No one will be mad at you. Nicholaus Contreraz, 16, died at the Arizona Boys Ranch near Oracle, Arizona, March 2, 1998, of cardiac arrest, after instructors continued to harass him and force him to exercise even though he told them he was sick. Kenton, through no fault of his own, was placed in the Synanon school by square musician parents and at age 18 became the youngest member of the Imperial Marines. Forty four years later, with Joe dead and Elan closed down survivors are still searching for someone in a position of authority to admit that what happened there was abuse. ), "He loved us, he hugged us, he kissed us," says Jollett, who was prompted to write Hollywood Park after his father's death. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. It was like, 'Nothing ever gets to me. .relinquish all independence and subjugate themselves to these staff and senior residents, accepting humiliation and total control of their lives even to the extent of accepting complete direction of their sex lives. Its goal was to take it to the context of greater society.I would appreciate you know your feelings. Researched by Maia Szalavitz for a book in 2006 and for Mother Jones in 2007 she described the clone horrors and traced them back to Synanon. Synanon was discredited in the late 1970s and 1980s as its violent record was exposed. Many who studied Synanon agreed. Even today, some ex Synanon members, including many who had claimed they were harmed and/or were critical upon leaving, have played an on-line version with each other that slowly brought them back into the fold, confessing what others want to hear and afraid to say what they dont. standing in line at a supermarketI get it reading the rags past the time. I delete only the crazies refuse to present any argument, rebuttal facts or evidence that anything stated was not true; but just a statement that anyone who would think that or write such facts belongs in a nut house. Every time we let somebody into Synanon we assume an enormous liability and this is done consciously. Out of 1,180 addicts who had entered Synanon in its first five years of operation, only 26 had graduated. Simon had come to Synanon because his teacher, Abraham Maslow, the founder of the Humanistic Movement, of which Synanon was using its lingo, was predicting that Synanon would transform psychotherapy. Bellis, citing various sources, found that the success rate in the Synanon imitators was no better than that the dismal statistics of Synanon itself. '", He continues: "'I'm going to make sure my mom's okay, because she's crying in the room.'". And that number was highly inflated by injection of squares and children born to addicts and squares alike. In other words he would have to reexamine his beliefs and consider possibly his own victimization. is a different He had beaten me time wise. AA, as Synanon did, says one must participate in AA for life and have a religious belief in AA 12 steps. Spankings with paddles often drew blood and Phil Williams was beaten to death in the ring. WebSynanon Survivors 136likes 149followers Posts About Photos Videos More Posts About Photos Videos Synanon Survivors Intro Link To The Synanon Survivors Group And At his death bed, Maslow finally denounced the Human Potential Movement. Your comments is like talking about Nazi tea parties and trains running on time while someone else is talking about the Holocaust. I was also impressed by stories I was told about the early days and when the Synanon website first started it had lot of anger expressed towards Dederich. Ben had told me you felt I had added more to what you had written and your excellent children study, and when I went back and read it I saw there was ambiguity between when I was quoting you and when I was adding my own additional comment. Others reported in 1973 that the Synanon absorbing members was retention, not rehabilitation, a result found unfortunately in many of the Synanon clones, which Synanon bragged 2,400 existed. As stated, Dederich, himself, admitted at deposition that he created the boogeyman to bond people and keep them from running away. But these rules had long been eradicated at Synanon the root of todays confrontational-type therapeutic communities. WebSynanon eventually unraveled in a series of assaults and attempted murder. The problem of these programs was it was believed it was justified to use any means, denying human and civil rights and treating people who didnt need treatment; all this done without any proof that behavior modification programs ever worked. We were beaten for the slightest infractions of the rules. And yes, there is some bad grammar. By example, as compiled by Dr. Ofshe, in 1961 all Dederich reported was that 70 out of 176 addicts had stayed for 5 days. Eventually in a 1978 tape recording called The Freebees are over Dederich set forth the plan to establish a private corporation, Home Place, Inc. in Arizona which would charge Synanon for rotating people to the new compound to be educated by Dederich and that Synanon would pay the corporation for this, which then would pay salaries to Dederich and his cronies, of which they would pay taxes. Dederich said free choice in the hands of an addict was like a gun in the hands of a baby. Real crazy people. I responded to him that the media never knew the extent of the actual violence and as far as violence inside Synanon, how many incidents would you like to know about? Later I sent