Here is an example from the "agreements" section of a full-time restriction, duration of one week, in one of the programs. Comments?
"Theme: Empathy (the other persons perspective) and Self Control when others wrong you.
Agreements:
You are restricted to a table during all free time?You must have staff permission to leave the table for ANY reason,
Only this restriction book and/or academics material may be at your table?NO BOOKS
There is no smiling, laughing, singing or hugging,
Do NOT talk to people from your table without written permission from staff including the name of who you will be talking to,
You must have a Challenge Up student accompany you to and from the dorm at all times,
There will be no conversation in the Dorm,
You Must be escorted by a Challenge up student at all times while outside the house, (it is your responsibility to find those willing to walk with you)"
On 2005-04-14 12:09:00, Anonymous wrote:
"To Concerned Mom:
Without getting into the issue to medicate or not to medicate, let me express one concern with a RTC and a child suffering with mental illness. The whole premise of RTC therapy revolves around conformity and obeying the rules above all else. The completing the different levels will depend upon her following all rules from sleep to food restrictions. (Obviously each facility has different rules I choose those as examples only). This environment is IMHO especially unhealthy for a child with more than an attitude and experimenting with alcohol. I have seen first hand the damage my RTC did to a friend who had schizophrenia. She was told repeatedly to "quit trying to get attention". She often said she felt crazy and different from us (her illness never was diagnosed while she was in the program) to which she was told to "get over it she wasn't that unique". Believe me her parents were told she just wasn't willing to comply. Since they couldn't see her without supervision they had no idea what was really going on.
Mental illness can not be addressed and treated by rules and conformity. I bet none of your doctors have made her stand in a line with other ill patients for an hour until they got it completely straight. Or told her if she didn't quit talking about her imaginary voices her food would be restricted to nearly starvation. Sounds ridiculous I know but this was how my RTC wanted to help my friend. Most simply are not equipped to deal with true mental illness. They are holding tanks for rebellious kids and fed up parents about 95% of the time."
