My mother showed me this link and offered me the opportunity to respond. I was taken from my bed by escorts in May 2003 and sent to a wilderness program. I was furious, I tried to escape- almost killing myself and the escorts in the process. I hated my parents for doing this, but I hated them before I went, too. I was out of control and ruining my life. I had gone from a top student in an elite private school (having been kicked out of my prior elite private school) to a truant student at a terrible public school. I had a sick relationship with my girlfriend and was drinking and smoking pot. I was ruining my academic and athletic future. I didn't care. All I cared about was medicating the pain. I won't go into the whole background, but I WAS out of control and my parents had no ability to manage me. No one could have managed me. I lied to my therapist, even though I really liked him. I lied to everyone. I did whatever I wanted. So-imagine my shock when I was not able to escape from my escorts and I found myself in the Utah woods! I love nature and the outdoors and I liked the physical challenge of wilderness. I resisted the therapy for weeks. I wrote mean and angry letters to my parents. I was devastated at being separated from my girlfriend. Within days I realized I needed to be in wilderness, but I thought a few weeks would be fine to get my head straightened out. The therapists and my parents had other ideas. After about 6 weeks in wilderness I admitted, honestly,how screwed up I had become. I wrote volumes of journals. I opened up to my peers and the therapists. I agreed to transition to a therapeutic boarding school. I absolutely despised the school- I had very little freedom and they lied about the opportunities for me to pursue my sport. I thought the academics sucked, although it turned out there were a few great teachers and I did fine. I was furious at my parents all over and I planned to run away from the school. I actually helped some of my classmates escape (they were caught in 4 days and sent back to wilderness) but I didn't go. I took a different approach and made the most of my experience. I made my parents miserable for awhile, then we managed to work together on a plan for my future. I broke a number of rules at the school (hey, that's what I do!). I did not complete the program because I was admitted to a normal prep boarding school for fall 2004 and the therapeutic school made me leave early because I wasn't "committed". The school helped a lot of kids. Wilderness helped even more. Did they all "make it"? Not at all. The kids who have big addictions tend to go back to their old ways. What I learned was that I was costing myself my future. I treated people badly- my parents, my girlfriend, my teachers.... That needed to change. I came home a year ago and I am succeeding in every area of my life. I am sorry I lost a year, but it needed to happen. I hated every minute of the school, and resented being removed from my life for wilderness. I actually went back to wilderness for a second stint when I got in trouble at the therapeutic school. That offered me a good opportunity (I asked to go back to wilderness) to see the attitudes and problems of the new kids coming into the group. I laughed at how they sounded just like me the year before. I heard, "This is a mistake. I'll be home in 3 weeks." "Just because I smoked a little pot my parents sent me away." "I don't need school."
Well, guys. It all depends what you want from your life. My parents knew what I wanted, and they knew I had lost my way. I was angry and violent and they could not have me in their household. They saved me. I am still an arrogant jerk a lot of the time, but I am in a great high school and am headed for a great college. I learned some things about relationships. I'm still pretty bad at some things, but I have more tools than I did before treatment. So- stop generalizing about the horrors of escorts and programs. My escorts were actually cool guys and very professional once we got past me almost killing them.
