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SYNANON AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS IT INSPIRED
SYNANON AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS IT INSPIRED
The abuse in the Troubled Teen Industry can be traced back to the cult of Synanon. Started by Charles Dederich in 1958 in Santa Monica, California, Synanon was the first entirely self-help drug rehabilitation program. Dederich did not want his patients to ask “why.” He wanted them to trust in what he told them. This is a common abuse tactic used frequently in treatment programs nowadays. Synanon was given government permission to practice their unconventional techniques to “help” addicts recover from addiction. Even after Synanon got shut down, their techniques continued to be applied in different programs, like the Seed and Straight Inc, even up to this day.
ATTACK THERAPY
ATTACK THERAPY
One of the most influential developments that came out of this cult was the introduction of “The Game.” In Dederich’s Game, in which members would be forced to take part (punishment was administered if you refused). This was seen as the beginnings of attack therapy, which is a treatment approach that emphasizes extreme confrontation of a patient in order to address problematic or dysfunctional behaviors and self-esteem issues. This negative feedback is ideally used as motivation for the client to change their behavior. In attack therapy, verbal abuse, humiliation, shame, and demoralizing techniques are used. In The Game, members were encouraged to reveal their worst secrets, they were encouraged to admit anything, even confess to crimes they never actually committed. Other members would then scream and insult them back. The game was used as a way to lay out everything that bothered you about others in the group. It was supposed to help you learn about yourself as well. There were no established rules, except no physical violence, vulgarity was encouraged.
"The first time it hits you, it absolutely destroys you, no matter how loud you scream, they can scream louder, and no matter how long you talk, when you run out of breath they’re there to start raving again at you.”
"The first time it hits you, it absolutely destroys you, no matter how loud you scream, they can scream louder, and no matter how long you talk, when you run out of breath they’re there to start raving again at you.”
THE WAR ON DRUGS
THE WAR ON DRUGS
The War on Drugs had an immense impact on the Troubled Teen Industry, and it was able to greatly grow in popularity during this time. During Ronald Reagan's presidency, the government and media sensationalized and misrepresented drug addiction (especially in communities of color), causing a lot of fear and panic. This led to a lot of support for Reagan's mission and helped create programs like Straight Inc. that claimed to help troubled teens. These programs were backed by conservative figures who wanted to teach traditional values to young people and keep them out of prison.
Straight Inc. faced controversy for abuse, neglect, and wrongful imprisonment. It was widely criticized for its abusive practices, including allegations of kidnapping, malpractice, negligence, violations of laws and regulations, false imprisonment, assault, and restrictive diets. Despite this, it continued to receive support from the government because of donations to George H.W. Bush's presidential campaign in 1988. By 1990, over 50,000 teens had gone through Straight programs, making over $10 million annually, but allegations of abuse in all its programs were ignored due to Reagan and Bush's support for the program. Nancy Reagan even endorsed Straight Inc. as her favorite youth rehabilitation program. These programs became popular options for parents who felt as if they didn't have many alternatives.
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