I am an Island View graduate. I spent over a year in the program and graduated in 2006. In life I have struggled with a number of depression, self-esteem and trust issues. I have gone to the lows of wanting to cease to exist and not getting out of bed for days on end. My family loves me and did everything they could to try to make things better, but when it became evident that they couldn't do it alone they sent me to various programs to get me the help I needed. I attended a wilderness program for 8 weeks and then a different RTC in southern Utah. I spent a number of months there, but did not make real progress. Because I was well-mannered, the staff and therapists there did not seem to really understand that I had problems. Once I left there, I reverted back to where I was before quickly and that is when my parents send me to Island View.
I did not want to be there at all. I had grown content to wallow in my own misery and have life pass me by. I was sure it was just a matter of time before my life would end, and I was looking forward to an end to the monotony. When I first showed up to Island View I did not leave the dorm for weeks, I sat in a room and did nothing for days on end, but finally I began to go out, and attend (if not participate at first) in school. Slowly but surely I began to make progress, opening up to the possibility that being happy, could in fact, be okay for me that I could be happy and not feel guilty about it. People could care for me and love me and I could care for them and love them as well. My story at Island View is a long one and won't all be written here but the difference maker for me was the people there. Island View hires smart and sharp staff, teachers, and therapists, and the program is a good one, but more than that they hire individuals who care. They have the motivation to help those who need it, and have the skills to do so.
I won't say that your child will be magically cured if they are sent to Island View, but I can say with all honesty that there is not a better place they can go to make progress. The environment there can be hard, but it is one that will help to shape you for the better and make you stronger.
Since leaving Island View I have had some tough times, life isn't all sunshine and dandelions, but the tools and truths I learned at Island View have stuck with me. I see where I am in life and I'm pleased with it. More than that, I am happy. I know this could not have been possible without the amazing staff, teachers, and therapists at Island View. I literally owe them my life and my happiness.
I recently returned to Island View and saw a number of the same staff and teachers that were working there when I attended. They are still there five years on because they can see the potential and the goodness in people, and seek to draw it out. I am so grateful for them in my life, and so are the people who love me.
by richardherman275
xxx.xxx.96.131
January 03, 2013