respect for authority figures, and that's a bad trend. It just strikes me that people can say whatever they want to and get away with it, and that's not good."

--But David Murrell, exec. dir. of the Florida Police Benevolent Association

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on January 14, 2005, 08:02:00 PM
Did you see this stuff with your own eyes?

I hung out with the people who dressed 'weird' and my tiny highschool's one gay guy who as actually out of the closet, and they were never like that. James was rather flamboyant but otherwise he was just a person.

The "goths" would wax nihilistically sometimes and smoked cigarettes but never started anything with anyone. They'd butt heads with this one guy who wore a suit and had a buzzcut (I swear to god it was cheney's mini-me) over religious stuff, but it was only verbal.

I guess in a VERY large school you might see gang formation but I have a hard time believing that goths/gays or whatever are inherantly violent.

It (the Bible) is full of interest. It has noble poetry in it; and some clever fables; and some blood-drenched history; and some good morals; and a wealth of obscenity; and upwards of a thousand lies.
--Samuel Clemens "Mark Twain", American author and humorist

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Janet on January 14, 2005, 09:37:00 PM
Perri, when you were at Cross Creek did you know Sabrina Graham?   If so, let me e-mail you.
       Janet[ This Message was edited by: Janet on 2005-01-15 16:11 ]
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Perrigaud on January 15, 2005, 06:02:00 PM
I think so. Go ahead my e-mail is posted if not it's perrigaud@hotmail.com
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Antigen on January 15, 2005, 06:20:00 PM
Nihl, I wonder about that too. Some things are different now than they were 20 years ago. For one thing, it wasn't cool to be gay back then. A LOT of teenagers around here are gay, or think they are or play at it or something. I think it's mostly just a fun way to push the grown up's buttons w/o doing anyone any real harm, yah know?

But I don't have any reason to think kids taday are any meaner or more foolish than when I was a kid. It's just... fashion, really. I could have made both of my parents and the Bible teacher go apapleptic by dying my hair purple or sticking a steel bar through my nose. That would be effective w/ most adults these days. After all, some of us dressed just like the people on Saturday Night Fever for at least a week in the very late `70's. We may not like to admit it, but we remember and so purple hair and piercings are not really that compelling.

But homosexuality!!! Arrrrrggghhhh!!!  :rofl:

So I wonder if it's really as bad as what we're hearing or if it's just maybe a little exagerated.

Marijuana in its natural form is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man. By  any measure of rational analysis marijuana can be safely used within the supervised routine of medical care.
Administrative Law Judge, Francis Young,  DOJ/DEA

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on January 21, 2005, 02:00:00 AM
Chi3 - did you pull your kid out yet?

Also... why not just take her home, listen to what she has to say - and just raise her yourselves?

I'm not trying to step on your toes here but.... I'm only 20, I remember what its like being a kid, and I can vouch for one fact - NO kid I know who has involved, closely bonded with parents has not turned out okay.

She needs to get OUT of the environment of being locked up and told what to do and given room to breathe and stretch out and be free again.

A student burst into his office.  "Professor Stigler, I don't believe I deserve this F you've given me."  To which Stigler replied, "I agree, but unfortunately it is the lowest grade the University will allow me to award."
--Professor Stigler

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: chi3 on January 21, 2005, 03:13:00 AM
I don't mind all the weird dressing, hair colors, make-up, etc. I don't like all the blow-jobs on the school bus,(boys, girls, whatever combination), sex in the bandroom, sex in the bathrooms, sex in the big plastic tubes on the playgrounds, sex in public dressing rooms, the movies, etc. Add to this drugs, and alcohol, cutting, boy-girl sleepovers that parents know about, throw in a little satanism, and there you have it....public high school, 2005. Maybe I am overreacting, but this is just too much for me. Maybe some of you can deal with it, and the kids who see absolutely nothing wrong with any of it, but I can't. This was ruining my life, my husband's, and especially her brother who is a couple of years younger. We really didn't know what to do. Still don't, really, but couldn't live worrying every minute of every day what she might get involved with next.

P.S. Also, add the running away adventures, and boys breaking in our house in the middle of the night.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on January 21, 2005, 04:00:00 AM
Ma'am, I JUST (well, practically speaking) came out of highschool. Last summer.

That stuff is mostly exaggeration! Wanna know what Statanism is? Something MADE. UP. By freethinkers and athiests to scare conservative christians and as a model for their philosophy (the self comes first, but usually they include family and friends as 'allies')

Drugs and alcohol are not as rampant as theyd lead you to think. Same for the BJs on the bus (come on, imagine hitting a bump and what would happen when teeth meet genitalia, do the math) and... sex in a dressing room? You know how much commotion that would make? Maybe some teachers AFTER SCHOOL in the lounge, but students in a dressing room? come on!

ACTUAL rates of crime have been going down for some time. Like, for the past 10 years at least. I'm not quite sure.

Shes probalby just acting out and dressing weirdly . I *SERIOUSLY* doubt shes one of maybe 200 people in the whole country who have tha life style for REAL and not just the image of it.

Now, the boys breaking into your house... call the cops on their ass. Running away adventures? Sounds like you need to work on your bond with her.

I'm not out here to put you down, but if you really spent time with her and made REAL, TRUE, LASTING GENUINE BOND, not a hierarchy of "I AM PARENT YOU ARE CHILD" - you'd do a TON of good.

Busting her out of that damned program should at least give her that reason to start trusting you now.

BTW - I have AIM, MSN, and YIM. You have any of these? I also have a cellphone but I dont want to give my # out on the forum.

Marijuana clearly has medicinal value.
 Thousands of seriously ill Americans have
 been able to determine that for themselves,
 albeit illegally. Like my own family, these
 individuals did not wish to break the law but
 they had no choice.
 

--Lyn Nofziger, former deputy chairman of the Republican National Committee

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: jjpinks on January 21, 2005, 03:17:00 PM
You sound like my mother did 20 years ago!  :smile:
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 21, 2005, 04:37:00 PM
I don't know but the last kid that i transported who was 15 pointed to a gas station where he said he had sex with his girlfriend in the bathroom. The girl was 14. I think that is a shame and also disgusting in a gas station bathroom. I think Chi is not far off. Girls don't think a blow job is sex anymore, it's just like another base for them. The one who cares
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 21, 2005, 04:46:00 PM
Ever heard of kids exaggerating their sexual experiences (especially a male adolescent to an older male) to make themselves appear "cool" and more mature than they actaully are???  Jeeez, that's how most of the girls with a reputation of 'slut' got[/b] that reputation in the first place.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on January 21, 2005, 07:06:00 PM
OWC, go to hell. Dont pass go, dont collect your fee for transportation, just go to hell. End your stupid fucking life now.

