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SURVIVORS BREAKING CODE SILENCE
Asia’s Story
In the early morning in 2009, I was woken up with strangers asking me to get up or they will use force. My dad just stood in the hallway looking at them as they were taking me. When we got to the airport, I was still so confused about the situation. The escorts told me to shut up and that I was going to Provo, Utah. When I got to Utah, I was stripped searched ...
Anonymous’ Story
Hello, I'm an extrovert with severe childhood trauma involving peers and non-guardian adults as well as teenage trauma. I also have an inner ear issue which makes it hard for me to regulate my pitch. I was penalized for being "loud," "disruptive," "attention-seeking," and "provocative" which I will get to in a second. While I did have a connection to the outside world, it was in a communal, group setting, and very closely monitored using ...
Anonymous’ Story
When I was 13, my dad sent me to live with my mom because I was disrespectful to his new wife and the new family they started. The start of their family was detrimental for numerous reasons that I won't get into but needless to say, my anger and confusion were not unreasonable. I had never done drugs, never had sex, and never drank alcohol. With one day's notice, my dad sent me to live ...
Anonymous’ Story
I stayed at Newport Academy. Simply put, it was hell. Upon my arrival, for the first 72 hours, I was not allowed to leave the house, talk to other people, or talk to my parents. I was 14-years-old at the time. There was another girl just a year younger than me who would have breakdowns over just asking if she could call her mom. The staff would say no because she already had her call ...
Anonymous’ Story
I was 13 years old when I went to Provo Canyon School. While there, I was repeatedly sedated using Haldol injections for outbursts. I had a bad reaction to the medication that almost killed me. It required at least 3 shots of Benadryl to relax my muscles plus 1 loving doctor who ended up quitting and who later opened his own school. Besides the injections, I was in isolated for days and nights freezing in ...
Bryanna’s Story
I came to this place after a stay in a short-term facility named Valley in Arkansas. I arrived at White Horse Ranch and within 2 days, they cut me off all my medications completely cold turkey. Instead, they replaced all my medication with one single medication. I was thrown into an angry and depressed state for days. As a result, I had the police called on me 3 times. I was hand-cuffed while being screamed ...
Alexa’s Story
When I was 15 years old, I was snatched out of my bed at 5 AM in the morning by two strangers, put in the back of a car, and driven to the Academy at Ivy Ridge (AIR) in Ogdensburg, NY. For the next two years, I experienced and was exposed to physical, emotional, psychological, and sexual abuse. I have been diagnosed with C-PTSD as a result, and many - if not all - of ...
Kim’s Story
In the spring of 1998, I was 12 years old when I was sent to be evaluated by a therapist with supposed expertise in substance use after my mom found something written in my diary about drug use and was concerned. I was never told the reason for the “evaluation”, but rather was barraged with questions about my drug use and after answering honestly, she continued to question me as if she thought I was ...
George’s Story
At the age of 15, I was sent to Second Nature Blue Ridge for depression, anxiety, and multiple other adopted-related issues. After being hospitalized in late 2014, my parents continued to search for any ounce of hope to ensure a healthy outcome. Soon after being hospitalized, a psychiatrist recommended my parents communicate with an education consultant who could further the discovery for treatment. Within a day, I was being taken to Second Nature Blue Ridge. ...
Anonymous’ Story
I was involuntarily placed into the hospital even though I was not a harm to myself or others, in violation of the Olmstead Act. Then I was told that if I followed the rules I would be allowed to go outside as a reward, but after "earning credits," I was still denied the right to go outside, but conveniently allowed to go when my parents showed up to visit me. I was forced to overdose ...
Skye’s Story
I was sent to my first program because I ran away from home. I didn't drink, smoke, use drugs and I'd never had a boyfriend, but my home life was abusive. My father was successful so no one listened when I asked for help. At House of Hope, my knee was broken by another student on the first day because I wouldn't cheek my meds for her to snort. The staff knew but took measures ...
Josh’s Story
So, I'm supposed to tell my story. Here it goes. When I was 15, I was in a bad place. My family had been going through rough times. I was in my "rebellious" stage and I was mentally and emotionally unstable. I tried getting attention in all the wrong ways. Having such a low sense of self-worth that I eventually tried to kill myself. On my 3rd attempt, I was met at the inpatient mental ...
Solis’ Story
My CEDU Experience I was ordered to CEDU at a young 15 years old by a Santa Barbara County family judge. Upon arriving, I was isolated from everyone I knew and loved, including my family. I was kept isolated from all things and people in the world; as isolation is the first step in brainwashing. I was thoroughly brainwashed by the end. The additional abuse and torture I experienced were physical, psychological, emotional, and sexual. ...
Anonymous Story
Only a few weeks before I turned 13, I was flown to Lake House Academy in North Carolina. I have to admit that I was excited. I thought I was going to finally get the therapy, support, and education environment I needed to work through my depression and anxiety. My parents hugged me goodbye and I was on my own. The first abusive tactic I endured at LHA was starvation. There was barely any food ...
Crina’s Story
For the sake of the story, my name is Crina. I came to AAG (which was what students called Asheville Academy for Girls) at 13. I came straight from Trails Carolina - another program which I could write an entirely separate entry. I came in enthusiastic about going to a school after those months in the freezing cold. It almost seemed like a paradise beforehand, especially considering the state of my home life. I find ...
Abigail’s Story
I was placed in Fox Run Center for Children and Adolescents in November of 2020 following a suicide attempt. I had been suffering severe mental health issues for years and after trying to take my life for the fourth time, it was determined that I could not be safe at home. I had tried every outpatient program and had been hospitalized multiple times and we had run out of options as a family. We had ...
Mathew’s Story
#BreakingCodeSilence "treatment center for kids" - Let me share my story about that. My name is Mathew. I'm now 23 years old. Growing up, I was in and out of group homes and treatment centers. When I was 14 years old, I was held hostage in my classroom by my teacher. It was 3pm - time to go. As I was trying to leave, my teacher pulled me and cornered me in. DCS then came ...
Laura’s Story
I want to preface this story by saying that I recognize that I am not blameless in this and I take responsibility. I have stolen, I have lied, I have hurt my family, and I will carry the guilt of those actions with me for the rest of my life. When I was 16 years old, I lived alone with a mentally ill parent, and our dynamic was very dysfunctional. On top of that, I ...
