Anne I am not coming from a pro program point of view at all. I am just stating the facts of my childhood. Ironic thing about my parents was, they were extremely gifted with intelligence, my Dad was borderline genius and my Mother held a Phd in Education, my Dad also held a Phd in Aerospace Metallurgy. They were just sick and needed help and would not get it.
The reality is, I was sent away often, too much, I have not even mentioned the private schools I was sent to. I was fighting back against my parents abuse the best I could, it just took a toll on me. Being as young as I was and wanting my parents affection, validation and admiration and never getting it, the rejection was just to overwhelming for me.
I believe this is why when I found drugs and alcohol I took to it like a baby on a breast, the self medicating qualities were just to much to ignore for me.
In a weird sort of way the friends I made at Elan, I bonded to quickly and with no restraint, I felt the same from others. It was like we finally found others like us, families screwed up, we being hooked on drugs, smashed dreams and wanting to fit in somewhere.
I am so happy to here all the people you (Anne) have met from Straight, were not screwed up and had no problems at all but were still sent to Straight. Because I am sitting right now as I am typing with 5 guys and three of them were at Straight and they are saying they were "fucked up" prior to going to Straight, not that Straight helped them. Don't confuse what I am saying, please.
Anne, just because a lot of us were "fucked up" before we went to our programs, in no way makes it right that they abused us, absolutely not. I will never forget what Elan did to people there, ever.
Most of us turned out OK, though I will not put it all on Elan. Family problems, divorces, parental abuse, sibling abuse, society abuse and all these things add to people problems with life.