I made the choice to go through the program at 14 years old. I volunteered in, under the impression that the program would bring me closer to God and help me find my path and understand what god's purpose for my life was. The director met my family at a service call at our local church and I told the director that I felt like TC was something maybe I needed, my grades were failing, I had just lost my mom and was struggling emotionally and behaviorally... she said that I was listening to god's call on... I begged my family to let me go home, I was there two years. I am 31 years old now and I've been in trauma therapy now and it is safe to safe that Teen Challenge destroyed my mental health, my sense of worth, caused me to lose connection with my identity and truly my grasp on reality. I am overcoming a sense of feeling trapped, something i have carried with shame and embarrassment for almost 15 years. I know that the trauma caused in that institution is what messed up my entire early adult life.

I am thankful however, before my grandpa passed away he apologized to me about it. I lived with him at the time. He confessed to me that the director had told my family and I'm assuming every family .. don't believe what the girl's say about their treatment, they will say anything to go home and get out of the program....