I was thinking what practical advice could I give myself if I met my 13 year old self before any program or anything and what I would say.
First thing I would tell myself is don't buy the hype. Programs and forced treatment are 100% dependent on convincing you that you are deformed and in need of help. The first big step to avoiding program related identity crisis is accepting the fact you are just fine the way you are, problems and all.
Second thing I would say is to realize that people are manipulating you. What is being told is not the truth. This is important tool they use to break kids. They tell them they can keep you forever, and since some kids stay literally forever on staff after graduating it seems true at the time.
Another advice I would give myself is to work any psychiatrist for all they are worth. In a program you mine as well be as high as you can get, or at least get medication to trade for useful items and food. Medication is gold in programs, especially things like valium and xanax or anything strong like that. They are more than willing to give it to you if you say the right things. Words are much more useful than fighting back physically. They manipulate you, manipulate them right back the best you can.
Another piece of advice I would offer is to avoid programs altogether. Look out for brochures the parents are looking for. Most of all don't willingly go thinking it's some summer camp or that it will be no big deal and you can deal with anything. I would tell myself, you don't want to deal with this shit. You don't want to meet the people you are going to meet. You don't want to live with the memories for the rest of your life.
I would tell myself to try and be a good actor. I would say to play the role best you can if stuck in a program without hurting others, and get out as fast as possible. It took me a long time to realize the smartest and most prudent kids are those ones who bullshit there way through fast and never look back. You can only fight a program so much inside, better to save your strength and fight programs afterwards.
On the other hand, fighting back might be needed for the psychological well being of the incarcaerated youth. When presented with a situation designed to make you feel totally powerless, inflicting any sort of damage on that design helps regain a psychological sense of control over one's life and future. Even if that future is negative, at least you control it.
The most important advice I would give myself though, is no matter how bad things get, no matter how deep into the tunnel you go, when you think you've seen the worst of humanity and have been in pain for so long you don't know what relief feels like -- always remember -- it can and will get worse. There are levels of hell going so deep it is beyond imagination.
But really only one piece of advice would be needed to prevent the whole damn enchilada: never trust your parents again from this point on.
If you ran into your teenage self what would you say?