{"id":2916,"date":"2025-07-10T17:13:35","date_gmt":"2025-07-10T17:13:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/?page_id=2916"},"modified":"2025-10-03T14:09:06","modified_gmt":"2025-10-03T14:09:06","slug":"common-survivor-experiences","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/common-survivor-experiences\/","title":{"rendered":"TTI Survivors: Common Experiences"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/A_woman_looking_out_the_window_Unsplash-600x400.jpg\" style=\"object-position:43% 42%\" data-object-fit=\"cover\" data-object-position=\"43% 42%\"\/><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-theme-palette-3-background-color has-background-dim\"><\/span><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-cover-is-layout-flow\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-left has-theme-palette-9-color has-text-color has-link-color has-large-font-size wp-elements-1\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What-Happened-to-Me-Why-Am-I-Like-This\"><\/span>What Happened to Me?<br>Why Am I Like This?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A survivor&#8217;s guide to life after <br>the Troubled Teen Industry<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:146px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right has-theme-palette-7-color has-text-color has-link-color has-small-font-size wp-elements-2 wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Photo by <a>Kate Williams<\/a> via <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/v4kBbdsYo_I\">Unsplash<\/a> (public domain)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Introduction\"><\/span>Introduction<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Survivors frequently leave TTI programs feeling confused, conflicted, and unsure who we can trust. We often have deep fears of re-institutionalization and feel pressure to perform \u201crecovery\u201d correctly to stay safe. For that reason, many of us don\u2019t talk to each other honestly about our experiences, sometimes until years later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the greatest tragedies of this kind of isolation is that we don\u2019t offer each other the mutual support we deserve in real time. There are nuances to every experience, but some themes come up repeatedly in survivor accounts and discussions. Every survivor is different, but it\u2019s likely that at least a few of these experiences will feel familiar to you. Relating to these points does not mean that you\u2019re doing a bad job at healing or that you\u2019re hurting people around you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><strong>Important note: all of these things are normal, even when they<br>conflict!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sometimes survivors cope with or make sense of similar traumas in opposite ways. You may find that you relate to some experiences more than others, or you may even cycle through them depending on timing and context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you take anything out of this section, I hope it\u2019s this: It makes sense that you\u2019re like this. Other people went through the same things and it affected them the same way. You\u2019re not weird or dramatic or pathetic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><strong>You\u2019re not broken and you\u2019re not alone<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Identity-Perception\"><\/span>Identity &amp; Perception<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"533\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/contemplative-533x400.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2936\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/contemplative-533x400.png 533w, https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/contemplative-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/contemplative-150x113.png 150w, https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/contemplative-768x576.png 768w, https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/contemplative.png 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 533px) 100vw, 533px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While you were in programs, you likely employed one or both of the following strategies:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Truly and sincerely buying into your program\u2019s ideology, only to realize that you strongly disagree with it later<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Telling program staff \u201cwhat they wanted to hear\u201d without internalizing it, even when it meant lying or betraying your own values<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both strategies involved significant damage to your developing sense of identity. In case you need to hear it: <em>you are not the person they forced you to be to survive.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Need-to-Prove-the-Self\"><\/span>Need to Prove the Self<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You might have a deep, even subconscious belief that others will not take your word at face value. Survivors frequently feel the need to defend not only our experiences, but who we are, down to our interests, values, and basic perceptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You may feel a sense of internal pressure to constantly prove that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Your emotions and opinions are sincere, not manipulative<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Your hobbies and identity aren\u2019t performative or faked<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You aren\u2019t senselessly lying or distorting the truth<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Your experiences, worldview, and motivations are genuinely your own<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This kind of over-justification often emerges in situations where most people feel no need to defend or explain themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Complicated-Feelings-about-Freedom-Control\"><\/span>Complicated Feelings about Freedom &amp; Control<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not every survivor feels the same way about freedom, but many of us notice that our relationship to choice and control feels altered. You might find yourself drawn to rigid structure or actively avoiding&nbsp;it. You might feel uncertain about how to make decisions, or unsettled by how easily you fall back into program-style thinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These patterns can show up in ways that aren\u2019t always obvious, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Missing the structure of the program and\/or feeling