STOP trying to scare her mom into giving up her kid to yet MORE people who want to make a profit off of keeping her captive. She needs to get AWAY from dipshits like you and start raising her kid herself and not being worked over and manipulated so they pay people (like yourself) to 'fix' her because you try to convince her thats the only way her daughter will survive.

Know what goths really do all day? Sit around, read poetry, read Nietzche, listen to Marilyn Manson, bitch about 'the establishment' and how stupid people like YOU are, OWC, and maybe drink their parents liquor. Basically what ALL KIDS DO. Different books, different musicians, but you have  got to be shitting me if you think its abnormal and some big prob if they had a beer or a shot of some drink too strong for them to even handle.

Communication and a pack of condoms would go a lot farther than you putting your grubby little hands on another teenage boy or girl, you sick, twisted FUCK. I am SO sick of people like you trying to terrify and manipulate parents like Chi into this little pyramid scheme. If youre THAT afraid of her having sex, and if you cant bring yourself to give her the talk, get her a playgirl and a vibrator! The internet has TONS of websites about this.

All youre doing, although in sneakier words, is "You cant raise your kid, we know it all, your kid is messed up, so give up and send them to us.

Chi, dont listen to these people anymore, make them get a REAL job and take your kid home. Mom knows best, thats how god and nature intended, and the best place for your child is with you, in your arms, away from EVERYONE. If you are really that afraid of her friends and can't just talk to them, get a restraining order, but for your daughters sake, dont just give up, again, and send her away again!

PLEASE! MOM KNOWS BEST! NOT SOME PROGRAM, NOT SOME KIDNAPPER LIKE "one who cares" AND NOT SOME SNAKEOIL SALESMAN. God and mother nature gave you the tools, dont let THEM tell you anything else! If you listen to your daughter, she'll listen to you. If you say you're sorry and hug her, she'll give it back. Send the girl to a relative, or just  stay home with her all day. Just for her sake PLEASE dont send her off again.

India Indicas, Mr. Peabody?
-- Sherman

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 21, 2005, 07:10:00 PM
Quote
On 2005-01-21 13:37:00, Anonymous wrote:

"I don't know but the last kid that i transported who was 15 pointed to a gas station where he said he had sex with his girlfriend in the bathroom. The girl was 14. I think that is a shame and also disgusting in a gas station bathroom. I think Chi is not far off. Girls don't think a blow job is sex anymore, it's just like another base for them. The one who cares"


So, are you advocating sending teens who engage in sex off to these places for "treatment"??  What kind of treatment would that be exactly???
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on January 21, 2005, 07:20:00 PM
Sex is just another normal thing they blow out of proportion to get 'customers', anon.

He probably doesnt even know how to handle the fact that teenagers masturbate or look at porn, *GASP*!

T'is an ill wind that blows no minds.
--Syadasti

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Deborah on January 21, 2005, 07:28:00 PM
80% of the abstinence propoganda is inaccurate.

Fear does interfer with people's ability to think rationally.
In any sane and reasonable society it would be illegal to put teens in abusive bubbles which prevent them from learning how to master their environment- how to live in the REAL world.

January 9, 2005

Abstinence-Only Programs Skimpy with the Truth
Federal support for ?abstinence-only? education programs has grown significantly under the Bush Administration.

A report entitled ?The Content of Federally Funded Abstinence-Only Education Programs?, prepared for Rep. Henry Waxman, evaluated the content of the most popular abstinence-only curricula used by grantees of the largest federal abstinence initiative, SPRANS (Special Programs of Regional and National Significance Community-Based Abstinence Education).

The report found that over 80% of the abstinence-only curricula contain ?false, misleading, or distorted information about reproductive health.?

Children participating in these programs are told, for instance, that ?the popular claim that condoms help prevent the spread of STDs, 'is not supported by the data'?.

The risks of abortion are misrepresented, with abstinence-only programs claiming that 5% to 10% of women who have legal abortions will become sterile.

Gender stereotypes are treated as scientific fact, with one curriculum teaching that women need ?financial support?, while men need ?admiration.?

Scientific errors abound. According to the report, ?One curriculum incorrectly lists exposure to sweat and tears as risk factors for HIV transmission.?

The Report suggests that such serious and pervasive problems with accuracy ?may help explain why these programs have not been shown to protect adolescents from sexually transmitted diseases and why youth who pledge abstinence are significantly less likely to make informed choices about precautions when they do have sex.?

Read the official Report
http://www.democrats.reform.house.gov/D ... -50247.pdf (http://www.democrats.reform.house.gov/Documents/20041201102153-50247.pdf)

[ This Message was edited by: Deborah on 2005-01-21 16:29 ]
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: chi3 on January 22, 2005, 02:09:00 AM
I have stayed home and raised my daughter almost completely by myself since she was born. She and I have always been extremely close. She is not at the children's prison because of any little thing, it was lots of little and big things. I repeat, I did not know this place was a hell-hole!!! I was led to believe it was just a strict place for them to cool down and think about what they wanted to do with their lives, get ahead in school, and talk out their problems. Well, know I know differently. I know what my daughter did and didn't do, some she told me, some I heard on the phone, some in instant messages, some in notes and letters, and some from her friend that want her safe. She has a real problem with sex. She is not just fooling around a little. She is obssessed. Especially with gay sex and kinky sex. She is very compulsive. That's why we had been seeing psycologist for years. The problem is, she has no morals. No regrets. She has had sex in the school bathrooms, dressing rooms, bus for band trips, etc. When we took her out of school she was the one planning a massive orgy for about 25 of her friends with lots of drugs. This goes geyond just regular sex and drugs stuff in high school. I know, I did it , too!! I couldn't get her to open up with the doctors. She either lied to them or refused to talk to them. The school kept calling me telling me what was going on, trying to keep it quiet. Well, it got to be common knowledge. I just wanted to try to save her from all of that. I didn't freak out and get hysterical, just didn't know what else to do.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on January 22, 2005, 03:04:00 AM
Ok, personal note before I start: I'm as kinky as hell myself, but I can keep it to myself. Its really not a bad thing if you can control your libido. Life should have a little spice to it! *ahem* I hope your opinion of me doesn't change.

ANYWAY... Its good that you're close to her! Try to keep the bond with her and try to help her understand what youre trying to do and say.

As far as her mind having no morals or regrets... What? Who said that? Honestly I think thats humanly impossible! She might have some sort of REAL problem, and outpatient treatment can help with that. Same for a support group... a real one, not the AA type of crap.

