Comments on: Witchcraft Isn’t a Warning Sign http://www.patheos.com/blogs/wildhunt/2008/09/witchcraft-isnt-warning-sign.html A modern Pagan perspective Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:46:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Josh Ninetythree Sands http://www.patheos.com/blogs/wildhunt/2008/09/witchcraft-isnt-warning-sign.html#comment-25440 Josh Ninetythree Sands Mon, 15 Aug 2011 02:11:00 +0000 http://patheos.com/blogs/wildhunt/2008/09/witchcraft-isnt-a-warning-sign.html#comment-25440 This is an excellent article, but I'd like to point out that there really aren't any "good" residential programs out there. I was at one when I was a child (partially due to my interest in paganism, no less), but even though the staff claimed that it was a "state of the art resort", I was constantly abused emotionally and occasionally abused physically. The staff there were extremely homophobic (my best friend was forced into a "silent treatment" program because he was gay and wouldn't keep silent about his sexual orientation; he was also mocked and referred to by various homophobic slurs), at times, violent (which they got away with by claiming "self-defense") and downright hateful (another child in the unit had down syndrome; his irregular speech and odd body movements were oft-mocked by staff members). Scariest part is, my story is a lot less horrific than many of the others I've heard from friends who have been to different places. I've honestly never heard of an entirely non-abusive residential treatment center, and I can't recommend them. RTCs should be reserved only for violent individuals who have no other means of treatment without harming others. This is an excellent article, but I’d like to point out that there really aren’t any “good” residential programs out there. I was at one when I was a child (partially due to my interest in paganism, no less), but even though the staff claimed that it was a “state of the art resort”, I was constantly abused emotionally and occasionally abused physically. The staff there were extremely homophobic (my best friend was forced into a “silent treatment” program because he was gay and wouldn’t keep silent about his sexual orientation; he was also mocked and referred to by various homophobic slurs), at times, violent (which they got away with by claiming “self-defense”) and downright hateful (another child in the unit had down syndrome; his irregular speech and odd body movements were oft-mocked by staff members).

Scariest part is, my story is a lot less horrific than many of the others I’ve heard from friends who have been to different places. I’ve honestly never heard of an entirely non-abusive residential treatment center, and I can’t recommend them. RTCs should be reserved only for violent individuals who have no other means of treatment without harming others.

]]> By: The Wild Hunt » One Of These Things is Not Like the Others… http://www.patheos.com/blogs/wildhunt/2008/09/witchcraft-isnt-warning-sign.html#comment-2559 The Wild Hunt » One Of These Things is Not Like the Others… Fri, 30 Jan 2009 16:06:59 +0000 http://patheos.com/blogs/wildhunt/2008/09/witchcraft-isnt-a-warning-sign.html#comment-2559 [...] that leads to kids getting institutionalized and punished for simply believing differently. Wicca isn’t a warning sign, and it isn’t a form of self-abuse like cutting or drug-use. Dean also continually uses [...] [...] that leads to kids getting institutionalized and punished for simply believing differently. Wicca isn’t a warning sign, and it isn’t a form of self-abuse like cutting or drug-use. Dean also continually uses [...]

]]>