Some people might want to be warned, is the word "triggering"?

[conuly]

First part of the story

Second part of the story

Frankly, the whole story is disgusting me, and I don't have any brainwashing in my past.

Comments

[spitefairy.livejournal.com]

I've read about Tranquility Bay before, it's some pretty sick stuff. Christ.

[conuly]

And it's not alone, either, that's the worst part of it. *sighs*

[rachelkachel]

Ugh. I can't imagine how any parent would really think that's good for a kid. It surprises me that it's actually legal.

There were a couple cases here in Utah a while ago, where kids died in some wilderness program intended to do the same thing...

[zarriq.livejournal.com]

It's not exactly legal in the U.S. or the U.K. That's why they put Tranquility Bay in Jamaica.

[deathchibi.livejournal.com]

Yeah, dad always threatened me with this sorta stuff, but I'm kinda glad for the half-assed parenting that involves spending as little money on me as possible.

[conuly]

I responded to everybody else, so I'm posting this for you not to feel left out. AND to get an even number of comments :)

[stejcruetekie.livejournal.com]

Mozingo has four sons, an insurance company, and is a good example of a typical Tranquility parent. Divorced from Josh's mother, busy, wealthy...

Messy divorce and remarriage are the norm among these parents.


I think I see the real problem right here...

[conuly]

What, that they divorce? I think the problem is that they have high expectations for their kids, very likely don't spend enough time with the kids, and would rather pay to get their problems dealt with than to actually work to solve the problems. Oh, and that they think abusive situations are a Good Thing OR simply can't be bothered to check out the real thing.

*sighs*

[marveen.livejournal.com]

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

I did some unbalanced things when I was a teenager myself, and I found the same answers being handed out as the anorexic girl. ('No one else is thinking about you, why do you think anyone notices you?') I never did drugs, but I self-mutilated and did the suicide-attempt thing.

The true irony is that both my teachers in high school and the peers of the anorexic girl are so close to the truth that it's painful to think about. The real freedom from the agonizing self-consciousness that leads to paranoia is to realize that yes, someone might be looking at you and disliking what they see, but so what? What does it matter what they think or say or do?

I learned to sheathe my soul in ice.

Yes, there is some damned heavy-handed brainwashing going on there. And it's incredible to me that any American court anywhere would support this kind of thing.

But on the other side of the coin, there is the wealthy Lindsay Cohen. She's almost nineteen, and thus as a legal adult could leave if she really wanted to. But that would mean giving up her moneyed lifestyle. (She states this in so many words. She's not afraid of losing her parents' love, only their financial support.)

As someone who moved out of my parents' house as soon as I had a job that would pay rent, I have very little sympathy for Ms. Cohen. She is literally giving up her liberty for security.

Re: *sighs*

[conuly]

But on the other side of the coin, there is the wealthy Lindsay Cohen. She's almost nineteen, and thus as a legal adult could leave if she really wanted to. But that would mean giving up her moneyed lifestyle. (She states this in so many words. She's not afraid of losing her parents' love, only their financial support.)

Maybe she can't afford to live on her own. You were lucky, you had a job. She doesn't, and if ALL she has is her parent's money, she's right to fear living on the streets. It's not an easy life, and after a few years in that place I might distrust my ability to support myself as well - it's a classic abusive pattern. You wear somebody down to the point that they're more scared of being alone than being with you.

[zarriq.livejournal.com]

Oh man. I've heard about that place before. Once, a girl committed suicide by jumping off the roof. Towels were used to clean up after the stain she left behind, towels that were not even washed before they were given back to the inmates. One kid ended up with blood and hair on his. Lovely.

There's some great information at this page (http://www.intrepidnetreporters.com/TeenHelp/teenhelp.html). Be sure to check out a mother's experience (http://www.intrepidnetreporters.com/TeenHelp/breaking.htm), in which a woman who enrolled her daughter into Tranquility Bay writes about why she did it and how the people who run those programs get parents to go along with them. It seems the directors of those programs brainwash and intimidate the parents about as much as they do the kids. It's really long, but a really good read that gives a lot of new perspective on the whole thing.