And in her case of sexual obsession... umm... just get her a damn jackrabbit vibrator. Yeah, its pretty funny and hard to keep a straight face talking about masturbating, but why get a hamburger out there when she has steak at home?

Batteries dont cost too much. And if she NEEDS some sort of support community the internet has a ton of resources. I could probably find you plenty! lol. Weird situations call for weird solutions, but at least youd know who she'd be with, B.O.B. :lol:

Sorry, but thats honestly the only solution I could think of. Nothings gonna be 'normal' on this forum, thats for sure!

Everything in moderation, including moderation.
Mark Twain

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Perrigaud on January 22, 2005, 06:10:00 AM
I have always found that the acting out (obsession with sex) is not about the sex. It goes deeper than that. Sex is relieving something for her. I don't know what that is exactly for her. But I do know that it probably has to do with the fact that it fufills something for her. Often times it's about feeling loved or wanted by someone other than family. Sex is taught to be between two people who love each other. One of my friends from when I was 16 used to have sex a lot because she said she felt loved for that 10 minutes. She knew it wasn't real love but she allowed herself to give in to the illusion of it all. A false sense of love.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 22, 2005, 06:55:00 AM
Niles get over i am very over your immature pokes and insults directed towards me by you. Get a life. You have allot of deep anger, you need to get thereapy!!! This boy might have been lieing. I am not advocating to send teens away just for sex, but example i picked up a 15 year old girl, and her entire room had been writen all over the walls by her and her friends. Stuff so sexual not teen should even know about. The parents found dildos and used condoms in thier basement. The girl was also doing drugs. How would you fell if your daughter had such disrespect for you as to do that to her room and also the poor girl had no idea that she was giving away her most precious possession, her viginity.I won't even get into what i read on that girls wall. The last boy was not sent away because of sex by the way. I mentioned for all of you to watch the movie Thirteen, no one replied? Has anyone seen it? You all should.
niles i will no longer respond to anything you post to me. The one waho cares
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 22, 2005, 07:38:00 AM
I saw the movie Thirteen.  That girl was not sent anywhere in that movie, she had a mother who stood by her, through thick and thin.  She didn't send her off to some sick "school" to get her help (that would have been a different movie entirely).  Her mother stuck with her unconditionally, even when it seemed things were out of control, and this is why the viewer is left with the notion that the teenager will be okay, that she made some poor decisions, got into some trouble, but, because of her mothers unconditional support, she *will* be okay.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 22, 2005, 07:58:00 AM
To the person posting here who is apparantely a transporter and/or kidnapper (for one of those escort companies that takes kids to private lock-up facilities?)... First of all, the way you speak about sex, seems you one of those conservative/fundamentalist types.  You wouldn't by any chance be from Utah, would you?  Probably not very well traveled, either (I mean to places outside the Rocky Mountains).  You are probably like one of those people who vote to make war in the middle east, but have never even known someone from that region of the world.  Probably one of those who has such disdain for the French, but has never even been to France.  And what sort of education and credentials do you hold?  What school of psychological thought do you most ascribe to?  Frued?  Gestalt?  In fact you seem to be so typical of the kind of people that work at these bm facilities-  undereducated, unworldly, unliscensed, unqualified;  with neither the formal training nor the worldliness necessary to effectively work with today's youth.  
Chi, think about it- do you think the (aforementioned) type of person is a good role model for your daughter? Anyway, based on your apparant concern and love for your daughter, I think YOU are the better role model.  You really *should* watch the movie Thirteen.
Sincerely, Megan
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: chi3 on January 22, 2005, 08:45:00 AM
I have seen the movie thirteen, have it on DVD. My daughter thinks it's a hoot. I didn't just ditch my child! I thought I was getting help for her that she wasn't getting here at the psycologist/psychiatrist. I thought she might do better with a consistent setting with no distractions from the people she was hanging around with. Well, guess what? She actually has had some breakthroughs on her feelings toward those people and how she feels about getting therapy and really trying to work at it. Do I think the program did that? No. Did I get lied to about the whole program by the program and ed.con's, and other parents? YES! She is coming home today. Whether they like it or not. I admit I made a mistake, not because I didn't care, just fell for B.S. because I wanted to believe someone, somewhere might be able to help.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 22, 2005, 09:03:00 AM
Quote
On 2005-01-21 23:09:00, chi3 wrote:

"I have stayed home and raised my daughter almost completely by myself since she was born. She and I have always been extremely close. She is not at the children's prison because of any little thing, it was lots of little and big things. I repeat, I did not know this place was a hell-hole!!! I was led to believe it was just a strict place for them to cool down and think about what they wanted to do with their lives, get ahead in school, and talk out their problems. Well, know I know differently. I know what my daughter did and didn't do, some she told me, some I heard on the phone, some in instant messages, some in notes and letters, and some from her friend that want her safe. She has a real problem with sex. She is not just fooling around a little. She is obssessed. Especially with gay sex and kinky sex. She is very compulsive. That's why we had been seeing psycologist for years. The problem is, she has no morals. No regrets. She has had sex in the school bathrooms, dressing rooms, bus for band trips, etc. When we took her out of school she was the one planning a massive orgy for about 25 of her friends with lots of drugs. This goes geyond just regular sex and drugs stuff in high school. I know, I did it , too!! I couldn't get her to open up with the doctors. She either lied to them or refused to talk to them. The school kept calling me telling me what was going on, trying to keep it quiet. Well, it got to be common knowledge. I just wanted to try to save her from all of that. I didn't freak out and get hysterical, just didn't know what else to do."


Chi3---the problems with sex can be biological.

You're essentially describing me as a teen except I was monogamous (thank goodness!).

I've spent a lot of time thinking about what my parents could have done differently, or I could have done differently, to get different teenage results.

I'm happily married, have been for over ten years, and my husband and I are happily monogamous.

*Safe* kink is unimportant as long as it's kept *private* and within the context of a sexual relationship that is *otherwise* within your family's (and later, your daughter's) religious taboos.

Your daughter is hypersexual.  That's a symptom that suggests she *may* be bipolar.  May not, but it's a symptom of mania and suggests you should get it checked.

For me, and for other bipolars I've known, mood stabilizers don't necessarily reduce sex drives (although *some* psychiatric medicines do for *some* patients---to the point that it's a problem and the adult patients have their doctors change their meds over it).  Anyway, the meds don't reduce your sex drive, what they do is improve your impulse control and your level of rationality so that you make better choices about what to do about that drive.  Such as being in a monogamous relationship, using condoms and contraceptives, and masturbating privately instead of including the whole damned world in the details of your sex life.

I don't see your daughter's libido as the problem.    I don't think it would matter how often she was masturbating as long as it was privately under the covers (alone) at home.

Your daughter's problem is judgement, rationality, and impulse control.

It's not even a matter of morality, really--not at the level you're discussing with your daughter.  Even for someone with absolutely no morals, your daughter's behavior would be stupid just from the coldly rational standpoint of personal safety.

I guess I'm saying that she has to get her *practical* judgement in control before her *moral* judgement comes into play one way or the other.

I'm *NOT* saying that every promiscuous teenager is mentally ill.  I *am* saying that combined with the other stuff you've said, *your* daughter's sexual behavior sounds to me like a symptom of mental illness because it's so extreme ('vivid' in clinical terms) and unsafe.

Her sexual judgement will probably *NOT* improve any time soon without the appropriate medication to improve her rationality and impulse control.

As she gets out of her teen years, she will probably grow out of at least some of this behavior because teens generally have lousy impulse control, they're frontal lobes of their brains are still developing (where impulse control lives), and even mentally ill people have better impulse control once their brains are fully mature and developed than they do as teens, when they're still developing.

Getting a couple of opinions from seperate board certified pediatric psychiatrists, particularly asking them to consider the hypersexuality and evaluate whether or not your daughter *may* be bipolar, would be the next thing I'd recommend.

*IF* she has an organic brain disorder (she may or may not), then all the behavior mod in the world even from the best places isn't going to fix her behavior if you don't treat that problem first.

If she doesn't have an organic brain disorder, then a single-sex accredited boarding school that knows her history and is okay with the extra supervision necessary would probably be appropriate for a year or two.  Not to turn her into a perfectly celibate stepford teen, but just to give her time and safety for time to work its normal miracles of having her grow up a bit.

Her morals might not ever agree with yours (or they might, who knows?), but her behavior is risky enough from an HIV standpoint that I can see why you feel *good* residential care is necessary.

But if she's screwing everything in sight because she's ill, it's possible that they could get her stabilized on medication and send her home with her own better judgement more in control of her behavior---in which case you could probably manage her.

I'd say before you do anything else you have to know what you're dealing with.

If it were my child, I'd bring her home to get her out of WWASPS, and I'd enroll her in regular or alternative public school, or homeschool her, while I made the rounds of second and third opinions with board certified pediatric psychiatrists to make absolutely sure of what I was dealing with.

Because you really can't have a solid game plan until you *know* what you're dealing with, and you can't get her to doctors to find out while she's in WWASPS.

Free advice is worth what you paid for it, but that's what *I* would do if I were in your situation.

Also, while I had her home, any time she was going to be out of my sight I'd make sure she had a whole lot of condoms in her purse.  At this point, you're just trying to keep her safe enough to grow up and have her better judgement kick in.

When I brought her home, if it were me, as long as her behavior didn't get unsafe and she was cooperating with seeing the doctors to find out if there was an underlying problem, that would be enough for me.  I wouldn't put her back in even *good* residential care unless and until her behavior got actively, imminently dangerous again.

Timoclea
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 22, 2005, 09:28:00 AM
To the person that thinks they can take my inventory. I am not from Utah. I am not a morman.
I do not go to church. I do believe in God.
I have no probelm with kinky sex, as long as they are adults.Our society becomes more and more open sexually, while that is great for adults, it is not for the kids. The Internet lets kids see porn and that is where they are getting thier sexual knowledge. I did not see a porn magazine until i was 16, and did not see a porn movie until i was 19. While the kids of my generation where just as curious about sex, they did not have it on the scale it is happening today and at such early ages. Too many kids are having sex too early these days.Also I get along with these kids because, not to toot my own horn but i am allot hipper than most transporters.
So don't just assume, if you know the saying.
The one who cares
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 22, 2005, 09:29:00 AM
Sorry i meant to say good luck to chi. I hope everything works out for you and your daughter.
The one who cares
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 22, 2005, 10:26:00 AM
Quote
On 2005-01-22 03:55:00, Anonymous wrote:

i picked up a 15 year old girl, and her entire room had been writen all over the walls by her and her friends. Stuff so sexual not teen should even know about. The parents found dildos and used condoms in thier basement. The girl was also doing drugs.


Well then, the problem started looooooooooong before they decided to send her to a program.  What??? Did they never go into her room???  Did they not see the 'writing on the wall'?  Literally and figuratively???  THAT is part of the problem.  Parents are oblivious to what's ACTUALLY going on in their kids lives until there's a crisis,  then it's "omg, what are we going to do??".  (Not intended for Chi...you've done an excellent job)  I think that there are kids who need something other than home, but those are the extremely RARE exceptions....like extreme violence, extreme drug use etc.  but THESE places are not the answer for them either.  For the most part though, it seems that parents are living in lala land until some major things happen.  Well, those major things don't just happen over night!!!  Parents need to be much more involved in their kids lives.  Especially the girl you're referencing One Who Kidnaps!!

Quit using a movie to try and scare people!!!  Thirteen is a MOVIE, FICTION.  Intense fiction, but fiction nontheless.  There can be some good lessons learned from it, just like you can learn a good lesson from Aesop's fairly tales.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 22, 2005, 10:36:00 AM
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On 2005-01-22 06:28:00, Anonymous wrote:

"To the person that thinks they can take my inventory.

Sorry, most of us don't speak 'program' anymore.  Please refrain from using cultspeak.

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Our society becomes more and more open sexually, while that is great for adults, it is not for the kids. The Internet lets kids see porn and that is where they are getting thier sexual knowledge. I did not see a porn magazine until i was 16, and did not see a porn movie until i was 19. While the kids of my generation where just as curious about sex, they did not have it on the scale it is happening today and at such early ages. Too many kids are having sex too early these days.

Again....WAKE UP PARENTS.  Where are the parents while all this is going on?  

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Also I get along with these kids because, not to toot my own horn but i am allot hipper than most transporters.


