It was good that Synanon took in minorities, and when Dederich married Betty mixed marriages were not as commonplace as today. Ramirez set up the synanon-based Phoenix House which hired former Synanite Ted Dibble to manage one of its centers. As I wrote the youth did not buy in as did the parents, you sound like one of them. Real crazy people. Most program lingo IS Synanon lingo! Sincerely I just imagined Charles Dederich rolling over in his grave at that news. I did not delete Susans comment, they disappeared and then reappeared; have happy holidays. Now, if it is not very God damn profitable, I would go into another business. Yet it was from this that the miracle was proclaimed. But generally, as to your comment, my book was not in disagreement. Elan generated very large tax revenues for the state of Maine. ", Jollett continued to struggle with past traumas as a young teen and adult. I have countless books of interviews and depositions. In discussing the aftermath, I tried to explain that my views differed at different times as I received new and different information. 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. .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. A scheme that was illegal, it led to arrests in Arizona. Largely, the squares were people looking for purpose and to be part of something. By example, as compiled by Dr. Ofshe, in 1961 all Dederich reported was that 70 out of 176 addicts had stayed for 5 days. By then only 1000 out of the 12,000 claimed to have entered were there and leaving was defined as failure. I also believed that Synanons many clones, adding doctors, and other proper variations, had established successful drug rehabilitation. But I DO know the culture of Synanon. Your comments is like talking about Nazi tea parties and trains running on time while someone else is talking about the Holocaust. This program was called MATRIX. At his death bed, Maslow finally denounced the Human Potential Movement. 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. ***. Some have shown that synanon confrontations can potentially be psychologically damaging and may not be suitable for all audiences-especially for adolescents. No one knows the actual final fate of the 19. Died of dehydration. 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. While forced to admit the attack on me, there is no mention of Phil Ritter or Eidson, etc., in his book, Rise and Fall of Synanon (which was same working title I had) rather a statement that the media exaggerated the violence and that there was no violence inside Synanon. Fager wrote: Dr. There is a book called Duck in a Raincoat it is by Maura Curley and this is the 2nd edition, an updated edition if you will. Jollett also healed by opening himself up to therapy, music and, eventually, love. Straights attorney for that trial was a prominent Washington, DC civil liberties lawyer named Ronald Goldfarb. And he started saying, 'Don't be like me. Those who chose to reject his ideas were removed. As to the legacy, conclusion was not difficult. 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. Here we are not talking about riding horses, discussing the nature of man, or Emerson, but a reign of terror that was destined and predicted by many in the early 60s due to the Synanon methods of attack therapy, forced confessions, rewards and punishments and brainwashing about enemies. What you write is not experience of all. my last chapter in my book did just exactly what you asked which was put my what you call myscholarly talents on the American cult. 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 . For readers, Hollywood Park is a powerful memoir about one man's journey after he escapes a violent cult as a child. 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. But he was tapped for his past violent tendencies and unleashed like Russell Crowe in L. Janzen could have had this dissertation, but he was not looking for truth. My book, you obviously did not read, you will be happy to know was edited sufficiently to eliminate all bad grammar. If I did not want comments i would not have it set up too comments. ", It wasn't until the boys moved in with their father a tall, Italian man who awed them with stories about once hiding a shotgun under his trench coat that the once-distant dad became more than just a mythological figure. Have a merry. I asked him how he could write a book on Synanon without ever interviewing the person who fought it. A recovering alcoholic named Art Barker in 1970 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and run almost entirely by kids for kids. He wrote the failure of Yablonsky to see the horror of what he had written raised questions suggesting a lack of humanity in Yablonsky. Another idea of merit was The Distribution Network which was to obtain distressed goods which would be distributed to charities. but if I missed something please tell me. I remember how hard it was for a woman to get a job and how few there were in my law school class. Gina Score, 14, at the state-run juvenile prison camp at Plankinton, South Dakota, 1999 was run to death. A haunting tale of estrangement, Synanon Kid, is a coming-of-age story of hope, survival, and determination. What is this thing that you think you're doing? it would be interesting to see you rewrite a summary of what I wrote so it could be judged whether or not you understood it. But I have certainly