Alex’s Testimony – Teen Challenge Lakeland Girls Home

I was kidnapped from my bed in the middle of the night with my moms consent.

Two people came into my room and took me from my bed by my hands and feet while I was kicking and screaming and then locked me in the back of an SUV.

I arrivied to the facility and was forced to sit at a table for 6 hours by myself because I refused to eat some old left over banana muffins as my dinner after not eating for over 24 hours. I was put in a Jean skirt with no shoes and was forced to wear this for weeks so I wouldn’t try to run away.

I was placed with “big sisters” who were also kids in the program and they were the only people I was allowed to speak with.

Most of my days there I have blocked from my memory.

I saw a counselor (mrs barb) very few times, but the first day I spoke with her she told me I was sent there because I liked girls.

Religion was forced on us and we were told that unless we accepted god and they saw we were saved we weren’t leaving the program. I had to pretend to talk in “tongues” just so that I could show I was ready to go home.

Most of my time in the program was spent on “silence” where I couldn’t speak to anyone. If you did happen to make a friend you were immediately put on “relationship restriction” and were told you had to pretend that person was dead and better not be caught even looking at them.

Medical care during my time there did not exist and on the rare chance we did go to the doctor they would come in the room and listen to us.

We were fed food with maggots and when we tried to tell our parents they told just told them we were manipulating them so we could leave. The long term social anxiety, distrust, issues sleeping, fear of not having a car to escape or leave if I need to has lasted well into my 30s.

I am where I am today despite this awful place.