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Re: “Jesus RX”
I was a resident in 2001. I remember this girl who was there, also a resident... She was young, probably 15 or 16 like I was at the time. She wasn't there long, but her and I had spoken on occasion. I remember her telling that she had thoughts of throwing herself off the balcony. It crossed her mind when she was walking in the hallway or in the lobby underneath it. She said she didn't think she was suicidal, and these thoughts were passive ideations, but it concerned her. She was concerned about mentioning them to her counselor. Young and naive myself, I remember saying that she should mention it to them, after all, that's why we are here- to get help. The next day, I'm assuming after she told them, she was dismissed from the program. 11 years later and hearing the story in the article it makes sense. They probably dismissed my friend out of fear of another girl throwing themselves of the balcony. They couldn't risk another incident... perhaps actually a good thing on Mercy's part. It was a silent admission that even though they claim to help girls with suicidal thoughts, in reality they have no idea how to help them.
I was also a resident at the time with the girl with the "I like boys' shirt. I knew her fairly well (we were actually roommates for a while). When you enter the program they take an inventory of all your items. I remember her telling me that they took her brass knuckles from her (understandably, lol). I believe one of the conditions of that shopping trip to get more 'feminine' clothes was that she had to agree to get rid of the more masculine clothing in her wardrobe. Last I heard from her she was in a very happy loving relationship with another woman. I remember in her first few weeks part of her counseling assignments were to listen to Sy Rodgers cassettes. I'm glad she chose instead to embrace how god made her and chose a life with loving meaningful relationships, opposed to living a life ashamed because someone told you the love you have give is a sin.
I know this article is four years old. There is so much more I could say about the stories above... some from first hand experiences, others from conversations I remember from girls I lived with about these stories.
I have my own strong opinions about the Mercy. However, at the time/age i was there Mercy did give me a structured environment, hope, and i did stop throwing up. Do I think the program borders on spiritual abuse? Yes. Fits many of the definitions of cult? Yes. Practices exorcisms? Yes. Are the personnel qualified psychologists and nutritionists capable of addressing many of the life controlling problems they claim to treat? Absolutely not. There are copious amounts of thing wrong with Mercy, trust me.
I will say this.... I addressed this topic with my therapist last year. I was dangerously underweight and would have died from my eating disorder had i not gone to Mercy. I had been in the hospital; I had been in therapy for years prior to my time there. A decade later my perspective is that sometimes a place exists just to keep you from dying. They didn't address and help me heal from the root causes of my problems, but they did help me stop throwing up my food. I would have died if I hadn't stopped. Even if I was shamed into it, thinking it was a sin opposed to the disease that it was. Even though they had me thinking my mental disorder was some kind of demon.... it might have been manipulation tactics but I did stop throwing up my food. I needed to get out of my home environment (it was an incredibly unhealthy time in my family's life) for treatment, but my family couldn't afford an extended stay elsewhere. Mercy was free, they took me in.
After my stay and after i moved away from home and went to college, I was able to get proper mental health care from a trained and capable psychologist. I've addressed many of the roots causes of my problems. I've healed.
As an adult, Mercy would not be a program I would voluntarily enter- especially knowing what I know now, especially because I am not a christian. It was, however, a significant experience in my teenage years. They are big believers in the idea of hope- and though I disagree on where they want you to seek hope (teaching that only god, prayer, and the bible can heal you), hope kept me going.
It's a difficult thing to describe my disdain for their counseling methods while simultaneously trying to relay appreciation. Those two things exist in me concurrently and it's confusing. However, I feel it's important to acknowledge both when talking about my time at Mercy.
Re: “Jesus RX”
George... Aren't you Hannah's older sister ? Or am I thinking of someone else?