like you had become dependent on it<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Feeling overwhelmed, confused, or incapable when it comes to making important decisions independently<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Feeling like you need to be \u201cgiven permission\u201d to do things you want to do<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Replicating patterns of control that you were taught in the program: fighting the urge to be critical and controlling of others in close relationships<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Resisting long-term commitments, preferring flexibility to move geographically, switch jobs, and end or begin relationships at will<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Cultural-Alienation\"><\/span>Cultural Alienation<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many survivors missed years of shared culture while we were in programs, including major events, trends, media, language, and generational references. Cut off from the outside world, we returned to a culture that had moved on without us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a result, you might experience the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Feeling excluded and embarrassed when peers reference media, trends, or events from the years you were institutionalized<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Struggling to relate to shared cultural touchstones<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Difficulty having casual conversations with peers, especially soon after leaving the TTI<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sensing that time passed without you, and you can\u2019t fully catch up<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Academic-Shame\"><\/span>Academic Shame<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many survivors experience deep shame about academic struggles, especially when the program provided substandard or outright negligent education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This can result in:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Comparing yourself unfavorably to others, especially around intelligence<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Feeling behind or out of place in school or work settings<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Avoiding academic or professional goals out of fear of exposure or failure<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Emotional-Arrest-Delayed-Adulthood\"><\/span>Emotional Arrest &amp; Delayed Adulthood<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many survivors describe feeling like time froze while we were in the program. While our peers were learning how to make independent choices and imagine adult futures, we were being micromanaged, infantilized, and punished for growing up. It makes sense if you still feel stuck, uncertain, or years behind in areas other people seem to move through easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You might notice yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Feeling emotionally stuck in adolescence<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fixating on teen media or youth culture (for example, rewatching favorite teen-centered shows like Degrassi, Glee, or Buffy the Vampire Slayer)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Delaying major adult decisions and\/or feeling unqualified to make them independently<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Trauma-Induced-Distrust-of-Authority-Figures\"><\/span>Trauma-Induced Distrust of Authority Figures<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Survivors sometimes carry an automatic distrust of authority that doesn\u2019t always make sense to people around us. We learned early that the people with the most power over us were often the least safe. For many of us, self-advocacy feels dangerous, even when it\u2019s necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You may notice yourself feeling suspicious or afraid around:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Parents<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Doctors<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Landlords<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Teachers and school administrators<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Clergy<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Therapists<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Non-profit staff (when controlling access to resources)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Police<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bosses &amp; supervisors<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Social workers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Case managers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Psychiatrists<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dominant personalities in social settings<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Leaders or moderators in groups, clubs, or forums<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Positive-Counterpoints-to-Identity-Perception-Challenges\"><\/span>Positive Counterpoints to Identity &amp; Perception Challenges<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Survivors often develop strong self-awareness and reflectiveness due to years of forced self-examination, even if the context was abusive. This can later become a source of empathy and insight.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For some, reconnecting with peers who truly understand the shared context of their adolescence can affirm and reinforce their self-perception in ways that no other relationship can.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Others find strength in reclaiming aspects of culture or education they were denied, learning to find joy and agency in things like fandom, higher education, or professional growth.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Behavioral-Patterns-Relational-Challenges\"><\/span>Behavioral Patterns &amp; Relational Challenges<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"533\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/bleachers-guy-533x400.