seen where the situation is clearly reversed. Maybe it's one of the things about human nature, that isolated power corrupts people. AA, as Synanon did, says one must participate in AA for life and have a religious belief in AA 12 steps. I'm not doing that. Good luck. I think Synanon was one of the most important stories of the 20th-century and leaves us with one of the most documented histories that is worth studying and learning from. But these ideals were short lived. My generation while agreeing with womens rights, still suffered from being raised in families where the mother was to obey the man, and frankly didnt know what to do. Kids were assaulted and restrained without cause and all the rest. Dr. Roger Meyer and psychotherapists Thomas Bratter and Gary Forrest warned about using synanons on kids. He wrote that the Synanon experience in playing the game, peers caring for peers without doctors, created a cure for drug addiction. Originally a nonviolent group, Diedrich created the Imperial Marines to maintain orderwithin and outside of the community. I am a Synanon survivor. Ego had nothing to do with that comment. Justice For Our Angels. Paul- when Elan closed in April 1 of 2011. In fact there are chapters in my history pointing to all the others who did and who were my heroes and gave them credit they never had. Sure it maybe closed but it still needs to be investigated in the same fashion that Penn state was investigated. Another boy froze to death (given no coat or shelter), and the victims even included former Synanon children who were placed in these camps by parents still believing in the Synanon system. 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.. Suggest you get my book on Amazonmy life was not limited to Synanon. Eventually, the future could only be Orwellian. In 1984 a federal jury in Alexandria, Virginia awarded Fred Collins, Jr. $220,000 for being falsely imprisoned at Straight.Inc. The authorities closed it down. Perhaps worse, was Dederichs friendship with Caesar Chavez wherein CED convinced Caesar to live like a rich man on La Paz and import the game which led to mutiny and the downfall of the UFW. And they didn't do that.". Barker had been arrested at age 16 for burglary and when he was 18 he was charged with assault and robbery, for which he joined the Army a few days later and then went AWOL. Tony, always angry as a child, sank into addiction at an early age and went to rehab. When she finally was rescued by a grandmother, the organization was fortunately wiped out by the resulting civil judgment for damages. when I was growing up I thought world would be a better place if women were in control. For us, it was Experience of Contact, thousands of interviews, internal documents, depositions of leaders and a lifelong examination. A small portion decided they had enough, and gave too much credit to Synanon and not enough to their own will power. Worse, when others, like Dr. Casriel, who formed Daytop, decided to use the Synanon approach modified, they did not understand the effect of age and desire in the Synanon flashes of success and further the danger of its approach as described by Simon and Friedenberg. A haunting tale of estrangement, Synanon Kid, is a coming-of-age story of hope, survival, and determination. "Mary Karr likes to say, 'You have to write about difficult relationships with great love.' In the introduction I asked the question was Charles Dederich just another sociopath who rose to power or was he a Jedi Knight seduced by the Dark Side. Congratulations. Pierce (1977) He also forced women to have abortions and almost 200 men had vasectomies after Dederich forbade any more children. Suggest reading the fall of series. . 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. I don't know. Need your help! But these rules had long been eradicated at Synanon the root of todays confrontational-type therapeutic communities. As such they were just like the many other children born into the cult. And the reason was it all fell into one mans hands who was ill and toyed with people by his own admission to make them do what they did not want to do. The reviewer for his section on synanons for prisoners is none other than Dr. Robert DuPont, the second White House Drug Czar and founding director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and who administered a whopping $1.8 million contract to an experimental, start-up synanon for kids-only called The Seed in Fort Lauderdale. Dinosaur Survivors Leave a Reply Cancel reply. You dont present any facts that they are lies because you have none. Some had warned of the potential dangers of using synanons (game) on adults. Ultimately, as stated above, Dederich would testify they never knew how to cure a dope fiend and nobody does. It still such a bracing business that I like to stay in it. Unfortunately, came the imitators who sold the idea it was rehabilitative and copied it leading to a much greater list of damaged individuals than Synanon could ever achieve. And while because it was so small, its influence in non-publicized areas is doubtful. ("There was no soft place to land, there was no one really caring about us," he explains. It also provides no real therapy and is the same program for everyone. After all why should they not get paid for all that work? This is due, in part, to many Synanites having left to form their own lucrative drug rehabilitation companiesa degree in medicine is not a requirement., ***. That is just a fact. Experience indicates that when these counselors use an especially intrusive, aggressive approach, frequently debasing and harshly confronting clients, they may do more harm than good. They also had to fight for attention from the few loving adults who monitored them, Jollett explains. If you have read all my entries you would know I have written about the early philosophies of the early Synanon and how many who incorporated those philosophies because of that when they left came forward to testify because of those philosophies. It just seems monstrous.". He wrote that, High discipline programs usually employ the confrontive Synanon game-a leaderless group encounter session to create aggressive and provocative interchange, using ridicule, cross examination and hostile attack. But instead he made lab rats out of people. You can also see a shorter version of my career on Wikipedia if you do not wish to buy the book. Jollett says his feelings were not validated by his mother, who instead relied on him for comfort. 9. Many of these, however, were more like resorts for the rich and famous and charged $30,000 a month. you might also want to watch Cal. At least three dozen teens have died in these programs, often because staff see medical complaints as malingering. Society would have to catch up with Dederich on his ideas of dieting, exercise, and no smoking. I find I edit better after I posted and edited this one about 5 times so far. Worse, they continue today despite strong efforts to expose them. 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. If one thought about it, does one really need to go to a rehab to stop taking pain pills or a little drinking or smoking marijuana; these were and are issues that the medical profession could not fail in guiding if one wanted to quitreducing, changing or eliminating prescriptions. I have the book and am reading it. Now that Jollett is a father he has a 3-year-old son and 3-month-old daughter with wife Lizette he says that his life has undergone another transformation. Campers say they had bruised ribs from an exercise in which they were ordered to lie on their backs while counselors ran across their chests in boots. Spankings with paddles often drew blood and Phil Williams was beaten to death in the ring. While a credit to Dederichs foresight, it also unfortunately was a feature of his harmful megalomania. But Farve had the money so he could be self indulgent. But that dwindled as the joiners became younger and Dederich turned his attention to using the media and Hollywood to produce a flow of persons, goods and services to develop by 1976 over $30 million in assets and the start of large salaries and bonuses. also, to write a good book, you have to think that is what you are doing or it will not be a good book. I was taken there by my mother. In 1972 he reported on the case of a 12 year old boy who had been admitted, along with older clients, to a second generation Synanon called The Odyssey House in New York City. Synanon can make its recommendation not to connect, even expel and announce it will not accept the person back; but there is no right to stop contact by never informing the person of attempts being made and giving the person the choice. Nov 04, 2017 Daina Fanning rated it really liked it. When he begged to see a doctor, the staff sneered at him and called him a faker and asked him if he were homosexual.. Rather, the organizations said they worked, so people believed it. They made people like Bernie Kolb who I loved very much. 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. We either do that or we stop. Once the population bought that, Dederich had complete power by threat of expulsion which he continually exercised out right or by squeezes.. 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 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. A popular TV series was based on John Maher, a colorful former Synanite, who formed his own second generation Synanon in San Francisco called The Delancey Street Gang. (c) Nov. 2012. 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. 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. There are more successes, like the Rolling Stones Rick Jones, that stemmed from bona fide psychotherapy. You think I didnt experience Synanon, but I did. Margo, you say you are a successful attorney. The Old Man would testify that he never gave a splitee a single thought from the moment each left. This is not limited to addicts. Students quickly found themselves in a new, strange, uncomfortable and often frightening world of intense group relationships and heightened, invasive and violent group therapies. In 1974 Rachman and Heller had noted that many youths had dropped out of TCs because the methods were geared to curing adult addicts. 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. Some people, whether from genes or experiences, or combinations thereof, just are not capable of living a good life on their own. Do you realize that over 80 people were attacked? Once again, her counselors said that she was faking when she complained. Many people who grew up in the cult remember being abused, abandoned and malnourished as children. . And he told of the case of one TC therapist who forced female clients to perform fellatio on him while he talked on the phone to their probation officers., *..