 :scared:
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Perrigaud on January 22, 2005, 11:15:00 AM
I agree that it is a movie. To ASSume that this girl ends up ok is just that an ASSumption. Not fact. Please, she may have ended up ok she may not have.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 22, 2005, 11:22:00 AM
This is STUPID.  I just talked to my daughter about the movie.  I asked her if she felt that it was an accurate portrayal of a 13 year old (she's 17 now).  She said UNEQUIVOCABLY....NO.  Yes, there were some FEW exceptions when she was in middle school, but VERY FEW.  Again, some good lessons can be learned from it, but DAMN people.....you're acting like it's a fucking documentary!!!!
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 22, 2005, 11:28:00 AM
The parents did see it happening and the girl would respond with fuck off. I have also writen in the past, that i do blame the parents for thier child having gotten to this point that they need to be sent a way. They are ginen too much freedom and the parents are not involved in thier childs life enough. I am no programie. I have my own views. What ever I say has not been told to me by any program. So you can take your cult speak and put it where the sun don't shine asswhole. The one who cares
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 22, 2005, 11:28:00 AM
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On 2005-01-22 03:55:00, Anonymous wrote:

"Niles get over i am very over your immature pokes and insults directed towards me by you. Get a life. You have allot of deep anger, you need to get thereapy!!! This boy might have been lieing. I am not advocating to send teens away just for sex, but example i picked up a 15 year old girl, and her entire room had been writen all over the walls by her and her friends. Stuff so sexual not teen should even know about. The parents found dildos and used condoms in thier basement. The girl was also doing drugs. How would you fell if your daughter had such disrespect for you as to do that to her room and also the poor girl had no idea that she was giving away her most precious possession, her viginity.I won't even get into what i read on that girls wall. The last boy was not sent away because of sex by the way. I mentioned for all of you to watch the movie Thirteen, no one replied? Has anyone seen it? You all should.

niles i will no longer respond to anything you post to me. The one waho cares"



Obviously the girl has some smarts because she was using condoms! So what she wrote on her walls? Typical teenage shock value behaviors. No one is going to stop a teen from having sex. Talk to them and give them protection against pregnancy and STDs.


What kinds of drugs was the girl using? Most teens experiment and grow out of it. It seems to me if parents were doing their jobs as parents from day one these kids would not engage in risky behaviors. Maybe the parents should be sent away to an institution to learn how to raise children better. When we were kids doing all of our own risky stuff we learned our behaviors directly or indirectly from our parents.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 22, 2005, 11:35:00 AM
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On 2005-01-22 08:28:00, Anonymous wrote:

"The parents did see it happening and the girl would respond with fuck off.

Their fault.  Why punish the kid for the parent's sins???  Ok, I fucked up my kid so now I need to send them to strangers to have her fixed for me. Fuck!!!!!  What is WRONG with you people?????

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So you can take your cult speak and put it where the sun don't shine asswhole. The one who cares"


I don't use cultspeak.  That's part of YOUR job!!!  And if you're going to insult me, at least spell it right ASSHOLE!! :lol:
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 22, 2005, 11:47:00 AM
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On 2005-01-22 08:28:00, Anonymous wrote:

 They are ginen too much freedom and the parents are not involved in thier childs life enough.


Freedom can be a great thing.  I think it was Timoclea that said 'freedom within limits'.  I like that.  Yes, parents need to have some control over their kids lives, but they also need to realize that the process of breaking away from parents, finding their own autonomy, understanding that they have a mind of their own INCLUDES doing stupid, wreckless shit.  IF parents set REASONABLE expectations for their kids (and stick to those), talk WITH (not AT) them about the dangers of life, set a good example they'll get through those dangerous years.  Maybe not unscathed, but hey...none of us get out of adolescence unscathed...it's PART of the growing up process.  I am NOT saying let the kid run wild and do whatever they want, but if you stifle the NATURAL process of cutting the apron strings all you're doing is prolonging that process and then they DO end up doing crazier, more dangerous things and very often (as in my case after the program) do it at an inappropriate age where it interferes with life much more than as a teen.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 22, 2005, 11:50:00 AM
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On 2005-01-22 08:22:00, Anonymous wrote:

"This is STUPID.  I just talked to my daughter about the movie.  I asked her if she felt that it was an accurate portrayal of a 13 year old (she's 17 now).  She said UNEQUIVOCABLY....NO.  Yes, there were some FEW exceptions when she was in middle school, but VERY FEW.  Again, some good lessons can be learned from it, but DAMN people.....you're acting like it's a fucking documentary!!!!"


Guess what movie we're watching now???? :grin:
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 22, 2005, 12:07:00 PM
I haven't seen the movie Thirteen, so I can't even guess what the author's intention was or wasn't.  What I find interesting is the different perceptions expressed here.

Program supporters invision a negative or 'uncertain' ending. They apparently have a very difficult time imagining a postive outcome without the use of program intervention. They over-exaggerate the risks. There's apparently little to no faith in human intelligence and the ability to resolve conflict.

Those who are in touch with reality, those who know that millions and millions - the overwhelming majority- of teens survive and live well without the aid of incarceration, those who know there are more humane ways to 'help', tend to invision a more positive outcome.

If we were in school and I were the teacher, the programmed would be required to write a research paper: How many teens in the US? How many participate in life-threatening, risky behavior?  How many teens actually die from these behaviors?
How many survive? What is the actual risk factor?
You guys REALLY need some perspective on this.

Parenting is stressful enough without being subjected to the rhetoric of the fear mongering, who live in a small little 'ticky tack' box and would like everyone else to join them there so they might feel their fears are substantiated.  :rofl:
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Perrigaud on January 22, 2005, 01:04:00 PM
Yeah whatever. Notice how I said maybe? Maybe not? Yeah, whos to say how anyone ends up. I might have even been able to pull myself out of the rut I was in. Maybe maybe not. Who knows.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 22, 2005, 01:06:00 PM
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On 2005-01-22 10:04:00, Perrigaud wrote:

"Yeah whatever. Notice how I said maybe? Maybe not?


Yes, we did notice, but come on!!  We also noticed the inference there too.  At least be honest about that.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Antigen on January 22, 2005, 01:25:00 PM
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On 2005-01-21 13:37:00, Anonymous wrote:

"I don't know but the last kid that i transported who was 15 pointed to a gas station where he said he had sex with his girlfriend in the bathroom. The girl was 14. I think that is a shame and also disgusting in a gas station bathroom. I think Chi is not far off. Girls don't think a blow job is sex anymore, it's just like another base for them. The one who cares"


Just the other night, I was talking w/ a couple of friends of my 20 year old daughter when the topic of these forums came up. They were shocked, shocked! to hear that I had spent two years locked up. As I tried to explain that it wasn't like I had been ajudicated, no judge, no illegal activity or anything, they actually seemed to not hear it. They were too busy trying to impress me w/ all their tales about violent felony convictions, etc. (no details, mind you)

Now, I know this is not true of these boys! This is a very small town. I know the one kid's mother and just about all of their friends. Neither one had ever been in any bigger trouble than a scuffle in the school yard or a speeding ticket. But kids like to brag. They really do.

Truth resides in every human heart, and one has to search for it there, and to be guided by truth as one sees it. But no one has a right to coerce others to act according to his own view of truth.
                                     
