Valentine's Day: A Glimpse Into The Genesis of CVU
Eleven years ago today I put my daughter and only child on a plane bound for Castlewood. In her four or five months there she came to falsely believe / “remember” an entire lifetime of torture, rape, molestation, and abuse. Falsely accusing loved ones, family members, acquaintances, and even people who never existed at all. Worst of all, she falsely accused me, her Dad. Eleven years ago today was the last time I saw my only child. Mr. Depression can have limitless strength and power over a person. Believe me, Mr. Depression and I went to war. He was one damn tough opponent too. He was winning for a time. He knew I felt powerless and alone. He saw that I was falsely accused of harming the person who I loved more than anyone in the world. Mr. Depression stood over me, breathing down my neck, controlling my hand as I wrote that final goodbye note in my office, at my desk. I apologized to my wife for the exit plan I was about to enact. I apologized to my daughter for sending her to Castlewood. I told her not to blame herself for my choice to leave this world. I told her how much I loved her, and would never hurt her. But the sadness was just too painful for me. I had heard over the years that severe acute depression can feel almost physical. I know now that is not some myth. Mr. Depression was slamming hammers into my head and body. He was twisting my insides into knots that caused uncontrolled vomiting. I just couldn’t go through this pain for another minute. I was done. Mr. Depression had completely taken me over. He knew my affairs were in order. He helped me write my goodbyes and seal that envelope. Finally, he had about six pounds of pressure on the seven-pound trigger of the .38 cal S&W pistol that was in my mouth. I remember taking one deep breath, increasing the trigger pressure, gently closing my eyes, and looking forward to saying goodbye to Mr. Depression and the agony he endlessly assaulted me with. I wish I could say I had some stellar revelation moment. I’m here today writing this, so you all can guess that my finger pressure didn’t cross the seven-pound mark. Honestly, I don’t know or remember what happened. I wasn’t drinking or on any kind of drugs. I just remember waking up in my chair, with my head on the desk. I had holstered my weapon. But I do not remember doing that. My note was there. I read it on Valentine’s Day every year. But Mr. Depression wasn’t there. He had left the room. I got scared! Seriously, this was weirding me out. I felt the back of my head. It was dry. I looked around for blood, there was none. I grabbed my revolver out of its holster, opened the cylinder, and spun it. All five rounds were still there. I remember thinking that proverbial phrase to myself. I thought, “Shit Bobby, ya dodged that bullet!” Then that thought made a tiny laugh come out. Just a quick single-syllable quiet laugh. Something Mr. Depression told me I’d never be able to do again. It felt good.
I looked around my office. I wanted to absorb and immerse myself in what had transpired there. I wanted to burn that place and time, those feelings into my memory. Mr. Depression and I had come to within a few milligrams finger pressure of ventilating my own skull and me ceasing to exist. Something stopped me. I don’t know what, but I remember feeling glad! I remember feeling glad as I pulled that office door closed. I don’t know why, but I pulled that door closed extra hard. Then quickly walked down the stairs onto the street. I wanted to get home to my wife. I had something I needed to bounce off her. My thoughts were scrambled. But I wanted to tell Irene she needed to help me. She had to help me somehow save other Dads from what happened to me in that office upstairs. She had to help me warn people. Jesus Christ, I didn’t even know what to warn people of back then. All I knew was I was so hurt and so wronged by Castlewood. I needed Irene to help me assemble and organize all these thoughts. What actually happened to me. How I was wronged. Then how I could prevent other families from experiencing the feelings I had upstairs in my office a few minutes prior. After a few days and endless hours of talking, Irene and I opened the online support forum in “Yahoo-Groups” (remember those?) called CASTLEWOOD VICTIMS UNITE. I’ve grown this supportive presence with Irene for over a decade now. Since somehow kicking Mr. Depression out of my office that day we’ve helped many people avoid Castlewood. We’ve helped many who were damaged there. Over the past decade, CVU has been instrumental in so much concerning Alsana/Castlewood. Let me name some stuff for you: Drawing attention to the MANY people and families victimized by the therapists and staff at Castlewood. Endlessly encouraging mainstream media to expose and report on the horrors of Alsana Castlewood. Having the founders of Castlewood, Mark Schwartz and Lori Galperin REMOVED from their positions at Castlewood. Tossed out in shame, humiliation, and complete disgrace. https://www.castlewoodvictimsunite.org/single-post/2013/05/25/mark-schwartz-accused-of-malpractice-removed-from-castlewood-clinic-staff Terminating Mark Schwartz’s license to practice in the state of Missouri. https://www.castlewoodvictimsunite.org/single-post/2017/10/06/mark-schwartz-loses-license-to-practice-psychology-in-mo Causing other evil Castlewood rats like Nancy Albus, Dick Schwartz, Mike Riechtien, Jim Gerber, and more to scatter and hide. Reducing their ability to harm others. Having parent company Trinity-Hunt unload Castlewood in order to protect themselves from all the liability and dark exposure that place causes. https://www.castlewoodvictimsunite.org/single-post/2017/01/13/trinity-hunt-sells-castlewood-treatment-center Forcing Castlewood to even try changing its name. In a failed attempt to hide from its own awful harmful deeds. https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/castlewood-eating-disorder-center-changes-name-following-malpractice-lawsuits/article_0472d487-aaff-54e3-bbcf-09d3fca48f94.html#1 Publicizing that even after running to California, Mark Schwartz disgraces himself further through unethical practices.
