Paris: The Memoir

Hilton opens the chapter discussing Mel Wasserman, a cult leader and a “disciple of Charles E. Dederich, founder of Synanon, a violent cult that had been driven underground but never fully eradicated” (89). Dederich used torture and violence to try to help cure people’s addictions and sexual orientation. Wasserman takes his approach to the San Bernardino Mountains and opens an emotional growth boarding school called CEDU, originally short for Charles E. Dederich University. They then opened sister schools throughout the United States, particularly in states where laws are lax. These schools are generally sought out by parents of teenagers deemed out of control. It is suggested that tough love will bring the teens back in line with the expectations of their parents and society. Hilton claims that most of the students locked away are ravers and individuals who have ADHD. 

To this day, Hilton’s parents are still convinced that they sent her there to save her life. She believes this may be a coping mechanism on their part; one that, out of love, she does not want to take from them. She apologizes for putting her parents in a position where they felt so helpless and afraid. Hilton explains that for many years, she built walls around her heart to protect her from the horrors she experienced at the schools.