--Mohandas K. Gandhi

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Perrigaud on January 22, 2005, 01:25:00 PM
No I don't own up to things that aren't true. Please, I am aware that there are tons of kids who get through their rebellious stages sans program help. But if you'd like to place me in an anti-realworld-program-is-the-only-solution postion go right ahead. I'm not as programized as you'd like me to be. Sorry.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Antigen on January 22, 2005, 01:52:00 PM
I know Perri. But a lot of kids do make things up. Then there are those who fall for it and try to live up to other peoples stories. I know a kid like that. Exceptionally smart kid, always got good grades. She was sort of shy and she thought she was not good looking. So when she moved to a new neighborhood and it seemed like the way to be cool was to be mean and bad, she threw herself into the role. Her mom, at her wit's end, sent her to live w/ an older sister up here near Pittsburgh. I guess she was around 16 or 17 by then. And she was ready for a change, though she probably would not have said so if you'd asked her.

Now she's married, raising a beautiful 1yo son deep in the bossom of suburbia and, I think, relatively happy. While no one knows for sure what might have happened if she hadn't moved out of state, I sort of suspect this kid would have done just about the same anywhere you put her.

Like I've said before, there are damned good reasons why we all get a clean slate at the age of majority. Oh, and BTW, the traditional age of majority for European cultures is usually 21, not 18. The reason why America changed it to 18 was because of the Vietnam draft. The argument was that it was rediculous to force an 18yo kid to go kill and die for his country. Then when he gets home we tell him he can't have a damned beer? So the Nixon admin essentially said "Ok, give them some damned beer!" That was reversed in around `82 or so, just prior to my 18th birthday.


The United States of America should have a foundation free from the influence of clergy.".
--George Washington, Revolutionary War General and U.S. President

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 22, 2005, 01:58:00 PM
By the way someone on a back post said something about the author of the movie. One of the 2 girls that star in the movie co-wrote it with her mother or step mother, but it was based on that girls experience. Also I was not trying to convince anyone about anything, I just thought this movie delt a little with what we do here on this board. The one who cares
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Perrigaud on January 22, 2005, 01:59:00 PM
That was actually directed to Anon. But I do understand where you are coming from totally.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 22, 2005, 02:28:00 PM
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On 2005-01-22 10:58:00, Anonymous wrote:

"By the way someone on a back post said something about the author of the movie. One of the 2 girls that star in the movie co-wrote it with her mother or step mother, but it was based on that girls experience.


Well, glad to hear that. Then it's obviously true that she DID make it without the help of a program.  So I guess that clears up the 'we don't know if she made it' question.  If she'd have had a parent that fell into the fear mongering, GUARANTEED she would have ended up in one.  

I love the part at the end where Holly Hunter (assoc. prod.) is hugging her daughter and tells her..."you're my heart".
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Antigen on January 22, 2005, 02:30:00 PM
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On 2005-01-22 05:45:00, chi3 wrote:

"I have seen the movie thirteen, have it on DVD. My daughter thinks it's a hoot. I didn't just ditch my child! I thought I was getting help for her that she wasn't getting here at the psycologist/psychiatrist. I thought she might do better with a consistent setting with no distractions from the people she was hanging around with. Well, guess what? She actually has had some breakthroughs on her feelings toward those people and how she feels about getting therapy and really trying to work at it. Do I think the program did that? No. Did I get lied to about the whole program by the program and ed.con's, and other parents? YES! She is coming home today. Whether they like it or not. I admit I made a mistake, not because I didn't care, just fell for B.S. because I wanted to believe someone, somewhere might be able to help. "


I think that, whether you intended it or not, the shock of it all has probably had a huge impact. A lot of kids talk about that aspect of it. Whatever they were doing before hand, even if it was hair curling from an adult pov, was just fun and games to them. But being shipped off really woke them up to how terrified their parents were and the seriousness of the situation.

It's about the same thing that happens sometimes after a bad accident or illness. You nearly lose your life and have lots of time to re-evaluate things.

Now, your daughter will likely understand that you made a mistake, got taken in and all because she's comparing to the other kids, like your friend's kid, who's parents are completely soaked; drunk on the kool-aid. But her friends might not.

I'll tell you about something I did when I was at my wit's end w/ my daughter. She had run away (again) We knew pretty much where she was and who she was with but were afraid to go get her. These kids and young adults might either actually hurt us physically or call the cops and say we were threatening violence. We couldn't call the cops and have them do it because they would have tagged her as an habitual runaway and put her in their boot camp through the county juvenile intervention program.

I won't divulge the details out of respect for her privacy, but suffice it to say we thought it was absolutely vitally important that our daughter come home and talk some sense about what was going on at that time and we had gone over and over every option and settled on something creative.

So we made up a missing flyer w/ her face on it, complete w/ the "last seen with" text and contact info. Then I went out and hung them wherever I knew my daughter and her friends hung out. The idea was to rattle them, get them talking a little and find out exactly where she was so we could talk. It worked. It was funny as hell. Our daughter understood the whole prank and even laughed a little about it. We did find her, she did come home for awhile. But it didn't do much good. The fast and furious fantasy they were all caught up in was just SO much more alluring than the dull reality of school and family and a future w/ consequences for today's excesses.

But it wasn't just pointless, it turned out to have been a HUGE mistake! We played on these kids' fantasies to accomplish a specific end. But it changed things. Part of the drama was, as it often is, what complete assholes we were as parents. And all her friends and some of their parents who helped her out when she ran probably half believed it, but really knew it was just like any other kid complaining about their strict parents and rules and such. But after that thing w/ the flyer, they really thought we were nuts! That alone, even though she knew our sense of humor and knew what it was all about, it made it all really fun and exciting for all her friends.

By sending your daughter off to one of the most infamous teen gulags, you've done essentially the same thing. I don't know anything about your daughter's friends; if they're just playing at being bad or if there are some real substantial friendships there. But, one way or another, she's going to have to deal with that when she gets home. Try to understand that from their pov. Even if you hate them all and are convinced they're all worthless right now, just try not to play into the excitement of it all for them.


