Author Topic: So, what happened next?  (Read 15705 times)

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Offline Hedge

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So, what happened next?
« on: September 01, 2010, 06:19:11 PM »
A lot of us here had experiences in programs, and I was wondering: what does life after the program look like?


For me, before TS I was a total computer geek. Chess club, scholar's bowl, all around geekiness. I was into reading computer manuals in my free time: seriously.

Then, after what happened, I realized that people were more important than staring at a screen 20 hours a day.

My fourteen year old self wanted to be a psychologist so I could go undercover and expose the abusive facilities.

My eighteen year old self wanted to be a psychologist so I could work with families, looking for alternatives to placement.

My twenty-two year old self realized she wasn't going to be of any help to anyone until she got her shit together.

I dropped out of college after five years. Got some really good therapy.

Now I work as a peer support counselor, and I love my job. I work with adults, many of whom were in a local state hospital that closed, helping them to adjust to life on the outside and being a part of their daily support system.

I love my neighborhood, where I can walk to a library and the grocery store and two (!) fantastic Thai restaurants. I still usually have my nose in a book, but computer manuals stopped being my style a long time ago.  ;)

I'm pretty much okay. I have a support system of my own, a family made up of sweet friends. I play guitar and Phase 10. I'm weird, and kind, and grateful I made it to adulthood.


What's your story?   :cheers:
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Che Gookin

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Re: So, what happened next?
« Reply #1 on: September 02, 2010, 01:15:34 AM »
I used to regularly wake up every hour to do head counts for almost 2 years after working in the program. I still have fairly vivid and violent nightmares from time to time regarding restraints and other incidents.  I'm still not entirely sure what I want to be or where I want to go. I do know I don't want a damn thing to do with another program as long as I live.

I'm pondering going back to uni to get a degree that is semi-useful. While I like my job as a manager of a language school here in China, it isn't something I want to do for the rest of my life.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »