The Curious Introvert Ep. 332: The Cult Origins of Teen Rehab: How are these places still open??
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:
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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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