Shane is someone I have been searching for as well. I have tried to search for him online to no avail...do you guys know if he is
..lch or ..lsh ?
I was also looking for Jim W. who I think married Shelley S. can't find them either.
The de-programming I spoke of earlier was a long process of therapy and going to meetings. I finally made some close friends who listened to me talk on and on about my feelings and my "doubts". As I mentioned earlier I married someone from straight and something comes up EVERYDAY... whether its telling the dogs to face forward or singing some stupid song like One tin soldier or making fun of ourselves and saying that we are "awfulizing". Straight made an indellible mark on my psyche, my experience there altered the course of my life in many significant ways. I am fortunate to not have had as terrifying and demoralizing an experience as those I read about on here. It took years for me to stabilize emotionally.
After I got stable I went back to school. Now I am a social worker. I am currently working as a substance abuse counselor for the department of juvenile justice in Florida. My focus is not on diagnosing juveniles as addicts or pressuring them to pursue "recovery", these kids are referred to me and then I ask them if they want services. They are free to decline. When they do accept, my primary focus is ensuring that they have a positive "helping experience" so that when and if they need help in the future, they are more likely to seek it out. Some kids are in real trouble with drugs and I share with them what I know about substance abuse and recovery. Some are just being kids and experimenting, however they are in real legal trouble and meeting with me gives them the chance to talk about the anxiety associated with being in "the system". The way straight contributes to my work is by reminding me of how NOT to affect a childs life. I intervene with compassion and open mindedness and not unilateral disrespect and persecution.
E, I encourage you to do that work with kids, its a very real way to make a contribution to our society (and its fun too!)
