The pernicious influence of David Deitch reaches well beyond Daytop. So, I'll post this here as well:
Deitch himself reports that
his program time was served inside the Narco Farm in Lexington Kentucky. The Narco Farm is notable for being the first attempt at a T.C. in this country and for being located within a prison. It is of notorious repute for researching the treatment of addiction with LSD
(inmates as “voluntary” test subjects) and for being closed in the 80’s due to its controversial research involving providing cocaine and opiates to subjects.
(All of the above information was gleaned from references posted on Fornits under the Narco Farm thread)
Deitch sought his initial “training” at Synnaon with the megalomaniac Charles E. Dederich – (Synanon Founder).
Thus began the long career of David Deitch, the man responsible for the propagation of countless TCs.
*Each of them based on Synanon’s founding principles. These still apply to today’s TCs that treatment should provoke “dissonance,” meaning discord or conflict, to individuals’ self-image so they are no longer comfortable with whom they are.*(That last bit *-*is paraphrased from a source linked on Fornits … somewhere)
The following is excerpted from an expansive report published in fellowship with the World Health Organization 1967: Synanon Synanon, an ex-addict community with several facilities in California, has proved to be an effective way of organizing treatment. It has, however, discouraged ex-addicts from leaving Synanon and re-entering the larger community and has zealously maintained its separation from government programmes. Further, Synanon, after a rapid growth between 1958 and 1965 has now apparently stabilized its size at approximately 600 residents. Because of the nature of its programme, it is unlikely to increase significantly in size.
Daytop Lodge This is an open voluntary treatment programme originally serving drug addicts placed on probation by the local courts of Brooklyn, New York. Technically it is a half-way house, but has a much more active treatment programme headed by an ex-addict, Dave Deitch, trained at Synanon. The lodge is staffed chiefly by ex-addicts; its major features are:
1. The newly referred addict is made to fight his way in to the programme.
2. Rigid high standards for behaviour in all areas is expected and enforced, by all patients.
Drug dependence in the U.S.A. 19
1. The new addict is treated as a helpless child first, but gradually moves from menial to responsible jobs at the Lodge and finally to work outside.
2. Vigorous, aggressive "gut level" group sessions are held frequently.
3. More intellectual philosophic seminar sessions are also held. The similarity to Synanon is striking, the major difference being that the former is a purely voluntary private organization, while Daytop Lodge was supported by a National Institute of Mental Health Grant. It was also originally under court sponsorship. The Daytop Lodge programme now receives support from the City of New York and now also accepts voluntary admissions and patients from sources other than the Brooklyn Courts.
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime UNDOC
http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/data-and- ... ge003.htmlMore on "This Dude" and his pestilence (shouldn't this topic title have his name in it?) when I can stand it…