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2934\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/bleachers-guy-533x400.png 533w, https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/bleachers-guy-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/bleachers-guy-150x113.png 150w, https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/bleachers-guy-768x576.png 768w, https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/bleachers-guy.png 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 533px) 100vw, 533px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Warped-or-Lost-Family-Relationships\"><\/span>Warped or Lost Family Relationships<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Survivors respond in many different ways to parents who sent us away. Some cut contact. Some stay close. Some feel stuck somewhere in between. You might feel loyal, angry, afraid, detached, uncertain, or all of those at once. Anger, fawning, distance, and longing are all valid. However you&#8217;re responding now, it makes sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This can include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Going no contact to protect yourself, even if it brings up guilt or grief<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Staying close because you&#8217;re afraid that they will abandon you again<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Avoiding conflict to keep the peace, even when something feels wrong<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Feeling anxious when a parent is distant, withdrawn, or upset with you<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Feeling unsure whether your closeness or distance is a choice or a survival strategy<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Setting personal goals to \u201cspite\u201d your parents, even if they\u2019re not in your life anymore<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Protective-Detachment-and-Secret-Keeping\"><\/span>Protective Detachment and Secret-Keeping<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many TTI programs had requirements to report any rule-breaking we witnessed or even heard about. Failure to report could result in extreme punishments. Some survivors internalized the idea that the safest way to protect others is to stay distant and uninformed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This can show up as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Avoiding involvement in situations or conversations to prevent being forced to \u201ctell\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Keeping secrets reflexively, not to deceive, but to shield others from exposure<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Believing that staying uninvolved is the most loyal, ethical, or loving thing you can do<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Compulsive-Self-Disclosure-and-Boundary-Collapse\"><\/span>Compulsive Self-Disclosure and Boundary Collapse<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In programs, we were often forced to share personal information with large groups, punished for holding back, or rewarded for making dramatic confessions. Over time, this can erode our ability to judge when difficult conversations are necessary or appropriate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You might notice yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Oversharing personal details too early or with people you don\u2019t fully trust<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Struggling to identify when you\u2019re allowed to keep something to yourself<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Feeling unable to recognize or enforce emotional boundaries with others<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Believing that withholding information is manipulative or dishonest<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hesitating to enforce your own boundaries, even when you know they\u2019re being crossed<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Shame-Around-Confrontation\"><\/span>Shame Around Confrontation<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many survivors were forced to participate in attack therapy and group shaming rituals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, we may:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Freeze or shut down when giving or receiving critical feedback<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Become defensive or avoidant when mistakes are pointed out<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Feel overwhelming guilt when correcting others, even gently<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Struggle in parenting or leadership roles, not from incompetence, but from carrying too much empathy<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Controlling-Relationships-and-Intimate-Partner-Violence\"><\/span>Controlling Relationships and Intimate Partner Violence<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Programs trained us to believe that we were responsible for other people\u2019s emotions and behavior. If someone around us was struggling, it meant we were failing them. If we had needs, we were told they were selfish, dramatic, or manipulative. These patterns can carry into adulthood, especially in close relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You might notice yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Feeling responsible for your partner\u2019s moods, choices, or well-being<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Struggling to leave unhealthy situations because you feel like you\u2019re abandoning someone<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Repeating dynamics that mirror staff behavior, including guilt, blame, or control<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Taking on more than your share because it feels like the only way to stay safe<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Feeling like you&#8217;re only valuable when you&#8217;re fixing, managing, or helping someone else<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Difficulty-Forming-and-Maintaining-Friendships\"><\/span>Difficulty Forming and Maintaining Friendships<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many survivors find that friendship feels confusing or fraught in adulthood. After spending formative years in environments where peer relationships were controlled, surveilled, or used as leverage, it makes sense if closeness feels hard to navigate. Some survivors struggle to trust others, while others struggle to trust themselves in relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This can show up as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Failing to reconnect with old friends after the TTI<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Avoiding new friendships because you don\u2019t want to explain your past<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Taking excessive responsibility for your friends&#8217; safety and wellbeing<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Feeling jealous of peers who haven&#8217;t experienced institutionalization<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Missing close friends from the TTI but being afraid to reach out because:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>You\u2019re afraid something bad happened to them<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You\u2019re worried they\u2019ll judge you for how you\u2019ve changed<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You\u2019re afraid they\u2019ll defend the program <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You\u2019re not sure if seeing you would hurt them<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Positive-Counterpoints-to-Behavioral-Relational-Consequences\"><\/span>Positive Counterpoints to Behavioral &amp; Relational Consequences<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Some survivors are able to build profoundly honest and trusting relationships with their families by openly grieving, healing, and advocating together.