Someone Please respond to this!

[SilmarilOne]

I was in Sarasota Straight in 80-82, The names of Hugh Burns, Chris Cassler, people like that are coming back to me along with a lot of horrible memories that are threatening to overwhelm me.  Anyone here from that era?  Feel free to IM me, my yahoo messenger is death_in_venice_mann
or email [email protected]

I remember Ginger too!  simply astounding that I found this site....unexpected and horribly overwhelming,..I feel a strong urge to use drugs or cut myself with a razor blade.  Good job Straight!

--Thomas

[Shelby]

Hang on, Thomas. There are Sarasota people here and I'm sure they'll post soon. Most folks check the board in the early evening, once the jobs and kids are in order. In the meantime, do yourself a favor - don't read too much all at once. As hard as it is to stop for awhile, do it. Remembering all this stuff can really tear you down if you aren't careful. I'm glad you found us and I've added you to my yahoo messenger. Take care of yourself.

Shelby
[email protected]
St. Pete/VA 82-84

[ClayL]

Thomas:

I found this site in much the same way as everyone else. I was remembering things from str and decided to do a search on str. The cornucopia of information I found was amazing. I, being the information hound that I am, started wading in and found myself remembering things I had burried well and good. I started having nightmares about things I had not thought of for more than a decade. Found myself talking with my wife and all I got was a blank stare. I directed her to Wes' site and she waded through it and couldn't believe what she had read. GO figure? I still keep remembering things that I had forgotten.

I was watching the Tampa-Philly game Sun and the official was signaling a penalty and all of the sudden I remembered having to keep your arms by your side while "sharing". I remembered people, while I was talking, grabbing my arms and putting them to my side. The closest I ever came to belting someone. (I was told that if I hit someone I would be prosecuted for assault and then court ordered to the program. I had no doubt that Str would lie about what happened and I would be found guilty.) To this day I do not tollerate ANYONE interrupting me while speaking.

The rollercoaster of emotions have settled to slight bumps, and I am grateful that I found this site. While I am sure I could have sorted out all this information on my own, eventually, the people I have met here circumvented a great deal of fumbleing about. We may not always get along, but we do take time from our arguements to do what is truly important. Feel free to contact me anytime.

CL

[Tampa survivor]

I was in st pete...same time frame.  Our main stage players were assholes too..

I remember Chris Cas. leading guest raps in St pete ...
Newton is a lovely memory.  SMACK>>>have a seat bitch.  

Well, I freaked for about a month when I found this thereputic-goofy-ass-quasi-political bbs...

hang out.  cool folks abound.  

I got transferred to Atlanta with Bobby Ruggles.

If you know where him or his sister went there after str8, please do tell.

Bill

St Pete & Atlanta

12/80-12/82

[Antigen]

Hey Thom,
  Yeah, if you can get ahold of Bobby & Cathy, I'd love to find out how they're doing.

  Anyway, welcomd to the party.
 :smile:

I do not believe in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance.

--Thomas Carlyle

[kpickle39]

Thomas - I totally understand how you feel. I was in straight st. pete in teh late ' 70's adn early '80's.  Found this site by putting "straight,inc" into yahoo.  Man it blew my mind.  I was overwhelmed with what I went thru at straight for a long time, but little by little, I have been able to heal.  Finding this site contributed lots to my healing.  I have been putting my efforts into helping folks.  We have strated a not-for-profit organization called Survivors and Friends for the Ethical Treatment of Youth or SAFETY Net.  You will be ok.  I'll give you a call if you want.  take care, heads up.  Like is gonna be ok, and so are you.

Best Regards,

Mike, Straight Survivor '78 - '80

[85 Day Jerk]

Hi Thomas,
        I went through the St. Pete Straight and
carried my program through 3 building changes. I was a "jerk" on first phase for 85 days all total out of 98 days.  If after the rush of these forums leaves you feeling like a hand grenade that has lost it's pin, try to find a good counselor.  
     Me and a buddy stopped by the Sarasota program in 1981 around the Memorial Day Weekend as 7 Steppers.  It was'nt until the late fall of
1982 that I heard about the bad stuff that happened there from Sue Cookson, who had been I guess a staff trainee around that time.  From what I gather, since most of the Senior Staff came from the Milton Roy building, where the worst of abuses stemmed from, they just brought it all back to life down in Sarasota.  Chris Cassler was my Primary Counselor in St. Pete and
was an all around good guy during the time that I knew him.  I guess the move to Sarasota, unlimited
power and authority, isolation, and a mental collapse all sealed his doom.  I do not condone anything that the staff did there, as I witnessed next to nothing, but just remember that they were just as much a victim as we were in the grand scheme of things.      See ya around.....