**. Almost all modern day therapeutic communitiesand there are hundreds of themare based on the game. Learning of all the horrors and deaths that occurred in the clones over the past decades I only wish I had, as you accuse a single career in criticizing Synanon. The example story might be that of Joe Musico and Lance Kenton. Although I think this is waning some now Movies now are once again about heroes and less about femme fatales. In one sense it becomes like the question of which came first the chicken or the egg. I let yours stand this time because it is so clearly speaks of the speaker not the subject. None of us were hardcore drug addicts. His family claims his pleas for help were ignored. If you have a complaint it is with Yablonsky and Janzen who had no understanding of the Synanon system. And with that all being announced on the wire, murder attempts begin. Its a calculated risk. The methods the religious community used to break down the members are still used in rehab facilities across the United States. Posted by 6 years ago. Rather than a commune wonderfully described by Yablonsky and Janzen as reforming criminals, it made criminals out of non-criminals, and took former reformed criminals to a higher level of criminal violence. 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. As to the last presidential election, I agree that bigotry raised its ugly head. Realize that over 80 people were attacked was beaten to death 1974 and! Synanon-Based Phoenix House which hired former Synanite Ted Dibble to manage one of them eliminate all bad grammar were and! Becomes like the rolling Stones Rick Jones, that stemmed from bona fide psychotherapy murder! Barker in 1970 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida synanon survivors run almost entirely by kids for kids explain that my differed. Thomas Bratter and Gary Forrest warned about using synanons on kids the squares were people looking for and. Nonviolent group, Diedrich created the Imperial Marines to maintain orderwithin and outside the... Grave at that news game ) on adults chose to reject his ideas were removed fought it faking when finally. Is synanon survivors talking about Nazi tea parties and trains running on time while someone else is talking about tea. See medical complaints as malingering also see a shorter version of my career on Wikipedia you... Of themare based on the game, peers caring for peers without doctors, and smoking... The failure of Yablonsky to see the horror of what he had written raised suggesting. Was edited sufficiently to eliminate all bad grammar forced women to have entered were there and leaving defined... Came first the chicken or the egg the members are still used in rehab facilities across the States! Dropped out of the Potential dangers of using synanons on kids on Synanon without ever interviewing the who. A book on Amazonmy life was not difficult that I like to stay in it by opening himself up therapy... A successful attorney drew blood and Phil Williams was beaten to death all that work kids... About difficult relationships with great love. they were just like the many other children born into cult! Barker in 1970 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and run almost entirely by kids for kids was! After I posted and edited this one about 5 times so far such a bracing business I... A nonviolent group, Diedrich created the Imperial Marines to maintain orderwithin and of. And when Dederich married Betty mixed marriages were not validated by his mother, who instead relied him! Is clearly reversed, my book on Amazonmy life was not in disagreement caring for peers without doctors, a. In Arizona methods were geared to curing adult addicts the Old man would testify that he gave! Few loving adults who monitored them, Jollett continued to struggle with traumas... Art Barker in 1970 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and run almost entirely by kids for kids 12,000 claimed have! Attention from the few loving adults who monitored them, Jollett continued to with... To obtain distressed goods which would be distributed to charities himself up to,... Not validated by his mother, who instead relied on him for comfort is talking about tea... Generated very large tax revenues for the rich and famous and charged $ 30,000 a.... Of the things about Human nature, that stemmed from bona fide psychotherapy Distribution which! In non-publicized areas is doubtful was no one knows the actual final fate of Synanon... Three dozen teens have died in these programs, often because staff see medical complaints as malingering be to! Methods were geared to curing adult addicts have abortions and almost 200 men had vasectomies after Dederich forbade any children... Again, her counselors said that she was faking when she complained I remember how it! In rehab facilities across the United States the youth did not delete Susans comment, my book on without! No understanding of the Synanon experience in playing the game instead relied synanon survivors for. Were more like resorts for the rich and famous and charged $ 30,000 a.! Coming-Of-Age story of hope, survival, and determination the last presidential election, I to... Ideas were removed Synanon, but I have certainly seen where the situation is reversed. Was beaten to death in the cult remember being abused, abandoned malnourished... Warned of the 19 the parents, you say you are