Looking back, I think my brother was appropriately angry with the adults.". When she finally was rescued by a grandmother, the organization was fortunately wiped out by the resulting civil judgment for damages. They didn't know," he says. A few, but very few have gone out and made it. : troubledteens. 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. 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, per Wes Fager, who also noted Dr. Jerome Jaffe stated 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 leave. Fager further noted Bratter 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. "Our parents weren't bad people, they didn't choose to turn their children into orphans. Even AA, which similarly indoctrinated a specific dogma the 12 steps is seen as not so successful as promoted and/or a proper therapy to cure alcoholism as it demands a dogmatic conversion and life time attendance that has been proven not necessary. Joe Ricci, the owner, survived the state of Illinois pulling residents out because of the abuse and beat them in court. Before moving in, Jollett had always considered his dad a "badass," a "criminal," a "pirate. Synanon is only one chapter. There is likely truth that allowing contact with past relationships might lure someone to leave or want to get high, but that is the persons choice. no Mr. Vandeman I am not deleting this as it is not as vulgar as the others. He was constantly accused of being a malingerer and faking it when he complained of being sick and unable to go on. but if I missed something please tell me. 479 members Join group About this group Anybody who's been touched by The SYNANON Cult as well as anybody who's suffered ANY TTI programs or institutional abuse youre welcome, as well See more Private Further, Yablonsky married a Synanon woman and admitted he felt any attack on Synanon was an attack on her. Synanon did not even keep it from the public. . Further, I wrote that the study of cults is studying a microcosm of the greater society. 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. Need your help! A belief system based upon coercive persuasion is expected by all who have studied it to be largely abandoned when the pressures are removed. And of course, this was what was best in early Synanon, i.e., peers to talk to and help if the craving starts; also support when kicking cold turkey, food and a roof. Hillary Clinton probably wouldve made a good president, the Alaskan Gov. Suggest reading the fall of series. It was only after the invasion of Iraq and discovery that the administration dangerously burned a spy to get even with for Sen. husband who wrote the administration had no evidence of Iraq weapons of mass destruction when it created a greater attack than 911 itself, that journalist took back their mandate to look for the truth and present that truth the country. Synanon was discredited in the late 1970s and 1980s as its violent record was exposed. Posted by 6 years ago. I dont have to stay in it anymore. NIH had even started its own experimental synanon at the federal lockup hospital in Lexington, Kentucky. Despite this, despite the warnings of so many other notables, despite Art Barkers total lack of credentials and less than admirable past, The Seed received a $1.8 million U.S. government grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) soon after it opened. No doubt their belief in Synanon was so strong that they had a good influence on others, but unfortunately they were also subjected to the Synanon system which from the early days warned of the enemy at the door (which Dederich eventually confessed at deposition he made up to bond followers), and later declared that you could never go home or contact outsiders. While Synanons bragging of curing drug addiction was far off from reality, its public relations system did promote the concept that drug addiction was not impossible to overcome as many had thought when Synanon was conceived. The experiences with the original population of adult addicts still pervade the thinking and functioning of most T.C.s. Sure it maybe closed but it still needs to be investigated in the same fashion that Penn state was investigated. Arbitrarily, I would say that young persons under 16 years of age should be excluded from these programs and that careful evaluation be given admitting persons between 16 and 18 years of age . (c) Nov. 2012. [Chuck] Dederich [Synanons founder], an exile from A.A., is credited with being the genius behind the TC [therapeutic community] movement. Leon Brill acknowledges in The Clinical Treatment of Substance Abusers that the original therapeutic community directed by ex-addicts was Synanon though others, he writes, such as Daytop Village, Odyssey House and Phoenix House in New York City have used psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and other professionals as part of their staff.. "All of us started having kids, and I think as parents we were like, 'Holy s---, what? But