What if the very institutions meant to rehabilitate and guide are the ones causing the most harm? Amidst egregious human rights abuses - mass sterilizations, institutionalized child abuse, violent threats and assaults on its critics - Synanon continues to get recognition from community leaders and tax dollars throughout most of the 1970s. What’s more shocking than that? Its many abusive practices are still very much alive today in the in the troubled teen industry.

But there are actions you can take to help change that. Visit stopinstitutionalchildabuse.com and unsilenced.org for resources and how you can help.

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📷 Instagram: instagram.com/darkcitypod
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👤 Facebook: facebook.com/darkcitypod
🌎 Website: www.darkcitypodcast.com
✉️ Email: info@darkcitypodcast.com

Our top sources for this episode include:
-Katherine, Kubler (Director/Executive Producer). (2024). The Program: Cons, Cults, and Kidnapping. https://www.netflix.com/title/81579761
-The Sunshine Place (2022). [Audio podcast]. Executive Produced by Robert Downey Jr., Susan Downey, and Emily Barclay Ford for Team Downey, together with Josh McLaughlin for Wink Pictures. https://www.audacy.com/podcast/all.
-Janzen, R. (2001). The Rise and Fall of Synanon: A California Utopia. Johns Hopkins University Press.
-That’s So Fcked Up (2024, April 17). TRENDING TOPIC: Synanon- Drug Rehab Turned Dangerous Cult [Audio podcast episode]. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thats-so-fcked-up/id1508752329?i=1000652758034

👏 Special thanks to our talented partners:
Paolo Sbrighi for Musical Composition (instagram.com/paulosbrighi/)
Mario Cintra for Logo Design (instagram.com/alacarala/)

How does a group once celebrated for its success treating heroin addicts become a violent cult? Founded in 1958 by Charles "Chuck" Diederich, Synanon initially presented itself as an innovative and promising program for those struggling with addiction. However, beneath its acclaimed exterior lay a deeply flawed foundation. Despite praise from the media and endorsements from prominent figures - including one of the most influential psychologists of the 20th century - Synanon was always rotten at the core. You’ll be shocked by the methods Synanon used to treat drug addiction, all while enjoying public recognition.

Follow us for episode photos and more at:
📷 Instagram: instagram.com/darkcitypod
🪡 Threads: https://www.threads.net/@darkcitypod
👤 Facebook: facebook.com/darkcitypod
🌎 Website: www.darkcitypodcast.com
✉️ Email: info@darkcitypodcast.com

Our top sources for this episode include:
-Katherine, Kubler (Director/Executive Producer). (2024). The Program: Cons, Cults, and Kidnapping. https://www.netflix.com/title/81579761
-The Sunshine Place (2022). [Audio podcast]. Executive Produced by Robert Downey Jr., Susan Downey, and Emily Barclay Ford for Team Downey, together with Josh McLaughlin for Wink Pictures. https://www.audacy.com/podcast/all.
-Janzen, R. (2001). The Rise and Fall of Synanon: A California Utopia. Johns Hopkins University Press.
-That’s So Fcked Up (2024, April 17). TRENDING TOPIC: Synanon- Drug Rehab Turned Dangerous Cult [Audio podcast episode]. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thats-so-fcked-up/id1508752329?i=1000652758034

👏 Special thanks to our talented partners:
Paolo Sbrighi for Musical Composition (instagram.com/paulosbrighi/)
Mario Cintra for Logo Design (instagram.com/alacarala/)

Unlimited champagne at brunch and unlimited ghostly encounters at night. We are diving (sorry for the super cheesy pun) into the Queen Mary's history: from its glamorous heyday as a floating palace to its secretive role during World War II to the restless spirits and scents that still haunt the ship today.

Thank you so much for tuning in! We would be so grateful if you could leave us a rating and share the show with friends and family who might enjoy it.

Follow us for episode photos and more at:
📷 Instagram: instagram.com/darkcitypod
🪡 Threads: https://www.threads.net/@darkcitypod
👤 Facebook: facebook.com/darkcitypod
🌎 Website: www.darkcitypodcast.com
✉️ Email: info@darkcitypodcast.com

Top Sources for this Episode Include:
Strickland, N. (2024). Haunted queen of the seas: The living legend of the RMS Queen Mary (4th ed.). KayliMax Books.
Ellery, D. (2021). RMS Queen Mary: 101 questions & answers about the great transatlantic liner. Bloomsbury Publishing PLC.
Cosgrove-Meurer Productions. (1988). The unexplained: Queen Mary (Season 1, Episode 4) [TV series episode]. In Unsolved Mysteries.
The Queen Mary: Greatest ocean liner. (2016). [Film]. Prime Video.

👏 Special thanks to our talented partners:
Paolo Sbrighi for Musical Composition (instagram.com/paulosbrighi/)
Mario Cintra for Logo Design (instagram.com/alacarala/)