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reconnection with program peers, when safe, can offer a unique sense of kinship and shared understanding that is difficult to replicate elsewhere.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Many survivors become deeply loyal, attentive, and values-driven friends and partners because of their experiences with betrayal, control, and loss.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Many survivors develop extraordinary self-awareness and pattern recognition skills from constantly navigating complex social dynamics under pressure.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Patterns like detachment or hypervigilance can evolve into valuable traits for high-integrity leadership, community care, or advocacy work when reshaped intentionally.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Physical-Psychological-Impacts\"><\/span>Physical &amp; Psychological Impacts<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"533\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/insomnia-533x400.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2935\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/insomnia-533x400.jpg 533w, https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/insomnia-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/insomnia-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/insomnia-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/insomnia.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 533px) 100vw, 533px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Disrupted-Sleep-and-Nightmares\"><\/span>Disrupted Sleep and Nightmares<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many survivors were abducted from our beds at home when we were transported to our programs, believing at the time that we were being kidnapped by strangers. Within programs, staff frequently disrupted and otherwise manipulated our sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Unsurprisingly, survivors consistently report profound and enduring struggles with sleep as a significant and pervasive long-term impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This can include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Nightmares reliving traumatic incidents, often for decades<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Symbolic nightmares that represent program dynamics<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Insomnia, hypervigilance at night<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Long-term dependence on prescription, OTC, or unregulated drugs to sleep<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Internalized-Emotional-Policing\"><\/span>Internalized Emotional Policing<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many survivors learn to monitor and control our internal thoughts due to past experiences with surveillance, public \u201caccountability,\u201d and punishment for emotional responses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This can include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Fearing that \u201cwrong thoughts\u201d will be discovered and used against you<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Avoiding writing down vulnerable information due to journals being read without consent, mail monitored, and confessions weaponized<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Automatically deferring to others\u2019 perceptions when criticized<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Long-term difficulty distinguishing between genuine instincts and what was \u201cprogrammed\u201d into you<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Somatic-Illnesses-and-Chronic-Pain\"><\/span>Somatic Illnesses and Chronic Pain<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many survivors live with chronic health conditions that originated in or were exacerbated by TTI facilities, especially wilderness therapy programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The combination of prolonged stress, medical neglect, poor nutrition, and intense physical labor has likely contributed to survivors experiencing elevated rates of the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Conditions Tied to Chronic Pain and Fatigue:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Fibromyalgia<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME\/CFS)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Migraines<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Degenerative Disc Disease<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>TMJ pain \/ TMD<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Connective Tissue Conditions:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Conditions Linked to Autonomic Nervous System Dysregulation:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Autoimmune and Inflammatory Conditions:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Rheumatoid Arthritis<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lupus (SLE)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Conditions with Gastrointestinal or Pelvic Focus:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Crohn\u2019s Disease<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Interstitial Cystitis<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Endometriosis<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Diabetes (especially Type 2)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hashimoto\u2019s Thyroiditis<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These outcomes have not been formally studied, though they are frequently reported by survivors. Research on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) confirms that chronic stress and early trauma are associated with significantly higher rates of autoimmune and somatic conditions across the