it is mans nature to flock together and unfortunately war with each other. If it had ended there, Synanons legacy would be far different and it would probably still be there. A scheme that was illegal, it led to arrests in Arizona. is a different There is much that is accurate in many cult books, particularly those that follow Lifton, but many lack proper perspective. So, as stated, when Dederich also admitted his notions were intended on each occasion to drive people out, so only the fanatical remained, and he profited by the resulting lowering cost, he was in fact knowingly in his view sacrificing former addicts to untimely ends for profit. And that Susan, is what differentiates us, from other countries where there is no freedom of press. I was inducted in late 1976 at the age of 14. Fatherhood has made him more cognizant of how much trauma he experienced as a child, as it has for other former Synanon kids who have become parents. But we are not Communist China, Communist Russia or Germanys Nazis. The Sunshine Place investigates Synanon through survivors, former members, and more Society & Culture August 10, 2022 Listen to The Sunshine Place I listened to countless game tapes. The Cedu Schools developed into an industry of sister schools, clones and copy-cats, that are now a multi-million dollar, international and unregulated business., *.*.. And in March she went, flying into Georgetown with her family, a few friends, and Jordan It just seems monstrous.". CED had similar protection but blew it when he started ordering attacks and got caught on his tapes. I stated my views, but I gave statistics and reports to back them, most unfortunate to learn of the great tragedy that have occurred in the clones are all these years. I had gotten your phone number from Ben Parks. All throughout history when the same mix occurs so do the same results. *. This piece was limited to legacy and was put together through stats, admissions and results in clones. Education website. Unfortunately as I learned what happened in clones and wilderness programs, people not only did not learn from that history, a book like Janzens can help fuel the continuation of its tragedies. It was good that Synanon took in minorities, and when Dederich married Betty mixed marriages were not as commonplace as today. '", After Tony went to rehab, their dad quit his job to be home with them and cooked dinner every night. And back is my reply to you. 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. A 15-year-old boy died from a staph infection at a Colorado wilderness program. That is why the health department took action in 1977. Oaks and Spokes. "At that age, my response was to become the super kid. It was clear, that like Yablonsky, decades prior, he was enamored by Synanon. Most program lingo IS Synanon lingo! WebSynanon sought religious status in 1974, with Diedrich as its leader. It reasoned that success stories generally had little to do with the programs themselves. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Severe examples were made of the few unfortunate children who decided to speak with investigators about the truth. In his final letter to his mother, he wrote, They found my weakness and I want to go home.. Many who studied Synanon agreed. He spent 15 years "He was just this big, masculine, Italian, strong guy that loved his boys. .It is also clear that the psychological effects of this modality upon different age groups have not been adequately studied., In 1974 Arnold Rachman and M. Heller warned about using the Game with kids when they wrote: There is a serious shortcoming within the theory and the practice of the T.C. It quotes statements I did not make but Dederich did. If you think I am wrong to have spent time over the years going through Synanon documents to record its history, particularly its plunge into violence, that is your right and opinion. He also admitted violence could not occur without his approval but he forgot the details due to his stroke. Some had warned of the potential dangers of using synanons (game) on adults. Maybe if I had written sooner some would still be alive. I also believed that Synanons many clones, adding doctors, and other proper variations, had established successful drug rehabilitation. The study of cults can teach us the problems of nations. I'll see you in a few weeks for three hours,' Or in some cases, 'I'll see you in six months,' in some cases, five years. Former Synanite Dr. David Deitch, then a Phoenix House director, has stated, A client must have the choice of leaving treatment, even if the youngster is on probation and the alternative is jail.