Brainwashing or a coping mechanism?

[Anonymous]

I still have many issues from attending Spring Creek Lodge (WWASP) years ago. Living in such a twisted and controlled society in your mid teens for an extending length of time is extremely damaging in my opinion. I was fine for the first half year or so when I got back, but over time I began to experience issues that have been linked with post traumatic stress syndrome (pstd). I believe I went into a form of survival mode while there to cope with the current situation, after leaving and returning to a somewhat normal living situation, that survival mode seemed to have worn off over that half year, exposing the real issues.

WWASP has been associated with the word brainwashing a lot, which I believe to be true to a certain extent. Some teens seem to be almost delusional to the clearly illegal activities in WWASP facilities.

My question is: do you think WWASP (and other programs) intentionally try to brainwash their students, or prays on the ?coping mechanism? that a teen may enter in such a situation.

[Anonymous]

I think it's both. I think they use natural coping mechanisms and manipulate them to facilitate brainwashing. A common reaction to extreme and seemingly random events is rationalization. It's perfectly natural for humans to look for reasons and causes and try to make sense of what's going on around them. In the program, this natural tendency is used to drive kids to the conclusions WWASPS wants them to believe: "this is happening to me because I'm a bad person", "If I'd do what I'm told I wouldn't be abused--> the abuse that takes place here is the kids' fault", etc. etc.

In times of stress and crisis, people also want to be comforted and assisted by their peers. Teens in particular want to be accepted and approved of by the people they're with. WWASPS takes advantage of that too, by ensuring-- through their destructive "family meetings" and seminars-- that the only message you're hear from your peers is the program's message: "it's your fault that you're here, and this program is saving your life".