Well, I have been through some things including Spring Creek Lodge. Here is some quick background Things were great until my father passed away and my mom fell life long in crack and any other substance she could find. After awhile CPS decided to finally pull us and my grandparents stepped in and moved us all in with them. Being highly religious their home was the exact opposite of my life previously. I was involved in usual teenage things they found unacceptable and some things that really were not the best (dealing). So they went searching and found teen help which lead them to SCL. My mom decided to take off before this and they got her to come back and take me to Vegas on a trip for the two of us that she won. I was so excited… We were greeted by two large men and they said they were going to take us to the car. When we got there I got in they stepped in front of the door and said you’re being good so we wont put the handcuffs on you…. So off to Red Rock Springs in Hurricane Ut for evaluation. I got to sleep on the couch in this really old log cabin as they were too full. It was winter time and well Ut is freaking cold the paper thin blanket they gave me left most of me to freeze each night. No shoes, no coat, threats if we ran, and talk of being stuck on a plateau kept everyone from running. The evaluation was a 300 question test (really 100 just each repeated 3 ways to catch inconsistencies. Evaluated and sent to SCL. Courage family: L1 no condiments(butter sugar salt pepper etc) mail freeze I went in paranoid after that test sitting back I watched trying to find what would get me home realized I had to become what they wanted 100% of the time or I wouldn’t leave. The routine begins wake up, shower, headcount, class, food, class exercise, class, ed-video, group, class, reflections, bed. Worksheets on a bad day (books on tape and knowledge test after) Discovery, After a steady routine is established they put you in a seminar they change every bit of your schedule wake earlier sleep later no bathroom unless they tell you, less food, long group seminar time in a warehouse isolated from the rest of your “family” strenuous homework with ridiculous expectations. essentially putting you into a semi lucid and suggestible state. This is where code silence begins. You are forbidden to talk about seminar happenings the way people are accosted for the difficulties in their life I was even told my dads death was my fault so they could get a reaction, at the end you ball up all the issues and beat them to death with a towel. Then they take you from super emotionally charged to a calm environment and have you picture a walk into a forest deeper you go the darker it gets more and more “walls” you put up finally in the middle you find a room with an amazing light inside is your “magical child” then you walk her out of the forest and take on an “I am” statement. I am a powerful loving and caring young person… No! I am free from all that. Years were taken due to social anxiety that developed there never trusting anyone not looking at the other gender for fear of rule violations asking to use the bathroom, even asking to speak… Focus, Accountability Etc all continued the falling into their emotional abuse more and more of who you really are stripped away to become their tool against the other kids. The two that ran the facility used it as a playground getting people to do anything they asked of lose all points for refusing…. I was lucky 7 months in no physical abuse only mental and emotional my grandparents could no longer afford to keep me there. I left L3 all star. Started my home contract. I was still in the program at home. I ran the risk of being sent back (warranty on us) I kept myself hidden from the world made very few friends, and lost so many years due to this. Please I ask you to #BREAKINGCODESILENCE Speak out, end the abuse! Help the children living this horror and many others! Tell your story so that the world knows we are here! We are Survivors.
#BreakingCodeSilence – Jessica R.
