Since 1990, mentally ill and troubled teenagers within the age range of 11-17, have been eligible to be sent to the “Wilderness Camp”, by their legal guardians. This camp is located in rural Utah, and is meant to put an end to addictions and substance abuse, low self esteem issues, bipolar disorders, and quote on quote from their website, “delinquent behavior and recidivism.” When parents are struggling and feeling hopeless with what to do with their teens when they repedality perform inadequate behavior.
Wilderness Therapy is supposed to be a resource that is both financially affordable but proven to work at the same time that the parents can turn to. How the, in my opinion, almost terrifying service works, parents are supposed to reach out to the Wilderness Therapy organization, and sign legal documents that allow the organization full access to the troubled child, so that the organization now holds full responsibility over the child, this in which is very common when kids are emitted into mental physicality or other therapeutic camps. The only difference about the wilderness camp from other mental institutions, is that the troubled children don’t know that they’re going to be sent to a 8-10 week camp, which is considered as, “longer than a summer camp, but shorter than boarding school”. Commonly, parents will take their kids out for something special, and then Wilderness Therapy staff members will come and randomly pick the child up, often, physically picking them up and putting them into a van, or in one situation, a 14 year old girl was even taken out of her own bed in the middle of the night, parents will willingly meet staff at places like restaurants, airports, etc.. my first thought was that this sounded like kidnapping or abduction, but because the legal guardian signed documents giving the camp full control over the child is what makes it legal. As soon as the kid arrives at the camp all of their personal items are immediately confiscated, and almost right off the bat the kids are forced to do dehumanizing actions.
These troubled kids have to endure repelling actions, such as spending 89 days in the freezing Utah weather, not using a running toilet or shower, and having to hike every day with large backpacks in the dirt. Kids aren’t even allowed to know what time of day it is, or what day of the week is, along with little to no contact with the outside world. Many survivors of these camps are coming out and are now spreading awareness and exposing the camp for putting a lie on that it’s therapeutic for children, when it really just takes advantage of the children’s mental illness. These children are forced to do horrendous things such as, endure starvation (and when finding food, forced to find a stick off the ground and eat it with a stick with dirt all over), and dehydration for weeks at a time, put in positions where children are unable to move, and kids aren’t allowed bug spray, so when their skin is being sucked by nats to the point where their eyes swell, they couldn’t do anything to prevent it, and so much more, and were told that it was “therapy.”
Personally, If I was struggling with my mental health and were eligible to be sent to this camp, I think my mental health would honestly become worse. Even by just typing “Wilderness Therapy'' into google, you can find at least five reports about abuse. Lots of the survivors came out and talked about the their relationships with their parents currently, and most have the same answer of, “Our parents knew as much as we did when we were enrolled into the camps”, and talked about how their parents thought they were sending their children to a phacility to become mentally stable again, not give them lifelong trauma. Even though you could argue that this camp has saved some children's lives, in my opinion there are much healthier ways to treat mental health issues, and the trauma that children in this camp experience every day who are already experiencing an intense amount of pain don’t deserve this.
Do you agree with Wilderness Camp?
Would you ever want a loved one to experience this camp if they were troubled or mentally ill, or would you rather have them take a more healthier option?
Do you agree with how the United States treats mental health, if not, what could we do to improve our mental facilities?
Replies
Superb job Ariel! Great topic choice and great summary!
I think that this camp seems realy strange because im not sure how it would help somone that would be eligable to go to the camp. I tink that I would definetly rather have someone take a differnt route rather than go to that camp because it does not seem like it would fix their issues.
yes kinda. depends on what the circumstances are. yes and no I think they can do a little better job.
I don't agree with the camp. I don't think that it would be fair for the child to be sent to a 10 week long camp without their consent. I don't think that this would help poor mental health at all. I know it wouldn't help me. I would not enjoy being at a camp with complete strangers.
Personally, I couldn't have said it better when you talked about how it's not fair for a child to be sent to a ten week long camp without their consent. It's these childrens choice to get better, and honestly I think they would pick better options.
I don't agree with the Wilderness Camp. I'm not sure if it's talking about the same camp, but I heard a story of parents who sent their son to a camp like this and he had to sleep on a bed with no mattress and it was horrible. I would never want a loved one sent here. Instead, we can give people the drugs they need and other things that will help with mental illness.
From the resarch I gathered, I've seen that all camps are very similar to the camp in Utah that this forum focuses on, if not worse. Stories like the one you've mentioned are very common, and sleeping conditions can be even worse, if allowed to sleep. Some don't even get a bed to sleep on and are told to sleep in the dirt or on piles of gravel.
I personally don't agree with Wilderness camp. I wouldn't want anyway I love to ever experience this camp because you never know what would happen to them. I would rather give them a healthier option. I think the United States should respect mental health a little more and I feel like we could make mental facilites more friendly.
I agree, and wouldn't send my loved ones to a camp like this either. There have been reports of children not coming home, losing their lives at the camp, and having permant post- damage and trauma. Mental health is an important issue and should not be set in this wilderness camp's hands.
From what I have herd it is a bad place to send your kids but it has a good idea behind it. When I get mad or upset I like go outside and climb trees or just build random stuff. But they should allow you to contact the outside world including parents and friends.
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