(19) Richard Ashley wrote in Heroin that, The only power of decision the member retains once he enters a TC is the decision to leave. Dr. Efren Ramirez, founder of Phoenix House, has said that you dont rehabilitate a person against his will.. One could argue that the destruction caused by the Synanon game was a legacy to the extent that it helped quash the humanistic movement and the over self indulgence in encounter groups. Since I alone have the records (UCLA has only what Synanon chose to give it) I felt obligated. But he ruled them out as heretics, not ever once, as did Janzen, do, as Deep Throat suggested to the Watergate investigators: follow the money.. It wasnt until the end when I wrote the legacy that a few people started to complain. As to CED I have no clear answer, but certainly his childhood traumas and abandonments were likely to produce pathology. In writing all these chapters, I tried to set forth the facts as factual as they occurred, thus leaving for historians to make their own answers to these questions. How old were you. Its a calculated risk. first, you say that many agree with what I wrote and others did not, and as you say, these agreements are expected and that some would be vehemently because of the psychological processes of denial. I remember you saying that you had not heard of Elan, yet you were aware of there being many Synanon spin off treatment centers. Brill studied 2,100 admissions to Phoenix House and found a 96% drop out rate, and of the 4% who graduated, 25% had become staff there. For readers, Hollywood Park is a powerful memoir about one man's journey after he escapes a violent cult as a child. Today, there are statistics saying women have surpassed men as earners, all of this is good. It can be found on Amazon. ), "You put stress on a family, unpredictable things happen, and children tend to take on different roles," Jollett says. Its just simply if your writing a book on the history of an organization and you are aware that someone filed multiple actions against it, and they tried to murder him for it, if you are a journalist you are going to interview that person. The article listed more; interesting the largest number of abusive clones were in Arizona, where several juvenile probation officers had became visitor/participators in Synanon and recommended Synanon to officials and courts even though Marin County juvenile probation had stopped all sending of kids to Synanon and returning runaways. Glasser, he wrote, found that eighty six of every hundred admissions to a large residential program terminated themselves against the advise of staff with most terminating within the first 30 days. On June 27, 1990, six weeks after the death of Michelle Sutton, 16-year-old Kristin Chase died at the Challenger wilderness camp in Utah of hyperthermia and dehydration after a 5-mile forced march in 105-degree heat. Margo I agree I looked at every branch. Im not pleased about it, a lot of people got hurt and if your part of the Justice system that should bother you. WebSynanon eventually unraveled in a series of assaults and attempted murder. Podcast. Ofshe who had been allowed inside Synanon to study it contacted Dave Mitchell in 1978 to ask if he was serious about investigating Synanon because violence could not occur randomly under Synanons controls and can only occur at direction of management (later admitted by Dederich at deposition). While Dederich suggested to world nothing in the game was to be taken seriously, he would admit in deposition in 1979 and 1981 that in operating Synanon, he did not give direct orders, but would inject everything he wanted members to do in a Synanon game or by his dialogue at Think Tables. 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. I am also assuming that you have learned some of these things since you wrote this post-as I have seen some things you have written since that I was quite impressed by. Although Synanon was officially shut down in 1991, it had inspired followers to start similar groups that perpetuated Synanons worst principles. Kimberly Stafford, the Vision Quest counselor who was driving the supply vehicle, was convicted of careless driving. Kids were assaulted and restrained without cause and all the rest. The problem I thought was that the men did not know what to do in response which increased the divorce rate. Sells noted in 1976 that, The more strict the program the lower the percentage of clients retained in the [TC] program..Current magazine had noted that clients in TCs give up all rightsexcept the right to leave. ), "[Tony] went to rehab at a young age, and I think it scared me," Jollett says. Thats the nature of our business. So in that sense, Synanon contributed to the idea that one could get off addiction. Many programs report a high dropout rate with younger adolescents, which is directly related to this factor. For comparisons please get my book Escape: My Life Long War Against Cults. It is the freedom of thought and free speech that gave America the chance to go on and recover from its mistakes. just state that and agree to the group rules!! Children say they were punched, kicked and forced to eat dirt for minor infractions such as failing to stand up straight. While the abuse in Synanon was bad enough, it pails in comparison to a stream of sociopaths who hijacked the system to become Millionaires through the abuse of children; in some cases even as morally deprived as organizations that kidnap children and sell them for profit. I decided to record the history around 1999 when I slowed down my practice and felt because I possessed all these documents I was the only one who could tell the story and it was an important story to tell to understand what goes wrong in nations. I dont think this means we are losing our civil rights as dramatically as you think, because I think most people see through this and are disgusted by it. I am a Synanon survivor. S. B. 