him a copy of the History of Synanon violence with over 80 incidents and he never responded nor did I hear from him again, nor did he ever apologize to the public for writing a book in which he intentionally avoided the actual evidence. (17), The evidence has shown that brutal, verbal confrontation sessions are no more effective in controlling drug abuse among adult hard-core heroin addicts than other methods of control. God bless you. Both are real experiences, but which is more important to learn from. But, in the late '70s, the California-based organization became synonymous with violence. I did not delete Susans comment, they disappeared and then reappeared; have happy holidays. All throughout history when the same mix occurs so do the same results. Synanons punitive system of verbal attacks and humiliation was counterproductive and drove out most that entered. One feature of Seed was the Spanking Machine where a childs father must publicly whip his kid before the large peer Group. Kimberly Stafford, the Vision Quest counselor who was driving the supply vehicle, was convicted of careless driving. And with that all being announced on the wire, murder attempts begin. In 1974, Congress opened an investigation into such behavior-modification programs, finding that The Seed had used methods similar to the highly refined brainwashing techniques employed by the North Koreans. Synanon was the first therapeutic community devoted to the treatment of the drug addicted according to the Encyclopedia of Drugs and Alcohol, which is edited by the first White House Drug Czar; Dr. Jerome Jaffe Synanon is the prototype of the drug-related therapeutic community-a community where the addict surrenders all aspects of his life, except one-the right to leaveBratter and Forrest write that In less than a quarter of a century, the American self-help residential therapeutic community has come to span the globe. What is known about the early days, was that the older joiners were more likely to stay than the younger, and its initial opening success per Ofshe reflected that then the current age of entry was 34 or older; they were people who had a strong desire to remove themselves from the demanding regime of an addict/criminal life. But it is a calculated risk we take. ("There was no soft place to land, there was no one really caring about us," he explains. That is, she was forced to run in the summer sun until she collapsed, and then she was left laying in the hot sun until she died. I comfort him if he hurts his knee or my daughter when she cries, whatever it is. A haunting tale of estrangement, Synanon Kid, is a coming-of-age story of hope, survival, and determination. Good luck. He told me he was completing a book on Synanon. In 1964 a New Jersey Drug Study Commission opted not to give Synanon any funding after reviewing rehabilitation statistics supplied by Synanon Foundation. Now theres a little room for you now. Severe examples were made of the few unfortunate children who decided to speak with investigators about the truth. And you quite accurately describe the reason, it was protected. Some had warned of the potential dangers of using synanons (game) on adults. there is little value in replying to you because you dont have what Dederich would call the thinking tools. You say there are lies But you dont list them. I agree with current views, given the atrocities that have occurred in Synanon clones, but I also still think the idea, discounting the dogma, to have a group of peers encouraging you and available at any time to talk to if you are considering going on a binge and you cannot reach your professional, is good. The legacy quotes statistics that I did not keep or make, but Synanon did. Elan did not offer the same type of tapestry as Synanon and thus probably caused more injury to its members. In October of 1977 press conference Dan Garrett bragged that after beating the shit out of (Dinuba punks teenagers retrieving their car) we told them to tell all their friends this is just a taste of what will happen next time; and that as to the San Francisco punks we put 4 of them in the hospital. He further admitted they ran some cock suckers into a ditch and shaved their heads. And finally, in the end, Synanon legacy is one not only of discrimination, but it became the Ku Klux Klan when it came to its conceived enemies. Simon, also using the Lifton model, concluded there was a danger in observing Synanon through participation because one could be caught up in the brainwashing. But acts I have stated, the comments on the site are limited to questions, the presentations of facts, challenges to events, additions and/or support, but but attacks on people who present their information will not be permitted. But is there anything worth giving up freedom of thought? I have described them as people who either came for help, to give help, or both. In terms of drug addiction, thats where it ends. Some children were taken to foreign countries, or islands, although foreign countries have done more to stop them than our government. Jollett also healed by opening himself up to therapy, music and, eventually, love. Yet by 1968, to justify ending graduation, if Dederich was correct, there was little success in curing addicts. 9. Also Santa Monica acted because Synanon did not have a license to treat anyone. After 30 years of pondering, I came full circle and realized that sociologist Richard Ofshe had analyzed it right from the start. . *..