Eight Months in… Still Growing Stronger
Written by Wes W
In my eight months as a resident at Gatehouse Academy, I have had to face many issues about myself and encounter problems with others. There are many small rules in place to help us work through our issues and build successful relationships with people.
During the week the community as a whole has a meeting each day where we’re given the opportunity to call our peers out on patterns or behaviors we feel are concerning or incidents of rule breaching. As a part of helping us learn from out mistakes and grow emotionally and spiritually Gatehouse Academy enforces a system of bans.
These bans include boy/girl ban, talking ban, newcomer ban, weight room ban, make-up ban, and specific residents can be banned from each other. The main purpose for these bans is to get us to look inside ourselves and be free from outside distractions and validations. It is about stepping out of our comfort zones and really facing ourselves. Obviously these bans are not fun, but the lessons they teach are invaluable.
Not long ago I myself was on talking ban for about two months. It was miserable and uncomfortable for a while but I had to make peace with myself and surrender to the things around me. I had to stop fighting everything and everyone. I can’t think of any other situation where it would be possible to learn so much about myself and I am grateful to be growing at Gatehouse Academy.
Wes is currently enrolled as a resident in Gatehouse Academy’s drug rehab program. He will have 1 year clean and sober in December, and prepare for the next step in his Recovery.
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October 15th, 2009 at 8:10 am
Thanks for the post.
It is good to have guidelines to help work us each back into the real world outside rehab.
I do have a question though. A Talking Ban? you were not able to talk for two months, to certain people? can you please explain? thanks
October 27th, 2009 at 11:40 am
Talking ban is a consequence given when a resident becomes toxic to the community. It requires that the student only talk with staff and senior members of the community for a period of time, until they begin to change and commit to being a positive influence in the community. We have seen countless young men and women benefit from the experience.
November 24th, 2009 at 7:49 am
Thank you for he replay….sorry, it took a bit to get back!
That sounds like a great way to prevent ‘poison’ into the group and a way to maintain a great deal of safety to the group on the whole. Do some young men and women get frustrated by this and leave drug rehab?
November 25th, 2009 at 7:28 am
Surprisingly, no – most residents here do not leave because of being placed on talking ban. I think it is due to the fact that they have made a lot of friends here who have been through the same experience at one point in their stay.