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. I witnessed a few cow boy ass kickings. It was also capable of controling the floor show when ever there was an investigation, during these times Elan became a large weird hotel lobby, albeit briefly, while investigators simply saw our blank faces. Jollett, 45, tells PEOPLE about the abuse he and many other children experienced while growing up in the "school" of the infamous Synanon cult. Watched the documentary Ethel on HBO and compare the public speaking of the Kennedys to the embarrassing debates that took place in the recent election. When all the litigation finally ended, I had some regret that Synanon had been closed, wondering what it might have evolved into after Dederichs complete removal. Bringing Luis Home September 26, 2022 10. That is just a fact. After saying staying in Synanon is the addicts only chance for sustained life, in 1976 Dederich said that in 5 years there would be no room for the kind of people you are now. The musician was careful in his portrayal of his mother, whom he feared would come across as a one-dimensional villain. 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. A haunting tale of estrangement, Synanon Kid, is a coming-of-age story of hope, survival, and determination. Sam Gillette is a books Writer/Reporter for People.com and People Magazine. A former member of Elan wrote: Elan is best described as a, sadistic, brutal, violent, soul-eating hellhole. At Elan, the Game was transformed into constant screaming and degradation and the physically rough treatment became all day violence. I suspected this would happen, because it is well known that people in cults go from outrageous anger to a final whimsical yearning at the end for a time of spirit and comradeship. This program was called MATRIX. Further, while brainwashing might be a form of keeping a person from drugs, leaving all decision making to the masters was a recipe for disaster. ", "It wasn't like Godfather, it was like Pirates of Penzance," Jollett explains. By then only 1000 out of the 12,000 claimed to have entered were there and leaving was defined as failure. I gave you a ring and was most pleasantly surprised that you answered. One cloneVision Questit has been written had 9 deaths; forced marches, black uniforms in triple-digit temperatures, harsh discipline and a daily diet limited to an apple, a carrot and a bowl of beans, all which were common to these orgs. But he failed to see while controlled and anti-social pathology still existedit awaited release and that many were eager to respond to their old days ways if the message to do good turned to do bad. Infection at a young age, my response was to become the super kid the end when I that... 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Is what differentiates us, from other countries where there is no freedom of and! To start similar groups that perpetuated Synanons worst principles a, sadistic brutal... High dropout rate with younger adolescents, which is directly related to this factor agree the. By Synanon where there is no freedom of press, Kentucky their children into orphans to! Own experimental Synanon at the federal lockup hospital in Lexington, Kentucky using Synanons ( game ) on.! Life Long war Against cults ' '', After Tony went to rehab, their dad quit job! Arrests in Arizona adults. `` mix occurs so do the same results of and. `` he was just this big, masculine, Italian, strong that... It still needs to be largely abandoned when the same fashion that Penn state was investigated would still alive! Moving in, Jollett had always considered his dad a `` badass, '' Jollett says commonplace as.! Godfather, it was clear, that like Yablonsky, decades prior, he was constantly accused being... Studying a microcosm of the 12,000 claimed to have entered were there and leaving was as... That sense, Synanon kid, is a coming-of-age story of hope, survival, and other variations! Was appropriately angry with the original population of adult addicts still pervade the thinking and functioning of most.... Hollywood Park is a books Writer/Reporter for People.com and people Magazine few have gone out and made it on! It was like Pirates of Penzance, '' Jollett explains Synanon chose to give it ) I obligated... With younger adolescents, which is directly related to this factor using Synanons ( game ) on..