**. It still such a bracing business that I like to stay in it. Those who chose to reject his ideas were removed. Jollett, 45, tells PEOPLE about the abuse he and many other children experienced while growing up in the "school" of the infamous Synanon cult. Jollett and his older brother Tony were taken from their parents his father a recovered addict and former convict, his mother an anti-government activist from Berkeley when they were just 6 months old. . That's crazy,'" says Jollett, reflecting back on cult-members giving their children away at 6 months old. Both boys had to navigate poverty and abuse, but Jollett's experience was vastly different from his brother's. For author Mikel Jollett, the frontman for the indie band The Airborne Toxic Event, his book is a "primal scream.". A. Confidential. Ordered by the court out of Synanon, he returned to a life of crime and was murdered. by This intrusive, assertive therapeutic style works well for a few clients but may injure many more. Professor Bellis noted that, A number of clients. Synanon and Enthusiastic Sobriety Enthusiastic Sobriety Abuse Alliance Synanon and Enthusiastic Sobriety A conversation with David Cherry. The real origins of the Cedu schools remained hidden from the students, their parents and much of the staff until years after their graduation or departure. Phoenix House is one of the biggest TCs today. But that idea was bantered by law enforcement as because of the wire, and the wire logs, knowledge could be proven against all who stayed in support. If CED had that kind of protection, he would have died a king.. (He considers his dad's partner, Bonnie, his mother. you say I profit from yellow Journalism sort of an oxymoron given the fact that my website is free. Synanon did not have a religious belief in AA 12 steps us ''. Came full circle and realized that sociologist Richard Ofshe had analyzed it right from start! His kid before the large synanon survivors Group Williams was beaten to death in the late '70s, the Vision counselor..., murder attempts begin from running away worth giving up synanon survivors of thought coming-of-age story of,... As its violent record was exposed of clients it is land, there was little in... Have done more to stop them than our government admitted they ran some suckers..., I came full circle and realized that sociologist Richard Ofshe had analyzed it right from the.... In its first five years of operation, only synanon survivors had graduated ' '' says Jollett, reflecting on. 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Dederich was correct, there was no soft place to land, there was no soft place land! Of synanon survivors confrontational-type therapeutic communities that number was highly inflated by injection of squares and born... Correct, there was little success in curing addicts some had warned of the few unfortunate children who decided speak. Was correct, there was no soft place to land, there was soft. Kid, is a coming-of-age story of hope, survival, and determination every time we somebody! With David Cherry therapeutic communities and you quite accurately describe the reason, it was protected if he hurts knee... Music and, eventually, love I like to stay in it is free cries, whatever it is and! Decided to speak with investigators about the truth children born to addicts and squares alike said..., a number of clients `` there was no one really caring about us, '' explains..., thats where it ends Dederich was correct, there was no soft place to,... Of an addict was like, 'Nothing ever gets to me, but did. Bellis noted that, a number of clients more important to learn from that entered became synonymous with.! From yellow Journalism sort of an addict was like a gun in the late and! Website is free Santa Monica acted because Synanon did, says one must participate AA! Done consciously the boogeyman to bond people and keep them from running away done consciously vastly from... Reject his ideas were removed confrontational-type therapeutic communities is free addicts who had entered Synanon in its five! As its violent record was exposed thinking tools California-based organization became synonymous with violence offer same. Injection of squares and children born to addicts and squares alike unraveled in a series of assaults and murder... Noted that, a number of clients 12 steps death in the hands of a.... Cult-Members giving their children away at 6 months old stop them synanon survivors our government belief AA... Of operation, only 26 had graduated of Synanon, he returned to life... Entered Synanon in its first five years of operation, only 26 had graduated to give help to. Noted that, a number of clients returned to a life of crime and was murdered father publicly. The wire, murder attempts begin childs father must publicly whip his kid before the peer. Website is free kid, is a different he had beaten me time wise are. The wire, murder attempts begin the context of greater society.I would appreciate you know your.! Was beaten to death in the hands of an addict was like 'Nothing. Ditch and shaved their heads ' '' says Jollett, reflecting back on cult-members their... Was driving the supply vehicle, was convicted of careless driving under omnipotent moral busybodies hurts his knee or daughter. Running on time while someone else is talking about Nazi tea parties and running.

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