Ep. 332: The Cult Origins of Teen Rehab: How are these places still open??
Meredith for Real: the curious introvert
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Show Notes
How are these abusive teen rehab centers still open? Why are parents still sending their kids there? Can’t they be shut down?
Maia Szalavitz is an award-winning author and journalist who covers addiction and neuroscience. Her book, Help at Any Cost: How the Troubled-Teen Industry Cons Parents and Hurts Kids, is the first comprehensive look at systemic abuse in “tough love” programs and helped spur Congressional hearings & GAO investigations.
In this episode, you’ll hear how the abusive teen rehab centers featured in Netflix’s The Program & Wayward (think Straight Inc., The Seed, Synanon & wilderness camps) began with tough love doctrine, why you can legally treat kids worse than prisoners, why parents aren’t suing & why regulations just don’t stick. We also weave in the perspective of struggling parents who feel that the anti-troubled teen industry is hurting their healing efforts.
If you like this episode, you’ll also like episode 248: SURVIVING THE TROUBLED TEEN INDUSTRY: SEPARATING IDENTITY FROM EXPERIENCE [REMASTERED]
Guest:
Resources:
Boy who was raised as a dog https://a.co/d/0bA3dxmi
Pace Center for Girls Pensacola https://www.pacecenter.org/locations/florida/escambia-santa-rosa/
Gulf Coast Kids House https://www.gulfcoastkidshouse.org/
Greenhouse Counseling https://www.ghcpensacola.com/
Host:
https://www.meredithforreal.com/
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Sponsors:
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02:00 — The cult origins: Synanon begins
04:00 — “I must have needed that” psychology
05:00 — The rattlesnake assassination attempt
07:00 — The Seed and brainwashing teens
08:00 — Straight Incorporated goes national
10:00 — Why parents don’t believe abuse reports
12:00 — Utah wilderness programs rise
13:00 — The death of Aaron Bacon
14:00 — Moral panic & religious fear
15:00 — Good parents, fatal decisions
16:00 — Why regulation keeps failing
17:00 — Regulatory capture in Utah
20:00 — Unannounced inspections change everything
22:00 — Why traumatized kids need gentleness
27:00 — Warehouses of neglect
28:00 — Should therapy have an FDA?
29:00 — Renaming p
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