At 17 years old I was forcefully threatened into attending Spring Ridge Academy in Arizona, where I was traumatized and abused for 15 months. When I started there, I was not allowed any communication with my parents until I “earned those privileges,” or to have any contact with friends from home for several months. The treatments used at this facility are based on shame and excessive control.
We had little freedom and were not allowed to close our dorm doors, be alone, listen to the radio, or read anything that had not been approved. A roommate of mine was even put on “reading restriction” once and was not allowed to read any books, because they thought it was a distraction. There were regular room checks, where staff would go through all your stuff. I had a journal that was read and confiscated. Being allowed to go home, or even leave campus during a break, was considered a privilege that could be taken away as punishment. They would also use an isolation punishment called “introspection,” where you would not be allowed to talk to anyone all day.
The therapist I was assigned there had total control over my relationships and cut me off from several friends. I lost the first friend I made at Spring Ridge because the therapist determined we were too close and notified staff that we were not allowed to speak to or be anywhere near each other.
Every weekday everyone had to participate in a rigorous early-morning exercises, and only ate in controlled portions at specific times. So many girls either developed an eating disorder or had their existing disorder worsen at this school. The on-campus staff, who were in-charge of 24/7 surveillance and care, frequently abused their power to bully and target specific students. They also allowed one of the staff’s husbands, a registered sex offender, on campus and in our dorms on multiple occasions, putting our safety directly at risk.
The school grossly neglected my medical needs. My shoulder was injured and would frequently dislocate, putting me in excruciating pain, and the school’s nurse refused to provide me the proper medical treatment for it, because “surgery is barbaric.”
The school also failed to supply the psychiatric medication I was taking at the time. This medication is notoriously hard to come off of, and the brain zaps and disorientation/confusion I experienced from the sudden withdrawal were so severe I was unable to properly function.
(TW: sexual abuse) During the final months at Spring Ridge, I was raped on one of my visits home. I was afraid to tell my therapist out of fear that I would be held at the program longer, but she found out about it anyway. She had me talk to her about it, and ended up victim-blaming me for it. My entire treatment team was informed, and they shamed and punished me for it by not allowing me to visit home again. I developed an eating disorder, suppressed the trauma, and did not seek the help that I needed until two years later.
I could go on and on about instances of humiliation, shame, and blatant discrimination I witnessed and experienced at this school. Spring Ridge Academy is a money-hungry cult that exploits struggling young women and their families. It gave me PTSD, severe trust and relationship issues, and horrible self-esteem. My parents have been so manipulated by the program that they refuse to acknowledge how much damage it has inflicted.
That is why discovering Breaking Code Silence has been so affirming to me. This movement has provided a space for survivors to finally feel heard and believed in, which is so incredibly healing.