Synanon: Two Views

I’m a 32-year-old woman who lived at Synanon between the ages of 9 and 17 (“Life After Synanon,” by Ted Rohrlich, March 29). My mother, a “square” with no substance problem herself, sent me and an older sister there because she was sold on the treatment and what Synanon stood for then.

Growing up in the hills of Northern California was a treat. I remember having a lot of fun. But there were definitely scary downsides. Having a shaved head was not something I liked one bit, but the pictures I have still make people laugh. I certainly didn’t like being away from my family, living in dorms, but one adjusts.

I look back on my childhood with pride.The bond I feel with those I grew up with there is unmatched. And as one friend who never lived there but knows a group of us said: “How could Synanon have been so bad if all of you turned out so great?”

Wendy Shanks

Valley Village

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For 10 years I have wondered how others my age have dealt with our Synanon “experience” (incarceration, I should say). What happened to those of us who, unlike the adults, were not there by choice? How are they after a life harsher than any boot camp, after having been abused verbally, physically and mentally?

For a long time there were only “puff” pieces on Synanon. But now the truth is emerging about what happened to the kids who had no control over their lives or their minds. I’ve spent a great deal of time evaluating what happened to me there and how to deal with it. Luckily, I’ve done so. I can only hope that the others have dealt with their pain.

Jill-Jill Miller

Santa Monica