[malantha.livejournal.com]

'If I have kids, and they start giving me a problem, well they are going straight in the programme. If I had to, I'd pull the trigger without hesitation.'

i thought that was one of the most disturbing quotes in the article, especially his choice of words in the 2nd sentence. *shudder*

and by the way, "triggering" is the word if you're referring to the anorexic girl. but triggering also occurs with other things like self-mutilation so you may want to be more specific

[conuly]

and by the way, "triggering" is the word if you're referring to the anorexic girl. but triggering also occurs with other things like self-mutilation so you may want to be more specific

Here I was under the view that "triggering" meant anything that might induce a flashback of some sort. I could be more specific, but then I'd have a huge-ass title. So if you think there's any risk at all, don't click or ask for details first.

[unico-love.livejournal.com]

That's just... highly disturbing.

[staircase-wit.livejournal.com]

Cool thing it, it makes Scientology seem not-so-bad. I mean, I'm not going to pledge a million years with Sea Org, but as a person who's studdied how cults function, this seems to be very textbook.

[maladaptive.livejournal.com]

I don't have anything intelligent to say. Things like this are...

...are...

wait, here it comes.

How the HELL can you expect to "cure" people of behavioral issues? You can cure a bacterial infection, but psychology? Hell no. You can treat certain issues but behavioral has to be modified... and you don't do it with this kind of shit. Just ugh. UGH.

[conuly]

Actually, a lot of this, I'm told, is close to standard psychiatric practice. I'm not sure whether or not I believe that. I certainly don't want to.

[stexgirl2000.livejournal.com]

I've heard of these programs and read other reports and I'm still horrified and appalled.

Good parents can still have out of control kids, but what separates the bad from the good is that the parents hang in there and get the kind of help that helps them, the kid, and the other members of the family. They don't resort to brainwashing. This Tranquility place practices that, from the food to the levels, to the separation. For God's sake, I could rattle off the names of CULTS that do the same thing. Arggghh!

And, seeing the discussion on divorce, let me tell you, I know lots of people who have been fine (waves hand)after their parents split up and gets along great with parents and step-parents.

Being married does not equal happily ever after for kids. People who stay married and fight or are emotionally distant and are unhappy produce screwed up and out of control children too.

Humans are imperfect beings and there are lots of ways to fucked up children, no matter if the parents are together or divorced.

[spitefairy.livejournal.com]

I've read about Tranquility Bay before, it's some pretty sick stuff. Christ.

[conuly]

And it's not alone, either, that's the worst part of it. *sighs*

[rachelkachel]

Ugh. I can't imagine how any parent would really think that's good for a kid. It surprises me that it's actually legal.

There were a couple cases here in Utah a while ago, where kids died in some wilderness program intended to do the same thing...

[zarriq.livejournal.com]

It's not exactly legal in the U.S. or the U.K. That's why they put Tranquility Bay in Jamaica.

[deathchibi.livejournal.com]

Yeah, dad always threatened me with this sorta stuff, but I'm kinda glad for the half-assed parenting that involves spending as little money on me as possible.

[conuly]

I responded to everybody else, so I'm posting this for you not to feel left out. AND to get an even number of comments :)

[stejcruetekie.livejournal.com]

Mozingo has four sons, an insurance company, and is a good example of a typical Tranquility parent. Divorced from Josh's mother, busy, wealthy...

Messy divorce and remarriage are the norm among these parents.


I think I see the real problem right here...

[conuly]

What, that they divorce? I think the problem is that they have high expectations for their kids, very likely don't spend enough time with the kids, and would rather pay to get their problems dealt with than to actually work to solve the problems. Oh, and that they think abusive situations are a Good Thing OR simply can't be bothered to check out the real thing.

*sighs*

[marveen.livejournal.com]

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

I did some unbalanced things when I was a teenager myself, and I found the same answers being handed out as the anorexic girl. ('No one else is thinking about you, why do you think anyone notices you?') I never did drugs, but I self-mutilated and did the suicide-attempt thing.

The true irony is that both my teachers in high school and the peers of the anorexic girl are so close to the truth that it's painful to think about. The real freedom from the agonizing self-consciousness that leads to paranoia is to realize that yes, someone might be looking at you and disliking what they see, but so what? What does it matter what they think or say or do?

I learned to sheathe my soul in ice.