Christianity is the most perverted system that ever shone on man.
--Thomas Jefferson, U.S. President, author, scientist, architect, educator, and diplomat

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 22, 2005, 02:36:00 PM
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On 2005-01-22 05:45:00, chi3 wrote:

"I have seen the movie thirteen, have it on DVD. My daughter thinks it's a hoot. I didn't just ditch my child! I thought I was getting help for her that she wasn't getting here at the psycologist/psychiatrist. I thought she might do better with a consistent setting with no distractions from the people she was hanging around with. Well, guess what? She actually has had some breakthroughs on her feelings toward those people and how she feels about getting therapy and really trying to work at it. Do I think the program did that? No. Did I get lied to about the whole program by the program and ed.con's, and other parents? YES! She is coming home today. Whether they like it or not. I admit I made a mistake, not because I didn't care, just fell for B.S. because I wanted to believe someone, somewhere might be able to help. "


I missed this post somehow.....Chi, my comments were directed at The One Who Kidnaps, not you.  I completely understand that you were lied to.  I completely understand that you were coming from a place of love with your daughter and I completely understand how scared and frustrated you must be.  I'm SOOOOOO glad to hear that she's coming home!!!!!!!  Please let us know how you guys are doing.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 22, 2005, 04:03:00 PM
Some observations.  I have a kid who is now trying to decide where she wants to live (with her dad or me).  She's been with me and Dad just got out of an intense religious rehab.  He is married to an AAer.  While he was away, wife took a roommate whom wife also sponsored.  Dad wants her to live with him because he says I'm a terrible parent (I smoke pot, daughter 17 is aware, but it's not done around her).  She just got back from visiting them.  She is really upset because of the negative things said about me.  She has a swollen gland and wife actually said this to her..."that comes from smoking pot".  It was a sad attempt to get daughter to "admit" that she smokes (she does NOT).  Daughter also says that she feels so uncomfortable there because of the passive-aggressiveness that comes from them.  They are already setting up rules for her that are completely un-necessary.  Curfew.  She has no curfew here because it's not necessary.  She usually comes in at a very reasonable hour.  Last night, Friday night mind you, she was in at 10:15.  Why have a rule if it's not necessary?  Their answer is that she's 17 and she needs to know there are rules.  BULLSHIT!  She is already AWARE there are rules of life and she follows them.  

My point being in all this, is that program/AA/NA people really seem to think that kids need to be shown they are not in charge.  This is all about control.  The wife has been in AA for 20 years now.  Never had a legal drink in her life.  She spouts the 'joyous, happy and free' line at every turn but she is the most unhappy person I've EVER met.  Seriously, she is.  Dad has been in and out of prison, in and out of rehab and where has all the 'therapy' he's received gotten him???  The guy can't live in the real world, at all.  He hasn't been around his daughter in a year yet feels completely qualified to pronounce her "running wild".  We're talking about a kid who gets good grades, holds a job, doesn't do drugs (occasionally takes a drink at a party) and is not disrespectful in any way.  But she's 'running wild' because I smoke pot, she has no curfew and I've let her, on occasion, spend the night at her boyfriend's house. :roll:  :roll:   They've been dating for over a year and his parents are there.  The environment that programs put these kids in when they're in the program AND after they come out is insane!!!!

She was involved in a car accident Thursday night, she's fine thank god, but totaled her car.  She has bruises and scratches on her face from the airbag.  Friday night was Dad's 'graduation'.  Daughter was there and he did not even ASK about the accident, if she was OK...nothing.  She said he was too busy spouting religion and telling everyone what a wonderful place he's just been in.  Priorities??????????  Before he came home he kept saying to her "you're moving in with me when I get home, right?".  She would say yes.  Since it's been getting closer to him coming home and now that he IS home, she's very hesitant.  She says it just doesn't feel like a home over there, not to mention the fact that some AA stranger is there IN HER OLD ROOM.  She tried to talk to him about her fears and concerns about moving in with him and was met with incredulity and threats.  You're not going to make it if you're with your mom b/c she smokes pot, you're running wild over there, you're going to turn out just like your mom (for the record, she is VERY different from me and has a much better head on her shoulders than I ever DREAMED of at her age).  When she told me (when Dad was in rehab) that she was going to move in with him when he got out I was upset, but I didn't tell her that.  I told her to do what she felt was right for her and I would support whatever decision she made.  

These programs have not only had an extreme negative effect on her dad's and my lives, it's spread like a cancer to the next generation.  My only weapon is truth.  I've thought that all along in this fighting that DAd and I have done in regards to the kids.  It's paying off.  I've always been honest with them and set realistic expectations for them, Dad has dealt with them from a standpoint of threats and fear.  Now that they're becoming adults themselves it's gratifying to know that they do, indeed, see the difference.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 22, 2005, 04:58:00 PM
Again, "the one who cares", what are your credentials and educational backround?  Seriously, do they even require that these "transporters" be CPR certified??
Sincerely, Megan R.N.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 23, 2005, 11:06:00 AM
I suggest you not worry so much about them, but be very aware the courts  can/will take the daughter away because of your drug use. (no judgement here just reality).

I feel sorry for the kids when the parents are so screwed up. I saw it a lot with the program parents . Myself included.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 23, 2005, 12:25:00 PM
Nah, she'll be 18 within a few months.  I'm not really worried about it.  I refuse to have a custody fight over someone who is so close to 18.  I've been threatened with that as long as the kids have been alive....and I didn't start smoking again until recently (which, btw, has been one of the best decisions I've made.  I was on all kinds of meds before and now I'm not on any at all, just occassionally smoke).  Any time I would make a decision that "they" didn't like (even so small as having a curfew they didn't agree with) I was threatened with a custody fight.  I was actually threatened with it when I refused to let them try to get one of the kids into a program.  :eek:  I"m over it.  I refuse to fight with them anymore.

Sorry for the rambling about this.  Things are spinning in my head so fast I can't even write coherently.  My whole point in telling all this, although it didn't come through very clearly, is that the whole way of thinking with ANY of these type of programs is so skewed from reality.  It's all about control.  It's not about actually TEACHING kids anything, it's about making them do what they want them to do.  It's about molding them into tame "child creatures" (Zappa).  I want my kids to grow up to think independently, I don't want them seeing life from the narrow little window that the programs do.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 23, 2005, 12:50:00 PM
One more thing and then I'll shut up about it. :grin:  :grin:
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 23, 2005, 01:07:00 PM
Look back on previous posts for my credentials.
I won't go into them for a 3rd time.
   The one who cares
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 23, 2005, 03:44:00 PM
"the one who cares", um...so you have "a degree in drug counseling from UCLA"?  What degree?  Bachelors degree, masters, or what??  You have had additional "training" and "classes"?  "Hands-on" training perhaps? (hehe).  Despite your 16 years "experience" dealing with troubled youth, without formal education and advanced degrees in areas such as psychology, sociology, and social work, you are hardly qualified to perform "interventions" or "therapy" with these adolescents.  In fact, you could be doing more damage than good. Why do you think that to be a (liscensed) social worker, you must have a Masters degree plus 2 years supervised practice?  If you do lack liscensing as well as an advanced degree, then legally you are NOT a professional, and should not be passing yourself off as one.  But, please, PLEASE tell me that you (and all of your co-workers) are at LEAST liscensed in CPR.  Please.   Sincerely, Megan
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 24, 2005, 06:58:00 AM
I have taken and still take classes in psychology, Yes i Do have my masters in Drug counseling. We always have at least 1 CPR certified counsler on each trip. I know most of the companys this might not be true, but with ours it is. We are different than most of the others. Ok Megan? The one who cares
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 27, 2005, 10:59:00 PM
I am relieved to learn you are a professional.  Sincerely, Megan
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 27, 2005, 11:00:00 PM
But really, EVERYONE in your company (who has any contact with the "clients") should be vertified in CPR.  Megan
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on January 28, 2005, 05:10:00 AM
So, a masters in drug counceling. What does that mean you can do, exactly? How hard is that to get?