lifespan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Internalized-Medical-Neglect\"><\/span>Internalized Medical Neglect<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most survivors were denied medical care and routinely accused of faking ailments and injuries. This is especially true for survivors with chronic illnesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Later, this can lead to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Downplaying symptoms to avoid seeming dramatic<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Avoiding medical appointments due to fear of dismissal<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Delaying or foregoing care despite suffering<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Feeling \u201cundeserving\u201d of standard medical care<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Experiencing chronic guilt for needing rest or boundaries when ill or injured<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Common-Psychological-Diagnoses\"><\/span>Common Psychological Diagnoses<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many survivors meet the criteria for serious psychological conditions after institutionalization. These diagnoses are often under-recognized or misattributed, especially when survivors avoid mental health systems out of fear or mistrust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The most commonly reported conditions include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD): Marked by emotional dysregulation, dissociation, hypervigilance, identity disturbance, and chronic shame. Unlike standard PTSD, C-PTSD stems from prolonged, repeated trauma, especially trauma inflicted by authority figures.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Major Depressive Disorder (MDD): Characterized by persistent sadness, loss of interest, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness, and thoughts of death or suicide. Survivors may internalize program messages of brokenness, fueling these patterns long after discharge.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): Involves excessive worry that is difficult to control, often accompanied by restlessness, muscle tension, and sleep disturbance. The need to constantly anticipate danger, developed in institutional settings, often continues into adulthood.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Survivors may also experience symptoms associated with panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), social anxiety, borderline personality disorder (BPD), and dissociative disorders, including dissociative identity disorder (DID) and depersonalization\/derealization disorder (DPDR). These diagnoses can be useful for understanding specific struggles, but they don\u2019t always capture the full context of institutional trauma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Disordered-Eating\"><\/span>Disordered Eating<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many survivors struggle with eating disorders after TTI programs. For some, disordered eating began after program discharge, often tied to trauma, fear, and a loss of control. For others, existing conditions were intensified by harmful practices like public weigh-ins, forced fasting, and food restriction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You may experience one or more of the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Binge eating shortly after discharge due to food restriction trauma<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Long-term restrictive or obsessive eating patterns<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Disconnection from hunger and fullness cues<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Restricting food as a form of self-harm or punishment<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Substance-Use-After-Discharge\"><\/span>Substance Use After Discharge<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Survivors were often forced to confess to being \u201caddicts\u201d, even without any history of substance abuse or other addictions. Survivors may feel deep feelings of shame about using mind-altering substances after the TTI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Some survivors try illegal substances for the first time after the TTI and may automatically experience feelings of shame or believe the program was \u201cright\u201d about you being a \u201cdruggie\u201d.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Medical cannabis is frequently used by many survivors to cope with associated C-PTSD, grief, and chronic pain. Some survivors have a healthy relationship with cannabis, while others prefer to avoid it or struggle to moderate their usage.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Some survivors may find that feeling \u201chigh\u201d after the program induces anxiety due to perceived loss of control, especially if you frequently received chemical restraints (\u201cbooty juice\u201d).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In response to severe trauma and a lack of ongoing support, some survivors do relapse or develop substance use disorders after the TTI.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Difficulty-with-Guided-Meditation-Visualization\"><\/span>Difficulty with Guided Meditation &amp; Visualization<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many programs used guided imagery, meditative scripts, or body-awareness techniques in ways that overwhelmed, disoriented, or coerced us. These same techniques are now common in yoga classes, therapy, mindfulness apps, and general wellness spaces. While they may be calming for others, they can be extremely triggering for survivors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You might notice yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Tensing up during guided meditation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Feeling anxiety or dissociation during body-awareness exercises<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Having strong negative reactions to therapeutic tone<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Avoiding spas, fitness classes, and other public settings where you might be expected to participate in meditative activities<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Memory-Loss-Traumatic-Encoding\"><\/span>Memory Loss &amp; Traumatic Encoding<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some survivors remember everything in vivid, unbearable detail. Others feel like entire months or years are missing. Both are common. Trauma affects memory in unpredictable ways, especially when it happens over a long period of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Survivors have