Synanon, the brainchild of Charles "Chuck" Dederich, began in 1958 as a storefront rehab serving heroin addicts. Synanon quickly grew, evolving into a complex system of businesses and egalitarian communal living led by Chuck and his wife, Betty. Over time, the therapies became increasingly extreme, devolving into paranoid behavior and cult-like mandates and culminating in charges of child abuse, assault, and even attempted murder.
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