Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform > Teen Challenge
I personally escaped this Cult
TC_Saved_Me:
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Hahaha! Not quite that extreme, but there is definitely alot of discipline in the more successful programs!
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Care to detail?
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I've been pretty transparent about kind of discipline that I endured when I was with Teen Challenge. There was some very organized research conducted a while back to see just how successful Teen Challenge is.
Here's a pretty good link for information about the study. It debunks some of Teen Challenge's claims about the 86% success rate, but a 70% success rate is still far superior to the average secular rehab (1-15%)
http://http://www.acadc.org/page/page/2495014.htm
Samara:
Is it a longitudinal study? Because lots of programees assert undying devotion until the brainwashing wears off.
And, my thing is, whether or not someone is sober doesn't justify extreme coercive, psychologically abusive programs that depend on chronic, trenchant degradation to bring about "change." I also could not condone any program that doesn't recognize the emotional health of personal boundaries. Sharing should be safe and voluntary. Also, I do not believe you build someone by tearing them down first. That is BS. I've seen too many babies thrown out with the bathwater. Last, I would not want my mental health tied into adherence to theocratic programming.
cmack:
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What is "The Seed?"
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http://www.thesunmagazine.org/issues/373/the_seed
http://www.insidersview.info/theseed.htm
--- Quote ---http://www.thesunmagazine.org/issues/373/the_seed
http://www.insidersview.info/theseed.htm
The Seed was a controversial youth drug-rehabilitation program that flourished in south Florida when I was a teen in the early 1970s. Founded by former comedian and recovering alcoholic Art Barker, it was modeled after adult treatment programs and administered by unlicensed staff. The Seed utilized coercive techniques such as aggressive confrontation, intimidation, verbal abuse, sleep deprivation, and restricted access to the bathroom to tear down a teen’s sense of self and replace it with the ready-made identity of a “Seedling.”
The Seed was highly publicized, and the attention eventually proved destructive to the program. In 1974 the U.S. Senate published a study that accused the Seed of using methods similar to North Korean communist brainwashing techniques. The bad press, in conjunction with legal pressure from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the drying up of federal funds, forced the Seed to scale back its operations dramatically. By the 1980s it had shrunk to a fraction of its former size and was officially admitting only voluntary clients. The Seed endured in this diminished capacity until it finally closed in 2001.
Today hundreds of similar programs are in operation throughout the United States and abroad. Some are even run by former Seed staffers. By most accounts, these programs are much harsher than the Seed.
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TC_Saved_Me:
--- Quote from: "Samara" ---Is it a longitudinal study? Because lots of programees assert undying devotion until the brainwashing wears off.
And, my thing is, whether or not someone is sober doesn't justify extreme coercive, psychologically abusive programs that depend on chronic, trenchant degradation to bring about "change." I also could not condone any program that doesn't recognize the emotional health of personal boundaries. Sharing should be safe and voluntary. Also, I do not believe you build someone by tearing them down first. That is BS. I've seen too many babies thrown out with the bathwater. Last, I would not want my mental health tied into adherence to theocratic programming.
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The study was done on 186 participants. Six variables were used during the study:
1) what proportion of the program participants were still drug free (urinalysis testing was conducted for all 186 participants.
2) no legal involvements
3) employed or pursuing education
4) a part of a family unit
5) participating in church activities
6) physical and mental health.
The National Opinion Research Center of the University of Chicago developed the survey instrument, located survey participants, conducted the personal interviews, and obtained a urine sample to test for drugs. The National Medical Services, Inc., of Philadelphia, PA, conducted the drug screening detection for this population.
This study was conducted 7 years after the subject's involvment with Teen Challenge (I'm not sure how long it takes for "brainwashing" to wear off).
I can say that I personally graduated from Teen Challenge in 2007, and have had quite the journey since I left the program. From living/ working with my father to get back on my feet. To living in a place, by myself, where I was living off of Raman Noodles because I was so broke. 6 years later, I have a wife and two daughters, am active in my church, and have a great job working for the Army!