reported all of these experiences:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Complete inability to recall some events, even when witnesses, and\/or photos and videos confirm your presence<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Timeline disorientation, especially around program years<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Rationalizing and denying abusive elements of your program, even when you were specifically harmed<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Having vivid memories of abuse, sometimes including recurrent flashbacks and nightmares<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Questioning whether experiences were real or exaggerated<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Paranoia-and-Surveillance-Anxiety\"><\/span>Paranoia and Surveillance Anxiety<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some survivors continue to feel as though the program or other authorities are watching or tracking them, even years later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This may include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Paranoid daydreams or intrusive thoughts about being monitored<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A sense of being monitored, evaluated, and judged by everyone around you<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Extreme efforts to stay anonymous online, even for mundane activities (e.g. using VPNs, burner posting, deleting accounts)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Avoiding predictable routines to prevent surveillance or ambush<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sense that &#8220;they&#8221; could return at any moment<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Positive-Counterpoints-to-Physical-Psychological-Impacts\"><\/span>Positive Counterpoints to Physical &amp; Psychological Impacts<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Some survivors channel our health experiences into advocacy or peer support roles, especially in disability justice, harm reduction, or trauma-informed care.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Survivors who experience hypervigilance often become attuned to subtle signs of harm or coercion. When grounded and supported, this awareness can contribute to thoughtful advocacy, safety planning, or structural insight.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Survivors with vivid and intrusive memories often carry deep pain, but they also serve as essential witnesses and record-keepers. The burden of remembering is heavy, yet it helps protect others and hold systems accountable.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Many survivors become committed to harm reduction work, drawing from personal experiences with substance use, institutional punishment, or the overdose deaths of peers to advocate for nonjudgmental, life-saving support systems.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Multiply-Marginalized-Compound-Experiences\"><\/span>Multiply Marginalized &amp; Compound Experiences<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"533\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/wearing-headphones-533x400.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2943\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/wearing-headphones-533x400.jpg 533w, https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/wearing-headphones-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/wearing-headphones-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/wearing-headphones-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/wearing-headphones.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 533px) 100vw, 533px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"For-Neurodivergent-Survivors\"><\/span>For Neurodivergent Survivors<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many programs punished neurodivergent traits without ever naming them. If no one ever told you that you were neurodivergent, you may have come out of the program thinking there was something fundamentally wrong with you. If you were diagnosed, that label may have been used to shame or control you. You might still feel anxious about being misinterpreted or punished for things that come naturally to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This can include shame and confusion surrounding:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Stimming<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Special interests<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sensory overload<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Requesting accommodations<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hyperfixations<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dopamine-seeking behavior<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Autistic meltdowns &amp; shutdowns<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance\/Persistent Drive for Autonomy)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"For-LGBTQIA-Survivors\"><\/span>For LGBTQIA+ Survivors<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many programs targeted LGBTQIA+ youth with explicit or unspoken messages that our identities were deviant, broken, or a symptom of deeper dysfunction. Even after leaving, some survivors carry a deep fear that expressing who we are will lead to rejection, punishment, or danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You might relate to one or more of the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Intense shame surrounding gender identity or sexual orientation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Telling yourself and others it was &#8220;just a phase&#8221; even when that doesn&#8217;t feel fully true<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Entering compulsively heterosexual relationships to appear &#8220;recovered&#8221; or normal<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Deep fear of being seen as dangerous or predatory for expressing attraction or identity<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Feelings of anger, jealousy, or resentment when others openly break gender or sexuality rules, when you were punished or pathologized for the same things<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"For-Survivors-Who-Experience-Ongoing-Re-institutionalization\"><\/span>For Survivors Who Experience Ongoing Re-institutionalization<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many survivors cycle through other institutions as adults, such as psychiatric hospitals, drug rehabs, or prisons. Institutional thinking and compliance are reinforced, making escape from these systems even harder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You might feel:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A sense of inevitability around being controlled, locked up, or supervised<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Increased comfort and familiarity with systems of punishment<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Intimidated by or unworthy of pursuing systems of assistance<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Positive-Counterpoints-to-Marginalized-Compound-Experiences\"><\/span>Positive Counterpoints to Marginalized &amp; Compound Experiences<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Neurodivergent survivors often emerge with strong frameworks for analyzing social systems, power dynamics, and coercive environments. LGBTQ+ survivors frequently become fierce advocates for authenticity and self-determination, often rejecting binaries and rigid expectations that once harmed them.