[SilmarilOne]

Thanks!  Chris Cassler was never anything but cool to me.  I have heard things about im though.I guess you never know about people. I went on jr. staff just because you dont turn that down, and I wanted out faster

[Maltese Falcon]

Thomas,

Please contact me anytime.  It's hard when you stumble across this stuff after so many years.  There are many great people that can help you here.  Please don't hesitate to contact me as I live very close to you, and will do anything I can to help.


Chris

Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of it's victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busy-bodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those that torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0802808689/circleofmianithem' target='_new'> C.S. Lewis, God In The Dock

[thepatriot]

Hello all, i was in Sarasota 80-82, I remember Bobby Ruggles and his sister, I remember him"Splitting" a number of times as I did. My name is Todd Hollingsworth.....I left 3 times fortuately third was a charm and I never returned. I still have horrifying nightmares of that hell hole. I am happy to have found you guys, I have felt alone ove the years with these thoughts and nightmares, people who haven't been there just can't imagine or understand what really went on. if anyone remembers me I would love to hear from you..............

Todd Hollingsworth
[email protected]

[jdcarlson]

I was in st pete in 84-85 I visited Chris cassler in san francisco in 86? or 87?
I have tried to forget about this hell
but it has always surfaced in my life in different ways. The other day I typed in straight inc in the yahoo and found this.
Godamit .... I cant even belive Im thinking
about that.  I want to remember  all of the people from then but it is tough. David whidden and I went to Baltimore after seven stepping and then went to europe and then to Utah.
I would like to get in touch with anybody from my group. Like scott thonen ?  clay ?  
anyway this is so fucking amazing to read the accounts. It takes me back.
It has taken 20 years to heal from that experience.  I do remember a really nice lady older and thin that was very compasinate.
any way.    Im married and have children now and live in Utah. I am a realtor and travel to mexico alot to my second home.
I have found refuge  in travel and trying to be a good father.
I feel better right now that I wrote this paragraph.

J.Dee Carlson  [email protected]

[whiterabbit]

Hey

I was in Straight, same time frame but St Pete group. It's been about a year since I stumbled onto this site. It really blew my mind. I'd locked all this up for so long.It was overwhelming at first. I'd read and laugh, read and be furious, laugh until I cried and then actually end up crying. Huge anxiety attacks and unwelcome meories popping in unannounced and unwelcomed -middle of the day, middle of the night. My dreams about tornadoes came back along with dreams about William Rollins walking down the street in my current neighborhood, visiting straight and not being able to leave etc. If it gets to be too much pull back or better yet see a counselor or therapist.(at a minimum Masters level therapist is best) It helps to talk to someone about it. Unload a bit. Right here if you like. I think you might find it therapuetic to tell your stories. And we know they're true.
Look forward to hearing from you.

Marcia

I have found that the best way to give advice to your children is to find out what they want and then advise them to do it

--Harry S. Truman

[jdcarlson]

how does this chat thing work?
were you talking to me?
I remember somethings like the librarian lady.
and anyway .......

[Anonymous]

WARNING£×£Á£Ò£Î£É£Î£ÇWARNING!!!

Maybe you are planning to or already have contacted the people using this chat board.
Maybe some are people who you have had personal contact with in the past.
DONT GIVE YOUR REAL NAME TO THESE PEOPLE,with the exception of people you may have met in the past.
Maybe you can use these websites to compile information in order to explain to others what happened to you (www.rickross.com has an excellent archive of newspaper articles you can print and show to others so they dont think you are crazy when you tell them what happened to you.)
My best advise to you is STAY AWAY from the people posting here.
You can do this ALONE!
Do you need money?Public assistance money?
Just go to your local authorieties and fill out the applications.It will take a long time,but you WILL have your day,THEN make it clear to them that you were tortured in a facility that was run for profit and that THEY allowed it to happen to you!
No matter what happens,YOU ARE GOLDEN!
They tortured you and they must pay!(forget about suing anybody)
After you "get your foot in the door" then they cant stop you.THEY KNOW what occoured in the programs,so you MUST make it clear that YOU WILL NEVER stop being pissed off about it.
I dont know what you want,but if you are having coping problems,DONT GO TO ANYBODY CONNECTED WITH THE PROGRAMS FOR HELP!!!Ex-staff,Straight (program) survivors,etc.
DO IT ON YOUR OWN and if you want to participate with this chat board make sure you only INPUT your experiences and dont engage in conversations or ask any questions AND NEVER NEVER NEVER contact these people or give up your real name to ANYBODY unless you already know them on a personal basis!
You have been warned.

[Anonymous]

Quite possibly very accurate advice. Please explain more about how social service agencies will help you because of Straight if it wasn't in the state you are in right now, or even if it was.