Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform > Aspen Education Group
TO EMILY GRAEBER (Island View escapee):
Anonymous:
[/quote]You guys are obviously new to this or have never been thru it, (or both)
--- Quote ---
Don't be so sure about that, Einstein.
And absolutely the parents should NOT listen to THE ISLAND.
Trust your gut. Getting these vultures from this industry to recommend the next step is the absolutely terrible decison you can make.
--- End quote ---
Anonymous:
Ha! I am new to posting with this format as evidenced by my previous post.
Anonymous:
Ridiculous. Of course, the program is working the parent! Not to help!
Kids split programs. Often not because they are "backsliding" but because they are shocked, horrified, frightened and abused!
In fact, splitting to me is often a healthy indicator that the kid has not drank the Kool Aid yet.
The scary thing is that so many kids who have never run away in their lives are willing to risk their personal safety to get out of The Twilight Zone.
I know because I was one of them. I was a total chicken shit wuss, never ran away in my life, but after experiencing the surreal horror of the program I knew I had to split OR: I would become a lobotomized Stepford programmee, who was forced to lie about my personal history under extreme duress and bully, abuse, and exploit others to get ahead in the program. It was the only way to move through the levels.
Was I some kind of hell raising rebel? Nope. Blended in the wall paper, caused no trouble, was not one of the ones lambasted regularly...
When I left the first time, the program lied to my parents, lied to me, and threatened to put me in lock up even though I had never been a danger to others. Ever! They gave my parents THE TYPICAL SPIEL THEY GIVE TO EVERY RUN AWAY's FAMILY and said: don't come up and talk to your kid; your kid will end up deadinsaneorinjailorondrugs if you attempt to withdraw her (none of it true, nor was it true BEFORE the program); lied about drug use to my parents; and basically did everything to protect their interest.
Next time, I planned better. And unlike my Mom, who drank the Kool Aid, my Dad knew something was not kosher when I made it all the way home, safely. He did not send me back--he talked to me. (Thanks, Dad!)
I ran because the program scared me, not because I was a rebel or runaway. I know of many others who ran with mixed results. There is one kid who has never been found. The program doesn't care about this kid, only their own PR.... their bullshit program spin, and lack of efficacy in dealing with the issue when the kid first ran, woke up the father to realizing how completely full of crap the program was. They didn't care about the kid.
I just think its scary that programs will tell parents not to see or talk to their kids after they are caught.... so once again, the program spins the story, often at the expense of the kid.
When will the kid be first?
Anonymous:
good for you.
I applaud you and your courage for not buying into the program and becoming a lemming. I am sure it wasn't easy.
Anonymous:
I'd like to make another thing clear.
Programs do not want the parents to interface with the child personally. In this way, they can manipulate the parent as ease. That is why they tell you not to personally visit their child once he or she is caught.
The way they do this is through Fear. They prey on the parents' fear --your kid will be deadinsaneinjailorondrugs if you pull them out. Unfortunately, this is baloney most of the time. I know in my case, it was a lie, and in many other cases I have personal knowledge of. In addition, WE, the kids, often either exaggerated our drug history or in some cases, lied about it, in order to move through the program. We were badgered so badly, we often were coerced to adopt false stories. Then, it became part of our story. We brought into it. It was crucial that we believe the program was saving us... the way they do this is by degrading us daily so that we believe the bullshit about ourselves. That we are incapable and worthless. Then, they could posit themselves as our Personal Jesus.
To the pro-program kids on Emily. Wait 5-10-20 years. Nearly every person I know on this site said the same thing you did. Most graduated the program brainwashed. After years and years of wondering why they feel an internal disconnect, why they are having so many problems relating post program, they start to piece the puzzle together.
Hey parents! How would you like to be having this conversation 5-10-20 years from now?
I recently read a letter from a parent who sent her child to a program 20 years ago. I can tell you right now, she would not say the program had the long term effect she hoped for. Any of you interested in looking back 10-20 years from now only to realize you spent a boat load of cash and hope on your kid only to have them sitting at the fornits site spewing resentment, anger, and pain?
Don't let a good couple of years on paper fool you. Many of us had stellar resumes in an effort to "look good" initially. Inside, we were a mess.
There is a reason there are no longitudinal studies done.
Shanlea
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version