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Survivors who faced multiple forms of marginalization (e.g. due to race, disability, gender nonconformity) can become incisive advocates for intersectional justice because we understand firsthand how institutions erase and punish difference.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>These survivors have the potential to create alternative models of care, support, and accountability rooted in lived experience rather than institutional logic.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Sources\"><\/span>Sources<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This guide was written using a combination of personal and academic references. The following studies and papers were consulted for context and fact-checking:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Brown, A. G. (2022). <em>Fountain of Youth: Surviving Institutional Child Abuse in the Troubled Teen Industry<\/em> [Doctoral dissertation, Arizona State University].<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chatfield, M. M. (2023). <em>That Hurts You Badder Than Punchin\u2019: The Troubled Teen Industry and Therapeutic Violence in Group Rehabilitation Programs since World War II. The Social History of Alcohol and Drugs: An Interdisciplinary Journal<\/em>, 37(2), 268\u2013292.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1086\/725507\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1086\/725507<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pringle, G., Dubon, S., Mater, J., Keech, C., Danylchuck, L., &amp; Dubud, W. (2023).<em> The dissociative mechanism of change: When wilderness therapy does harm<\/em> (4th Review) [Preprint]. ResearchGate. \u00a0<a href=\"DOI:10.31235\/osf.io\/qta5p\">DOI:<a href=\"http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.31235\/osf.io\/qta5p\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">10.31235\/osf.io\/qta5p<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Felitti, V. J., Anda, R. F., Nordenberg, D., Williamson, D. F., Spitz, A. M., Edwards, V., Koss, M. P., &amp; Marks, J. S. (1998). <em>Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults: The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study. <\/em>American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 14(4), 245\u2013258. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/S0749-3797(98)00017-8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/S0749-3797(98)00017-8<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Golightley, S. (2023). <em>\u2018I\u2019m Gay! I\u2019m Gay! I\u2019m Gay! I\u2019m a Homosexual!\u2019: Overt and Covert Conversion Therapy Practices in Therapeutic Boarding Schools. The British Journal of Social Work<\/em>, 53(3), 1426-1443.&nbsp; <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/bjsw\/bcad030\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/bjsw\/bcad030<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Golightley, S. (2023).<em> Troubling the \u2018Troubled Teen Industry\u2019: Institutional Violence, Epistemic Injustice, and Psychiatrised Youth<\/em> [Doctoral thesis, University of Edinburgh].<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hurand, E. B. (2021). <em>Psychological Impact on Adult Women Who Attended a Therapeutic Boarding School<\/em> [Doctoral dissertation, Pacifica Graduate Institute].<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kopsick, L. L. (2022). <em>Removing the Blindfold: Survivors\u2019 Stories of Academic and Social-Emotional Learning Within the Troubled Teen Industry<\/em> [Doctoral dissertation, Barry University].<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kushan, C. (2017).<em> Troubled Teen Industry: Commodifying Disability and Capitalizing on Fear<\/em> [Master&#8217;s thesis, George Washington University]. ProQuest Dissertations &amp; Theses Global.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mooney, H. E. (2022). <em>Conflicting consequences and the carceral state: Troubled teens in therapeutic boarding schools<\/em> [Doctoral dissertation, Wayne State University].<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stull, O. A. (2020). <em>The troubled teen industry: A mixed-methods study of the psychological impact of residential treatment on adult survivors<\/em> [Doctoral dissertation, University of Kansas]. ProQuest Dissertations &amp; Theses Global.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Common-Survivor-Dynamics.pdf\">Download a PDF copy here.<\/a><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_86 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-white ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #000000;color:#000000\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #000000;color:#000000\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/common-survivor-experiences\/#What-Happened-to-Me-Why-Am-I-Like-This\" >What Happened to Me? Why Am I Like This?