Yes, there is some damned heavy-handed brainwashing going on there. And it's incredible to me that any American court anywhere would support this kind of thing.

But on the other side of the coin, there is the wealthy Lindsay Cohen. She's almost nineteen, and thus as a legal adult could leave if she really wanted to. But that would mean giving up her moneyed lifestyle. (She states this in so many words. She's not afraid of losing her parents' love, only their financial support.)

As someone who moved out of my parents' house as soon as I had a job that would pay rent, I have very little sympathy for Ms. Cohen. She is literally giving up her liberty for security.

Re: *sighs*

[conuly]

But on the other side of the coin, there is the wealthy Lindsay Cohen. She's almost nineteen, and thus as a legal adult could leave if she really wanted to. But that would mean giving up her moneyed lifestyle. (She states this in so many words. She's not afraid of losing her parents' love, only their financial support.)

Maybe she can't afford to live on her own. You were lucky, you had a job. She doesn't, and if ALL she has is her parent's money, she's right to fear living on the streets. It's not an easy life, and after a few years in that place I might distrust my ability to support myself as well - it's a classic abusive pattern. You wear somebody down to the point that they're more scared of being alone than being with you.

[zarriq.livejournal.com]

Oh man. I've heard about that place before. Once, a girl committed suicide by jumping off the roof. Towels were used to clean up after the stain she left behind, towels that were not even washed before they were given back to the inmates. One kid ended up with blood and hair on his. Lovely.

There's some great information at this page (http://www.intrepidnetreporters.com/TeenHelp/teenhelp.html). Be sure to check out a mother's experience (http://www.intrepidnetreporters.com/TeenHelp/breaking.htm), in which a woman who enrolled her daughter into Tranquility Bay writes about why she did it and how the people who run those programs get parents to go along with them. It seems the directors of those programs brainwash and intimidate the parents about as much as they do the kids. It's really long, but a really good read that gives a lot of new perspective on the whole thing.

[malantha.livejournal.com]

'If I have kids, and they start giving me a problem, well they are going straight in the programme. If I had to, I'd pull the trigger without hesitation.'

i thought that was one of the most disturbing quotes in the article, especially his choice of words in the 2nd sentence. *shudder*

and by the way, "triggering" is the word if you're referring to the anorexic girl. but triggering also occurs with other things like self-mutilation so you may want to be more specific

[conuly]

and by the way, "triggering" is the word if you're referring to the anorexic girl. but triggering also occurs with other things like self-mutilation so you may want to be more specific

Here I was under the view that "triggering" meant anything that might induce a flashback of some sort. I could be more specific, but then I'd have a huge-ass title. So if you think there's any risk at all, don't click or ask for details first.

[unico-love.livejournal.com]

That's just... highly disturbing.

[staircase-wit.livejournal.com]

Cool thing it, it makes Scientology seem not-so-bad. I mean, I'm not going to pledge a million years with Sea Org, but as a person who's studdied how cults function, this seems to be very textbook.

[maladaptive.livejournal.com]

I don't have anything intelligent to say. Things like this are...

...are...

wait, here it comes.

How the HELL can you expect to "cure" people of behavioral issues? You can cure a bacterial infection, but psychology? Hell no. You can treat certain issues but behavioral has to be modified... and you don't do it with this kind of shit. Just ugh. UGH.

[conuly]

Actually, a lot of this, I'm told, is close to standard psychiatric practice. I'm not sure whether or not I believe that. I certainly don't want to.

[stexgirl2000.livejournal.com]

I've heard of these programs and read other reports and I'm still horrified and appalled.

Good parents can still have out of control kids, but what separates the bad from the good is that the parents hang in there and get the kind of help that helps them, the kid, and the other members of the family. They don't resort to brainwashing. This Tranquility place practices that, from the food to the levels, to the separation. For God's sake, I could rattle off the names of CULTS that do the same thing. Arggghh!

And, seeing the discussion on divorce, let me tell you, I know lots of people who have been fine (waves hand)after their parents split up and gets along great with parents and step-parents.

Being married does not equal happily ever after for kids. People who stay married and fight or are emotionally distant and are unhappy produce screwed up and out of control children too.

Humans are imperfect beings and there are lots of ways to fucked up children, no matter if the parents are together or divorced.