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*Deep breath* I think we have reached a tipping point
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<blockquote data-quote="startingfresh" data-source="post: 734048" data-attributes="member: 22380"><p>We sent our son to wilderness therapy 3 years ago when he was 15. At the time we were deeply concerned about our son's behavior and felt that we had tried everything we could think of. He was on a path of self destruction and needed to step out of his life and have the time and space to do better for himself. Looking back now, the positives were that we as a family got to have a break from the chaos and regroup. We received really solid advice and counseling from the staff each week who were experts in dealing with teen boys with these types of problems. My son loved the outdoor living and freedom from cell phones, social media, peer pressure. He will now say those were some of the best days during those rough teen years. He was able to stay stable with school work because this program had school when he would have failed out if he stayed at home. He spend tons of time reading very deep thought provoking books. None of those would have happened if he stayed at home. His therapist told me later that we likely saved his life. The negatives were that it was not the end of his struggles. He came home and was ok for a short time but got right back on the path of where he had been. But I won't say it was a failure. We got about 5-6 months of peace and healing and although he was clearly not ready to change, he did seem to absorb and tuck away what he learned for the future. The program recommended therapeautic boarding school for the next step and every other kid went that way. We did not feel we could afford that and decided to have him come home. And coming home right back to the same environment was just too much. We just kept keeping on with all that we knew to help him. I view all of the "interventions" and things we did as pieces that eventually all came together and saved our son. Good luck to you and your son. I think you will find a good wilderness program provides support for the family that is priceless during this time. </p><p></p><p>On a side note, you may have mentioned this but is your son going willingly? I ask because this was a hot topic when my son was in the program. He went because he knew he really had no choice. I don't know what I would have done if he refused to go. BUT, many of the kids had a lot of trauma from being transported in the middle of the night with no knowledge of what was coming. Sometimes you have choice but wanted to throw that out there.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="startingfresh, post: 734048, member: 22380"] We sent our son to wilderness therapy 3 years ago when he was 15. At the time we were deeply concerned about our son's behavior and felt that we had tried everything we could think of. He was on a path of self destruction and needed to step out of his life and have the time and space to do better for himself. Looking back now, the positives were that we as a family got to have a break from the chaos and regroup. We received really solid advice and counseling from the staff each week who were experts in dealing with teen boys with these types of problems. My son loved the outdoor living and freedom from cell phones, social media, peer pressure. He will now say those were some of the best days during those rough teen years. He was able to stay stable with school work because this program had school when he would have failed out if he stayed at home. He spend tons of time reading very deep thought provoking books. None of those would have happened if he stayed at home. His therapist told me later that we likely saved his life. The negatives were that it was not the end of his struggles. He came home and was ok for a short time but got right back on the path of where he had been. But I won't say it was a failure. We got about 5-6 months of peace and healing and although he was clearly not ready to change, he did seem to absorb and tuck away what he learned for the future. The program recommended therapeautic boarding school for the next step and every other kid went that way. We did not feel we could afford that and decided to have him come home. And coming home right back to the same environment was just too much. We just kept keeping on with all that we knew to help him. I view all of the "interventions" and things we did as pieces that eventually all came together and saved our son. Good luck to you and your son. I think you will find a good wilderness program provides support for the family that is priceless during this time. On a side note, you may have mentioned this but is your son going willingly? I ask because this was a hot topic when my son was in the program. He went because he knew he really had no choice. I don't know what I would have done if he refused to go. BUT, many of the kids had a lot of trauma from being transported in the middle of the night with no knowledge of what was coming. Sometimes you have choice but wanted to throw that out there. [/QUOTE]
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*Deep breath* I think we have reached a tipping point
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