I agree with you that a person's sobriety "doesn't justify extreme coercive, psychologically abusive programs that depend on chronic, trenchant degradation to bring about 'change.'" No arguments there.
"I also could not condone any program that doesn't recognize the emotional health of personal boundaries. Sharing should be safe and voluntary." I agree with you here also. No arguments.
I really only tend to disagree with this part: "I do not believe you build someone by tearing them down first." Just speaking from my own personal experience, I would say that this is exactly what I needed - though Teen Challenge does not do this on an emotional or physical level (moreso on a spiritual level). I came into this program thinking that I was hot stuff! I could turn a broke DVD into 50 bucks if you gave me a few hours! The rules that I was expected to follow in Teen Challenge were total crap, and I was above them! It eventually broke me down - on a spiritual level - and humbled me to the point where I finally began to acknowledge that I needed help for my addictions. This was what eventually led me to change.
Let me ask you a question... Do you think that military bootcamp is abusive? Emotionally, physically, or spiritually? Do you think that our soldiers leave their training "Brainwashed?"
I'm asking this for a reason. I am former military, and went through Teen Challenge with several guys who used to be enlisted, and it seemed like the guys who were ex-military had an easier time adjusting to the rules and the structure of Teen Challenge. We may have fought the system at first, but we oftentimes were a little quicker to turn that corner and start doing what was required of us in this program. Once you start to go with the curriculum, and follow the rules, the program is actually a walk in the park!
I'm trying to figure out why you talked about someone's mental health being tied into the adherence to theocratic programming..?? I guess I'd have to agree with you there also. There are mental (often times neuro) problems, then there are spiritual problems. Theology and mental health are seperate things, and should stay as such. No arguments here.
TC_Saved_Me:
--- Quote from: "cmack" ---
--- Quote from: "TC_Saved_Me" ---
What is "The Seed?"
--- End quote ---
http://www.thesunmagazine.org/issues/373/the_seed
http://www.insidersview.info/theseed.htm
--- Quote ---http://www.thesunmagazine.org/issues/373/the_seed
http://www.insidersview.info/theseed.htm
The Seed was a controversial youth drug-rehabilitation program that flourished in south Florida when I was a teen in the early 1970s. Founded by former comedian and recovering alcoholic Art Barker, it was modeled after adult treatment programs and administered by unlicensed staff. The Seed utilized coercive techniques such as aggressive confrontation, intimidation, verbal abuse, sleep deprivation, and restricted access to the bathroom to tear down a teen’s sense of self and replace it with the ready-made identity of a “Seedling.”
The Seed was highly publicized, and the attention eventually proved destructive to the program. In 1974 the U.S. Senate published a study that accused the Seed of using methods similar to North Korean communist brainwashing techniques. The bad press, in conjunction with legal pressure from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the drying up of federal funds, forced the Seed to scale back its operations dramatically. By the 1980s it had shrunk to a fraction of its former size and was officially admitting only voluntary clients. The Seed endured in this diminished capacity until it finally closed in 2001.
Today hundreds of similar programs are in operation throughout the United States and abroad. Some are even run by former Seed staffers. By most accounts, these programs are much harsher than the Seed.
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Oh my goodness! That sounds like something out of a movie! Well, I can certainly see how a program like this would really mess somebody up! That's a horrible story, and any place like this should be shut down, and the leadership should be tried for child abuse!
I'm starting to wonder if there is some other program out there that's called Teen Challenge that I'm not aware of because this is NOTHING like the adult program that changed my life! This "Seed" program sounds completely reprehensible! Please, please, please believe that I'm not on here to put anybody down who has gone through something like this! I absolutely feel for you if that is the case, and I am sorry if you feel like I've justified that actions of a program like that!
My intention was simply to shine some light on the good programs that are out there.
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