The Tunnel Back: Synanon; A Penetrating Look at Ex-Drug Addicts Who Help One Another Through Recovery Using Radical "Haircutting" Sessions

by Lewis Yablonsky

A penetrating look at a community of ex-drug addicts who help one another through the exhausting experience of withdrawal and rehabilitation by using radical “haircutting” sessions in which members of the community probe their problems with savage candor. Here are Synanon’s successes – a rehabilitation rate far higher than those of more “legitimate” agencies – as well as its failures. Here is a thoughtful and sympathetic analysis of Synanon’s unique, and widely misunderstood, theories about addiction and its the use of ex-addicts in weaning away narcotics users, the lifelong effects of addiction and the resultant need for a supportive environment. Here, too, is the troubled history of Synanon, both within the profession and with the greater society “outside” which all too often turns its back on the brutal facts of our nation’s addiction problem.

403 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1965

Reviews

[Will Huntsberry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is an interesting sociological read. But it's cringey at times. Yablonsky became a believer in the Synanon way and he wrote from that perspective. In particular, he takes for granted that Synanon "cures dope fiends," in the parlance of the book. Subsequent research showed that Synanon had a relatively low success rate at curing addiction. Not to mention, some members eventually tried to murder a lawyer who sued the group. That said, it was a fascinating group that challenged societal norms.

[Katy Major · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating yet written by a nincompoop

[Michael Chrisman]

I read this book when i was at amity in south central los angeles, a theraputic cumunity based on synanon, that my parole agent sent me to. Im glad that i read the book so i was able to learn exactly what TC is suposed to be and what its not suposed to be. Amity is exactly what its not suposed to be. I also learned through further reading on the subject that synanon ended up being a totally wacked out cult. Ive also seen the old videos of synanon. People are so wack........