Dear Werner and Greet
Welcome to the list. I see that Alphonse has already responded to your request and I note that you have sent me a similar request "off-list". You probably know that the expertise of the majority of people on this list is with drug-free therapeutic communities for people with addiction problems. There is in fact another list which you might find helpful which is mainly members interested in TCs for mental illness and personality disorder. That list is called Therapeutic Communities - Open Forum and I have included their URL at the foot of this message.
There are a number of TCs which might cater for the type of problem which you describe in relation to your son.
In Scotland there is a quiet and supportive TC for adolescents and young adults closely associated with the Samye Ling Buddist Centre:
http://www.lothlorien.tc/
A similar community in England (though with a Christian basis to their approach) is the Community of St. Antony & St. Elias:
http://www.comae.org.uk/default.asp
There is also a non-denominational TC called Elsenham in England; though I have no additional information about this TC other than that it accepts referrals from outside the National Health Serive and that it's area of expertise appears to cover the problems your son is experriencing:
http://www.elsenhamhouse.co.uk/
As I have said, my expertise - and that of most of the people on this list is in the area of drugs and addiction. You might well get a more detailed, more informed response from the TC-OF list:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TC-OF/
Rowdy Yates
Senior Research Fellow
Scottish Addiction Studies
Dept. of Applied Social Science
University of Stirling
Scotland
T: +44 (0) 1786-467737
F: +44 (0) 1786-466299
W: http://www.dass.stir.ac.uk/sections/showsection.php?id=4 (home)
W: http://www.drugslibrary.stir.ac.uk/ (online library)
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From: Therapeutic Communities [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Greet Van de Velde [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 25 January 2009 10:43
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [EFTC] FW: question about TC possiblilities for our 25 year old son.
Dear,
I am writing to you from Gent in Belgium and I have a question for you:
We have a 25 year old son Peter who recently decided to give up his university-studies in applied economics while he was in his last year.
He is currently consulting a psychologist, who has informed us that he believes that Peter has a dependence personality disorder (I hope that my translation makes any sense to you…). It is probably not easy to come to a sharp diagnosis, because Peter has , from his birth,
a medical problem : hypopituitarism and consequently receives substitution treatment with glucocorticoids, genotonorm,sustanon,elthyrone.
He is very much addicted to food, particulary sugar, chocolates… he is obese and his health is in danger.
He has always been treated by an endocrinologist in a university hospital, Leuven, Groningen(NL) and Ghent.
End of January, Peter has an appointment with a neuro-psychiatrist, Dr.E.Thiery.
Peter does not manage to take any responsibility for his life and has according to his psychologist the maturity of a 10 year old. He relies entirely on us, his parents, but we have very limited success in guiding him.
Although he has good contact-skills, he is socially not interested. He “fills” his life with computer games and other banalities.
His psychologist (Marc Beernaert) believes that drastic change is needed in his life to prevent Peter from turning into a person which will be barely capable of working, while he becomes even more dependable on others to take care of him, living completely isolated, causing frustration and disappointment for himself and his surroundings.
Mr. Marc Beernaert believes that it is necessary to separate Peter for a longer period from his parents in order to guide him towards more independence. He believes that it would be good for Peter to participate (abroad) in a therapeutic community for young adults(without drug or alcohol)problems with mild personality disorders, where he is helped in the development of his personality, with attention for organising his life and work.
May we kindly ask you to give us some guidance in this world of therapeutic communities which is completely unknown to us, and to advise us if you believe that there could be a good solute for the above suggested approach somewhere in europe.(Peter speaks and understands English and French quite well , dutch is our mothertongue)
We are quite willing to travel (also with Peter) to discuss things more deeply if you think there is a way forward within your sight of possibilities.
We would be most obliged if you would be so kind as to giving us some advice, and we are keenly awaiting your response.
Kind regards
Werner and Greet Krott – Van de Velde
Eenbeekstraat 5
9070Destelbergen
Belgium
Tel : +32 477 70 18 84
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