shining a bright light on therapists who have a documented history of inappropriate relationships and even sexual relationships with their clients.
https://www.castlewoodvictimsunite.org/single-post/2018/07/16/alsana-aka-castlewood-treatment-center-ignores-crime-and-fraud-in-the-mental-health-ind
Exposing Alsana Castlewood’s unethical vetting and hiring practices. https://www.castlewoodvictimsunite.org/single-post/alsana-psychiatrist-guilty-of-practicing-without-a-license-shocker
Exposing that the cultist unethical operations of Alsana Castlewood run so deep that therapists there actually MARRY their own patients. With the wedding ceremony being officiated and attended by Alsana Castlewood therapists and staff! https://www.facebook.com/alsana.castlewood.victims (you may have to scroll down the page to find this post)
Exposing cases of sociopathic abuse committed by unlicensed, untrained, and unsupervised Alsana “therapists” against patients. https://www.castlewoodvictimsunite.org/single-post/lawsuit-7-jane-doe-vs-alana-castlewood-2022
Exposing patient privacy violations at Alsana https://www.castlewoodvictimsunite.org/single-post/hipaa-violations-at-alsana-castlewood
Exposing endless lies from top Castlewood staff. Even high-profile Castlewood therapists like Dick Schwartz, founder of IFS falsely claimed they never worked at Castlewood https://www.castlewoodvictimsunite.org/single-post/internal-family-systems-ifs-founder-now-claims-schwartz-castlewood-misused-therapy-model
Exposing Alsana Castlewood insurance fraud investigations https://www.castlewoodvictimsunite.org/single-post/2017/10/02/insurance-fraud-at-castlewood-treatment-center
Causing the top administration of Alsana Castlewood to halt all new admissions and go into lockdown damage control mode. As a direct result of CVU’s constant unrelenting pressure and negative exposure. https://www.castlewoodvictimsunite.org/single-post/all-hell-breaking-loose-at-alsana-castlewood-st-louis
I lost my only child to Castlewood eleven years ago today, Valentine’s Day. It’s been over a decade since that sad dark day slugging it out with Mr. Depression in my office. Pulling that office door shut hard and tight back then enabled me to learn two life-altering things. First, no matter how desperate, depressed, and hopeless you feel, you are on this Earth for a reason. Leaving it is NOT an option. Then in my case, I am here to make sure I do everything I can every day of my life to ensure nobody ever feels the way I did sitting at my office desk that day.
I am glad I won that war with Mr. Depression. I am glad I pulled that door shut hard. It’s been so difficult hearing the struggles and pain Alsana Castlewood causes all these years. But I won’t stop. I'm here on this Earth today to save as many families as I can from Alsana Castlewood, and my old foe Mr. Depression.
Irene and I at CVU are here for you. If you’ve been hurt at Alsana directly as a patient or indirectly as a family member please reach out to us. Don’t sit alone in a room with Mr. Depression. Trust me on that. I barely made it out. Reach out to us and we will face him together as a team. You deserve better than what he inflicts on you. We will pull YOUR door to that room he’s in shut, hard and tight, together. I did it and so can you. Then, we will find ways for you to get the justice you’ve earned through your pain.
May Valentine’s Day always be a wonderful day for you.
Bobby
Co-Founder of CVU
(845) 591-4823 call or text 24/7/365
castlewoodvictimsunite@yahoo.com
