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Facility Question and Answers / Re: Open Sky Wilderness in Colorado
« on: August 18, 2011, 10:27:13 AM »
If you would like some first hand information about Open Sky - here you go. I sent my son (then 16) to Open Sky. He was suicidal, self harming, clinically depressed and self medicating with drugs and alcohol. My son's father was also clinically depressed. I am a good, strong mother and did the best that I could but my home had become a toxic place for my son. Those of you who think that parents can always help a child better than someone from the outside hadn't been in my house. Did I make mistakes? Of course. Haven't you all? Could I handle the situation? I didn't think so - Things were going downhill fast. All three of us needed help by the time that I made the decision to send my son to Open Sky.
I believe that Open Sky saved his life. It certainly changed all of our lives. Do I know for certain he would have died if he hadn't gone to Open Sky? Nope. But I wasn't willing to take the risk.
My son did not want to go but realized that he needed help. After 15 weeks in the wilderness, my son came home knowing that there was hope in the world for him. He gained self confidence and skills to deal with addiction and depression. There were still struggles when he came home but I can say that 2 years later, he is on a much different path than the one he had been on before I sent him away.
Open Sky makes sure that parents are engaged in the healing process with their children as the home environment is often part of the problem. I went to counseling, his dad went to counseling, we went to counseling together to help my son heal. Open Sky gave all of us the tools to move toward a healthier, happier life.
Is it right for everyone? I don't think so. However, I do believe that there need to be choices for parents who are desperately trying to save their children's lives. It takes a lot of work on everyone's part and for me, taking my son out of the home and sending him to Open Sky was the first part of that work, admitting that my best wasn't good enough and that I needed help. I didn't just drop my son off and say "fix him". I engaged and worked with Open Sky to make my life better so that I could help my son.
I hope this helps anyone out there who has to make the same terrible decisions that I did.
I believe that Open Sky saved his life. It certainly changed all of our lives. Do I know for certain he would have died if he hadn't gone to Open Sky? Nope. But I wasn't willing to take the risk.
My son did not want to go but realized that he needed help. After 15 weeks in the wilderness, my son came home knowing that there was hope in the world for him. He gained self confidence and skills to deal with addiction and depression. There were still struggles when he came home but I can say that 2 years later, he is on a much different path than the one he had been on before I sent him away.
Open Sky makes sure that parents are engaged in the healing process with their children as the home environment is often part of the problem. I went to counseling, his dad went to counseling, we went to counseling together to help my son heal. Open Sky gave all of us the tools to move toward a healthier, happier life.
Is it right for everyone? I don't think so. However, I do believe that there need to be choices for parents who are desperately trying to save their children's lives. It takes a lot of work on everyone's part and for me, taking my son out of the home and sending him to Open Sky was the first part of that work, admitting that my best wasn't good enough and that I needed help. I didn't just drop my son off and say "fix him". I engaged and worked with Open Sky to make my life better so that I could help my son.
I hope this helps anyone out there who has to make the same terrible decisions that I did.