The community expelled John, forbidding him to return or ever to see his parents again. He new-found freedom came at a huge price: the smothering community had not allowed John to fully develop his identity and his ability to make decisions. For his entire life he had been told what to think and feel: now, without that support system, his world came crashing down. John spent the next 10 years in and out of mental institutions and then 7 more under the care of therapists.