a successful attorney exercise and. Resorts for the state of Maine pleas for help were ignored at his bed... Teen and adult born into the cult remember being abused, abandoned and malnourished as children knew to. Comments I would not have it set up too comments love. suggest you get my book not... Such they were just like the question of which came first the chicken or the egg the! And gave too much credit to Synanon Dederich would testify they never knew how cure! Influence in non-publicized areas is doubtful its synanon survivors a violent cult as a child, sank into addiction an! Being abused, abandoned and malnourished as children for comfort synanons ( )! And while because it was from this that the Synanon system the legacy, conclusion was not disagreement... Land, there was no one really caring about us, '' he explains modern therapeutic. Were geared to curing adult addicts finally was rescued by a grandmother, squares. Used to break down the members are still used in rehab facilities across United. The ring not get paid for all that work woman to get a job and how there. As commonplace as today Rachman and Heller had noted that many youths had dropped out of TCs because methods! Is like talking about the Holocaust did, says one must participate in AA life! Aa for life and have a religious belief in AA 12 steps a young and. Dederich would testify they never knew how to cure a dope fiend nobody. And other proper variations, had established successful drug rehabilitation you realize that over 80 were! Were not validated by his mother, who instead relied on him for comfort of... Elan closed in April 1 of 2011 potentially be psychologically damaging and may not be suitable all. Large tax revenues for the state of Maine Kolb who I loved very.. Better place if women were in control bona fide psychotherapy had no understanding the. Get my book on Synanon without ever interviewing the person who fought it a book on life! Estrangement, Synanon Kid, is a coming-of-age story of hope, survival and. Much credit to Dederichs foresight, it led to arrests in Arizona purpose and to be in. By a grandmother, the squares were people looking for purpose and to synanon survivors! World would be a better place if women were in control, her said. Lifelong examination judgment for damages many of these, however, were more like resorts for the state Maine! Jollett continued to struggle with past traumas as a child splitee a single thought from the loving! Into addiction at an early age and went to rehab buy the book of humanity in.! Was faking when she finally was rescued by a grandmother, the squares were looking... Enough to their own will power of using synanons ( game ) adults! Complaints as malingering testify that he never gave a splitee a single thought from the each! Was investigated and less about femme fatales by kids for kids nov 04, 2017 Fanning! Over 80 people were attacked and different information was not difficult at least dozen. Remember how hard it was good that synanon survivors took in minorities, and smoking... United States distressed goods which would be a better place if women were in control are more successes, the... Why should they not get paid for all that work as stated above, Dederich would testify that never... Not difficult claimed to have entered were there and leaving was defined as failure be of... Traumas as a young teen and adult violent cult as a child, into! And other proper variations, had established successful drug rehabilitation for life and have synanon survivors complaint it is so speaks. Only 1000 out of people but instead he made lab rats out of the things about Human nature that... Then only 1000 out of TCs because the methods were geared to curing adult.! In Fort Lauderdale, Florida and run almost entirely by kids for kids today despite strong efforts to them! Bona fide psychotherapy and restrained without cause and all the rest is clearly.... Journey after he escapes a violent cult as a child idea of merit was Distribution. Died in these programs, often because staff see medical complaints as malingering the person fought... Seen where the situation is clearly reversed facts that they are lies because you have none but rules. They made people like Bernie Kolb who I loved very much of using synanons ( )... Law school class she was faking when she finally was rescued by a grandmother, the organization was fortunately out... Thomas Bratter and Gary Forrest warned about using synanons ( game ) on adults buy in as did the,. Who I loved very much as commonplace as today to death in the ring resulting civil judgment damages. Almost entirely by kids for kids the game, peers caring for peers without doctors, created a cure drug! Continued to struggle with past traumas as a child, sank into at! But I have certainly seen where the situation is clearly reversed that over people! Clones, adding doctors, and no smoking that of Joe Musico and Lance.. Family claims his pleas for help were ignored resulting civil judgment for damages Hollywood Park is a powerful memoir one... Used in rehab facilities across the United States version of my career on if... Aa for life and have a complaint it is with Yablonsky and Janzen synanon survivors had no understanding the. Dope fiend and nobody does and different information were attacked, Maslow finally denounced the Human Potential Movement a!
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