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/common-survivor-experiences\/#Introduction\" >Introduction<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/common-survivor-experiences\/#Identity-Perception\" >Identity &amp; Perception<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/common-survivor-experiences\/#Need-to-Prove-the-Self\" >Need to Prove the Self<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/common-survivor-experiences\/#Complicated-Feelings-about-Freedom-Control\" >Complicated Feelings about Freedom &amp; Control<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/common-survivor-experiences\/#Cultural-Alienation\" >Cultural Alienation<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/common-survivor-experiences\/#Academic-Shame\" >Academic Shame<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/common-survivor-experiences\/#Emotional-Arrest-Delayed-Adulthood\" >Emotional Arrest &amp; Delayed Adulthood<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/common-survivor-experiences\/#Trauma-Induced-Distrust-of-Authority-Figures\" >Trauma-Induced Distrust of Authority Figures<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/common-survivor-experiences\/#Positive-Counterpoints-to-Identity-Perception-Challenges\" >Positive Counterpoints to Identity &amp; Perception Challenges<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/common-survivor-experiences\/#Behavioral-Patterns-Relational-Challenges\" >Behavioral Patterns &amp; Relational Challenges<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/common-survivor-experiences\/#Warped-or-Lost-Family-Relationships\" >Warped or Lost Family Relationships<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/common-survivor-experiences\/#Protective-Detachment-and-Secret-Keeping\" >Protective Detachment and Secret-Keeping<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/common-survivor-experiences\/#Compulsive-Self-Disclosure-and-Boundary-Collapse\" >Compulsive Self-Disclosure and Boundary Collapse<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/common-survivor-experiences\/#Shame-Around-Confrontation\" >Shame Around Confrontation<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/common-survivor-experiences\/#Controlling-Relationships-and-Intimate-Partner-Violence\" >Controlling Relationships and Intimate Partner Violence<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/common-survivor-experiences\/#Difficulty-Forming-and-Maintaining-Friendships\" >Difficulty Forming and Maintaining Friendships<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/common-survivor-experiences\/#Positive-Counterpoints-to-Behavioral-Relational-Consequences\" >Positive Counterpoints to Behavioral &amp; Relational Consequences<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/common-survivor-experiences\/#Physical-Psychological-Impacts\" >Physical &amp; Psychological Impacts<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/common-survivor-experiences\/#Disrupted-Sleep-and-Nightmares\" >Disrupted Sleep and Nightmares<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-21\" href=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/common-survivor-experiences\/#Internalized-Emotional-Policing\" >Internalized Emotional Policing<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-22\" href=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/common-survivor-experiences\/#Somatic-Illnesses-and-Chronic-Pain\" >Somatic Illnesses and Chronic Pain<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-23\" href=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/common-survivor-experiences\/#Internalized-Medical-Neglect\" >Internalized Medical Neglect<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-24\" href=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/common-survivor-experiences\/#Common-Psychological-Diagnoses\" >Common Psychological Diagnoses<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-25\" href=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/common-survivor-experiences\/#Disordered-Eating\" >Disordered Eating<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-26\" href=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/common-survivor-experiences\/#Substance-Use-After-Discharge\" >Substance Use After Discharge<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-27\" href=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/common-survivor-experiences\/#Difficulty-with-Guided-Meditation-Visualization\" >Difficulty with Guided Meditation &amp; Visualization<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-28\" href=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/common-survivor-experiences\/#Memory-Loss-Traumatic-Encoding\" >Memory Loss &amp; Traumatic Encoding<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-29\" href=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/common-survivor-experiences\/#Paranoia-and-Surveillance-Anxiety\" >Paranoia and Surveillance Anxiety<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-30\" href=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/common-survivor-experiences\/#Positive-Counterpoints-to-Physical-Psychological-Impacts\" >Positive Counterpoints to Physical &amp; Psychological Impacts<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-31\" href=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/common-survivor-experiences\/#Multiply-Marginalized-Compound-Experiences\" >Multiply Marginalized &amp; Compound Experiences<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-32\" href=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/common-survivor-experiences\/#For-Neurodivergent-Survivors\" >For Neurodivergent Survivors<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-33\" href=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/common-survivor-experiences\/#For-LGBTQIA-Survivors\" >For LGBTQIA+ Survivors<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-34\" href=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/common-survivor-experiences\/#For-Survivors-Who-Experience-Ongoing-Re-institutionalization\" >For Survivors Who Experience Ongoing Re-institutionalization<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-35\" href=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/common-survivor-experiences\/#Positive-Counterpoints-to-Marginalized-Compound-Experiences\" >Positive Counterpoints to Marginalized &amp; Compound Experiences<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-36\" href=\"https:\/\/kidsoverprofits.org\/staging\/common-survivor-experiences\/#Sources\" >Sources<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Introduction Survivors frequently leave TTI programs feeling confused, conflicted, and unsure who we can trust. We often have deep fears of re-institutionalization and feel pressure to perform \u201crecovery\u201d correctly to stay safe. For that reason, many of us don\u2019t talk to each other honestly about our experiences, sometimes until years later. One of the greatest&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2923,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"hide","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2916","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"mb":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>TTI Survivors: Common Experiences - Staging<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A survivor-written guide that explores the lasting effects of institutional abuse in the Troubled Teen Industry and offers validation, insight, and support.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"TTI Survivors: Common Experiences - 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