Recent Content by Britannia

I was in Jamaica.

Hello, I found this thread after seeing James's name on it. James is my boyfriend, we managed to meet while in Jamaica. He was there for 2.5 years, with no transfers to other facilities. He is actually quite busy, and nothing like what you assume him to be. Both of us were considered rebels in the program system, and that's why we were both in lockdown for so long.

You can contact me on MSN messenger, conformity_kills@msn.com. I'd be happy to answer any and all your questions. I'm going to give you a bit of personal background right now, so that you know what you're getting into if you want to talk to me.

I was first sent to Casa by the Sea when I was 14 for a variety of "insubordinate" behavior. I'd already been hospitalized in acute units twice, the first time when I was 13 for self mutilation and then about a year and a half later for an intentional overdose. Casa by the Sea was in Ensenada, Mexico, and was by far the most brainwashing of all the WWASP facilities. You were belittled and emotionally attacked for extremely small things, such as saying "I *got* a consequence" (which is the paper form of punishment, a deduction of points) instead of saying "I *earned* myself a consequence". We were treated like dogs, and the facility was extremely unhygienic. There were also no real medical personel, and there was a lot of "problems with legal paperwork". I was there for 8 months before the facility was shut down. I was then sent to Spring Creek Lodge Academy, where I received no proper attention for my mental problems. After about 9 months, they realized that I'd been cutting myself and starving myself for quite a while, and they sent me to a place called NIBH, which is the North Idaho Behavioral Health clinic. I was there for a little less than a week while they filed the paperwork for me to be sent to Jamaica. I went there for a solid year, which is filled with many very bad memories. I was once put in isolation for 2.5 days because I refused to stop reading a book when my staff told me to... things of that nature. I can't even count how many nights I had to try to fall asleep while hearing my friends screaming in OP, the staff brutalizing them for imagined offenses. It was not a pleasant time, in any sense of the word. I managed to get myself sent back to Spring Creek (which is the Hilton of the programs, as far as food and punishment goes) and was there for another 5 months before my parents finally let me come home. I spent 3 birthdays there, close to 3 years. My parents knew of the abuse allegations that surrounded my schools, but they didn't care. The case reps used social and emotional manipulation to convince my parents that the program was the only way to take care of me. I had to go through all of the seminars twice, and I also had to staff all of them before I could go home (it was the deal I finally managed to get between my parents and I). There is nothing in the world like hearing a humongous room full of screaming teenagers, and nothing like standing in front of a facilitator, knowing that every word you say will be used against you, no matter what it is. You feel trapped and violated, and they try to break you. You guys are right about one thing: what they do is very, very wrong. I'm so grateful to be done with that ordeal, and I will never forgive my family for keeping me there so long. I just got out last November. I think I have more problems now than I did before, PTSD syndrome or something of the like. Before, I was just depressed and confused, had some anger. Now I trust no one, have nightmares every night, get angry over the smallest things. I have trouble maintaining motivation in doing things, because my lack of mood stability makes it hard for me to stay at anything. I do my best to not let **** affect me, but it is hard. Thankfully I'm adapting to life again, and developing the skills I need to make do.

I hope that this has answered the majority of your questions, but please feel free to contact me if it hasn't. I'll periodically check on this thread to see if anyone responds.