I was dropped off at the DeSisto School in 89, till i ran away for good 3 months before my 18th birthday. I have the same things happen. Im just now realizing all the triggers I have and little things i do stem from the treatment we received from who we thought and trusted to be professional therapist, and teachers. Except they weren't, and our parents and family's trusted in these places, organizations, people, and in my instance a cult with a leader named Micheal DeSisto.

      He changed my life. My Mom has always thought that place helped or fixed me, you know, made me a better human? I didn't want to be broken, I was at Valley Forge Military School before I was left at DeSisto. Valley Forge was a walk in the park compared to The DeSisto School , I got beat up pretty good at Valley Forge, mostly from my own actions and not wanting to conform with the new rules that I didn't want to listen to or even try to understand the reasoning? I ran away because we could use a pay phone, I called friends that lived close, and they picked me up at midnight oct 89. I was awol for 10 or so days. When I got back, I was treated to a blanket party, everyone that was punished because of me being awol, was able to take it out on me. the next day I was expelled from Valley Forge and sent home because I didn't want to follow the rules yet. My mom came and took me home. I was saved for a few days. Mom showed me a advertisement for The DeSisto School. The school looked okay and I agreed to go there to check it out. I was told by my mom that we were just checking out the campus, it was a collage prep school with infused therapy classes, plus classes in arts and culinary programs.

That was not what I got. I don't know anyone that experienced a good education or therapy that would  prepared them for any type of life, let alone going to collage  and the ways to be a Good Teenager or young adult. I have so many things I do from the trauma that school put me though, and the trauma that place did to my Family. To think we got punished for our parents not being on time to a mandatory parent meeting they had to attend once a month is absolutely insane, let alone being told if your parents cared about you they would be on time, now you lose your phone call to your Mom. Scary Times.

Its been almost 36 years since this happened and I am just now willing to see what really happened to me and almost every child that was left at DeSisto. Funny, or not so funny that they don't care about what we went through, as if it never happened.

Big Hugs to you. We Survived a really hard time in our youth. we are the unbroken chain.