"taking classes" in psychology is pretty meaningless. I take classes in math. Can I prove the Riemann Zeta Hypothesis? Not yet.  

Having a CPR certified councelor is a step in the right direction, at least. Bringing your captive there alive is good for your bottomline, isn't it?

Come the millennium,

month 12,

in the home of greatest power,

the village idiot will come forth to
be acclaimed the leader.
--Nostradamus

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 29, 2005, 01:03:00 PM
At the facility I was at 10 year ago (Provo Canyon School), NONE of the staff had ANY college degrees! (Well, other than the therapists, whom we saw for one or two hours a week, and the school teachers).  I believe that this lack of education is one of the root causes of all the abuses at that place (there are other factors, of course, and I won't even go into those now).  But this lack of understanding of even basic psychological theory led to widespread neglectful, manevolent, un-theraputic treatment.  
"one who cares", I would just like to remind you (I haven't seen you in action or anything, but just want to mention this), that most adolescents who experiment with drugs are NOT headed towards addiction, death, jail, ect... In fact, it has been my experience that the majority of them turn out just fine, (sans "interventions" or rehab).  Out of all the kids my family grew up with (friends, cousins, neighbors, schoolmates), the vast majority (if not all) experimented with some type of drug, or drank from their parents liquor cabinet, or snuck out at night.  99% of those kids are now successful, responsible adults.  (A few girls we know had kids at an early age, secondary to unhealthy relationships, but thats another subject completely.).  It is more important to teach kids about responsibility and safety and moderation, getting them ready to be adults (because once you are 18, no one is going to "intervene"  if you stay out all night at a club, or smoke pot, or have unsafe sex).  Sincerely, Megan
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Antigen on January 29, 2005, 01:37:00 PM
That masters in drug counseling always makes me go  :roll:

A few years ago, the extra chromosome faction of our federal government blew a few million dollars on studies. Well, they do that every year, but these two were really quite telling.

One of them was called Project MATCH and was intended to discover the most appropriate of three different approaches to alcoholism among different demographic groups of alcoholics.

Essentially, what the study showed is that there is no statistically significant (i.e. detectable) difference in outcomes among various forms of treatment. What the researchers studiously avoided seeing, or at least reporting, is that there's also no statistically significant difference in outcomes between treated and untreated populations, though some studies show that people do slightly better w/o any formal intervention at all.

http://books.nap.edu/html/marimed/ (http://books.nap.edu/html/marimed/)

But the people who define for us what is and is not addiction and who determine what is and is not good therapy ignored the findings of both studies, instead lying bald faced about the findings to the American tax paying suckers who paid for them.

I'll take the word of a researcher w/ a masters in their field over that of a politician any day. And the researchers say that most of the people currently being treated for addiction in this country are not addicted to begin with and that the treatments offered are nothing but snake oil.

So what does it mean to have a masters in drug counseling if there's no proven method? Is that like the typical PhD; Piled Higher and Deeper?

Every man has a property in his own person.
This nobody has any right to but himself.
The labor of his body and the work of his
 hands are properly his.


--John Locke

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 30, 2005, 12:53:00 AM
As I have said ,it is the fact that I was where most of these kids are now, is why i am good at what i do. Not because of my any drgrees.
 The one who cares
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Nihilanthic on January 30, 2005, 01:55:00 AM
Anyone could do your job, dumbass. You kidnap children and transport them. The only requesite is enough strength (or numbers), hancuffs or other restraints, and not caring about where they go, what happens to them, and just telling yourself you 'care' by doing it and youre 'doing the right thing'.

So, actually, I think its perfectly tailored for a dipshit moron like yourself.

I mean hell, now that Chi3 just got her daughter out, and we heard from her what he daughter had to say about CSA, why do you still keep up the charade, huh? Just too programmed to see the truth? What, the MOM HERSELF telling you the treatment was bullshit from her seeing it with her OWN eyes wasn't enough for you?

The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by an endless series of hobgoblins; all of them imaginary.
H.L. Mencken, 1923

[ This Message was edited by: Nihilanthic on 2005-01-29 22:56 ]
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 30, 2005, 10:29:00 AM
Quote
On 2005-01-29 21:53:00, Anonymous wrote:

"As I have said ,it is the fact that I was where most of these kids are now, is why i am good at what i do. Not because of my any drgrees.

 The one who cares"


Ya know...no one is denying that you are "good at what you do".  Obviously you are very good at kidnapping kids and carting them off to be incarcerated.  You seem to be very good at that "job".  THAT, oh kidnapping one, is the problem.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Cayo Hueso on January 30, 2005, 10:31:00 AM
Quote
On 2005-01-30 07:29:00, Anonymous wrote:

"
Quote

On 2005-01-29 21:53:00, Anonymous wrote:


"As I have said ,it is the fact that I was where most of these kids are now, is why i am good at what i do. Not because of my any drgrees.


 The one who cares"




Ya know...no one is denying that you are "good at what you do".  Obviously you are very good at kidnapping kids and carting them off to be incarcerated.  You seem to be very good at that "job".  THAT, oh kidnapping one, is the problem."


OK. this is getting ridiculous. :roll:

To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them...
-- Richard Henry Lee, 1787

Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 30, 2005, 02:41:00 PM
Check the law
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on January 30, 2005, 04:43:00 PM
Quote
On 2005-01-30 11:41:00, Anonymous wrote:

"Check the law"


How about we change the law instead.

 :roll:
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on February 01, 2005, 08:03:00 AM
Go for it.
Title: How about some damn ANSWERS.
Post by: Anonymous on February 01, 2005, 02:08:00 PM
My name is tina

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