I think that last anonymous post sums it up perfectly. We're not whining about how these programs ruined our lives. In my case, my life since ASR has been pretty successful by "average standards" After ASR, I graduated with honors from a respectable prep school and went on to college. Shortly after unexpectedly losing a parent, I decided that a 4 year college wasn't for me, so I went to tech school and I'm currently about a year away from being a state certified welder, and starting an apprenticeship as a skilled metalworker. I've held jobs consistently and regularly the whole time. I've never been in legal trouble, I've never been addicted to drugs, and for the most part I've stayed out of trouble, they'd love to call me a success story, but on the other hand, since ASR I go 3 days at a time without sleep, I have frequent flashbacks which intrude horribly on my day to day life, and I have a number of emotional issues that all stem from my time there.
ASR did not ruin my life, but it seriously impaired my developement in a number of ways, and has made every success in my life all the more difficult to accomplish, fighting insomnia, mood swings, flashbacks, depression, and a score of other bullshit that I wouldn't have to deal with if not for all of Rudy Bentz's loathsome influence over my life. My experiences have been a huge handicap, but I've managed to do pretty well despite what I've endured. Like all who manage to overcome a handicap, I've become stronger in some ways, but the price I pay is terrible, and no one ever gave me an option.
I speak about this because I think it's important for the truth to have a voice, and too many people lose their ability to stand up for themselves from their experiences in these facilities. I don't stand to gain anything other than peace of mind, and I'm not going to get any of that if I'm not speaking the truth. My only self interest (getting closure by voicing my own pain) is irrelevant, because it's not at odds with my desire to speak the truth. If I try to remember ASR any other way than the way it happened, I'm doing myself a disservice in the process.
Everything I've said on these forums comes from my desire to expose the truth to anyone willing to listen, whether it's a program survivor, a prospective parent, or John Q. Public. The truth as I see it is simple: these programs have done irreparable harm to countless innocents, and those responsible are a menace. Rudy Bentz has done so much damage to so many people, the thought of him getting close to those kids is making me nauseous even as I type this post. From my own personal experience, I've known him to be nothing but a charlatan and a liar, and based on the things I've heard from others who've known him, if all that wasn't enough he's probably a child molester.