Fornits

Fornits Home for Wayward Web Fora
An open discussion about the troubled parent industry

On 2006-01-17 11:31:00, Anonymous wrote:

"It just a little un-nerving to hear someone ask a question like that.

The hypothalamus is one of the most important parts of the brain, involved in many kinds of motivation, among other functions.  The hypothalamus controls the "Four F's": 1. fighting;  2. fleeing;  3.feeding; and  4. mating.
-- Psychology professor in neuropsychology intro course

On 2006-01-18 08:22:00, corecrash wrote:


It's not a side effect if the behavior was there before they attended ANY program be it faith based or goverment ran.

Remember, I'm not claiming ANY program is righteous. Every program in this country is only as good as the individual makes it. My son thrived at Anchor, others don't.

Some thrive in drug rehab others rebell and use it as an excuse to plunge deeper into whatever they are into.

However, according to your viewpoint, which I do not believe is invalid, neither is mine, no one can succeed, and everyone is abused in these programs.

According to my son and a few other people that post here, this is not true. However, when they do claim it is not true you label them as brain washed Stepford kids.

You cannot discount the achievements of some by saying they are now part of the problem. Drug addicts do this when their using friend reforms and they can no longer count on them as a co-partier. That is from the mouth of an educated professional. Not me but a chemical dependency counselor we went to while our son was in drug rehab. Supported by the state, whom I might add, restrict phone calls from parents after the first 30 days and none for the first month. Note that every staff has a degree, and directors have a masters or PhD in their respective fields.

Therefore, if you can use a few people for your examples, then I can use a few for mine.

Note I used words like "some" and phrases like "Only 3 of the total population.? I am indicating that my sample size is small. You have indicated that your sample size is drawn from the entire population.

To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors, is sinful and tyrannical.
http://lfb.com/?stocknumber=FF7485&code=10247' target='_new'> Thomas Jefferson

On 2006-01-17 16:24:00, Ashley's Mom wrote:

On the upside, she was just awarded the Golden Key from Scholastics for an art project that was entered.  From here she goes to the Nationals, and if all goes well there, then to an art show in New York City!  

Our nada who art in nada, nada be thy name. Thy kingdom nada, thy will be nada as it is in nada. Give us this nada our daily nada and nada us our nada as we nada our nadas and nada us into nada but deliver us from nada; pues nada. Hail nothing full of nothing, nothing is with thee.
--Ernest Hemingway, American author

On 2006-01-18 06:57:00, corecrash wrote:


You are right in that I had a choice in my participation.

Not directed to you, but when I read posts from adults that are survivors of these places and the posts amount to nothing more than name-calling and profanity, you really have to wonder what else they were/are into. Maybe nothing, but a critical thinking individual cannot help but wonder what kind of person that is.

I have a small pool of experiences compared to the set of possible life experiences. Those experiences include watching people from my High School, which was considered a good school in the 80?s kill themselves, fall into addiction and eventually prison, become thieves, or just generally live a difficult life. Maybe they are happy but they give no indication of it.

It sounds like we take a risk no matter what we do as a parent. The parents of one of my high school friends took the approach to let him come out of it on is own. He died of a heart attack while freebasing cocaine when he was 20 years old. My biological father took the approach to let my brother Chris do what he needed to do and come out of it on his own. Chris is in prison for the next 10 years for armed assault and attempted murder. My ex-girlfriend?s father felt that it was wise and an avenue for closeness to allow his daughter to smoke pot. He thought it would curb her curiosity and she would get over it. Today, 20 years later, she is held hostage by addiction to painkillers and marijuana. She is in and out of trouble with the authorities for theft, drug possession, and she cannot ever have a real relationship with anyone because they end up being an avenue for drug procurement.



That is only 3 of the total population, and certainly not all the examples I've seen, but those are pretty real and risky chances just as tough love programs appear to be risky from what I'm reading in these forums. I think personally I would rather take a chance on the tough love side and pay for counseling in the end because the educated professionals find it hard to help those that are dead.

"

Don't let your dogma run out in front of your karma.
--Anonymous

On 2006-01-18 06:12:00, Anonymous wrote:

If children are hurting themselves or heading down a path you know to be distructive, there has to be a way to intervene and turn it around.  The only reason the industry exists is because there is a need!!

I agree most of these kids are getting the abuse and mindrapes at home by their friends or drug dealers, they dont need to be sent away for that, most parents are only looking to get them help and place them on a safe path



*****  Yes, but those percentages are FAR lower than any of the TBS/RTC/Bootcamp/Wilderness programs will have you believe. Its all part and parcel of the fear mongering *****



Percentages we dont have, I disagree"

Everything in moderation, including moderation.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=circlofmiamithem&keyword=mark+twain&mode=books' target='_new'>Mark Twain

On 2006-01-18 05:11:00, corecrash wrote:

"I do understand your point and I do believe that abuse will damage a child. We have diverged to many different subjects, notably Christianity and Drug and criminal reform.

It still stands that the subject of this forum is if Dennis McElwrath abuses the teenagers at Anchor Academy.

When I was a child, I played football and I was made to run, do push-ups, leg lifts, etc. This according to you is abuse

and I certainly hated it! I wanted to quit, I thought it was unfair and at 13 years old I thought it was abusive. However, my coach?s motivation was to strengthen my body so that I would not get injured during a game. It was also a method to build character and leadership abilities. That was not abuse.



At 15, I wrestled and was encouraged to limit our food intake to make weight. We ran with layers of clothes on to drain our body of fluid to lose that one last pound. This taught tenacity and perseverance. Was the coach abusing us? No, at the time I hated it and wanted to quit, it taught me a lot and I did not die.

It will be interesting to see the next wave of intelligent debating skills laden with name-calling and abusive language. :smile: Then some of you have the gall to wonder why you found yourself in a place you would rather not be and to this day continue to blame everyone else in society for your problems.

Arms in the hands of citizens [may] be used at individual discretion...in private self-defense...
-- John Adams, (1788)

Legalizing drugs would simultaneously reduce the amount of crime and raise the quality of law enforcement. Can you conceive of any other measure that would accomplish so much to promote law and order?  
--Economist Milton Friedman