Concept information
Preferred term
synanon
Definition
- Synanon was an experimental addiction treatment community that morphed into a religious commune under the charismatic leadership of founder Charles “Chuck” Edwin Dederich, a former member of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) who crafted his own program to maintain sobriety through “aggressive therapeutic peer support.” This project began in early 1958 when Dederich first organized “free association” seminars that encouraged participants to take turns verbally attacking one another. Individuals were encouraged in this manner to “break down” and confess wrongdoings committed under the influence of alcohol and other drugs. [Source: The SAGE Encyclopedia of Alcohol: Social, Cultural, and Historical Perspectives; Synanon]
Belongs to group
URI
https://concepts.sagepub.com/social-science/concept/synanon
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