Author Topic: The Downward Shit-hole  (Read 2842 times)

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Offline Paul St. John

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The Downward Shit-hole
« on: January 24, 2006, 06:26:00 PM »
It's just not real.  It's easy to forget that while in there, and you I can't completly hold that against anyone.  the problem is taht a treatment method that is structured around non-reality can only prepare a person for further excursions into non-reality.

I mentioned in an earlier post that I can't remember a single mention of the word "discipline", while in daytop.  That is pretty odd in a place that is said to be designed to help teens get off drugs and regain control of their lives.  The reason that daytop's program model does not emphasize discipline or even require it is that they would would really prefer a client not have it.  They want a client to listen and obey.  It is not based on the individual.  The premise itself is wrong and sometimes can even get out of control and suck all the occupants into a violent herd mentality.

Even to merely get be in Daytop, one has to start developing a politicain-sort personality.To rise in the ranks, one must become a master politicain, and it must be as second nature to them.  You can watch the progression of a child in Daytop.  You will notice that become on-guard, and even paranoid.  they lose a lot of their optimisim, and many even sink into silent helplessness.  Thye begin to develop a habit of self-doubt.  their values shift.  They become tricky, and evasive... preachy, and non-sensical.
This does not just describe the obvious victims, but also those who seem to thrive within the Daytop structure.

Encounter groups were scary to me.  they showed me everything that I did not like about life.  It wqas a mess.  It was a horrid mess.  I witnessed more forms of psychological disorders on display those groups then I can count.

The irresponsponsiblity of the counselors in those groups was blatant and obvious.  For example, there was a rule that noone was to be "rat-packed" ( Violently attcked verbally by many members at once) in those groups, but in practice it only applied to those who were good program people.

The weak and/or the strong were attacked by many consistently and all at once, and the counselors would just sit back and bask in the handy work of their hench men.  Many times I watched people brought to hysterics, and even complete emotional breakdowns, but taht did not stop the attacks.  It only fueled the fire and brought them on stronger.. shit like.. " Stop crying you fucking baby", yelled by many at a peircing volume.  It was almost as if the members were literally trying to kill the person through words.. and in a way they were.

There were two types of people who were attacked.. those too soft or weak to defend themselves, and those of conviction, strength, and individuality. Those were the qualities they were trying to destroy in the other person.. Sense of self and vulnerability.  they were literally trying to killl those parts of a person, just as they had had to kill them in themselves in order to survive while in Daytop, or for som4e perhaps even earlier in their lives.  They wanted to kill it in them, so they no longer had to see it, and remember what they had lost.

Counselors just sat back and enjoyed,and even scolded members who would run out of the room, and send her/his attackers after the victim to bring them back.  I saw one girl who took a real beating.  When she ran out of that room, it was like she did't even know where she was.  Something in her just told her to flee.  I swear to you..  They kept breaking her down further, and further, til she seemed to be nothing in that moment but pure survival instincts.  She was a girl who wanted the best of life.  the others girls seen that in her, and they had a feast.  This is one event.  Similar things happened all the time to many others.  I am so sorry that that happened to her, and the others.

To all who have taken on such a beating in an encounter group, and fought with their best, I offer you my highest of praise.

Paul
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