We found Red Mountain because the daughter of a good friend was a student and our families had shared stories about what our children were going through. We had looked at multiple other programs, but RMS seemed the best fit.
Our son had been misdiagnosed twice before he got to Red Mountain and he was taking meds that weren’t helping him. In fact, they were making things worse. We believed that if he were at a residential program, where he was surrounded by experts, they would be better able to observe his challenges. Over the two previous years, he had been seeing a physician once a week, but was not making any progress. Young people who are struggling need consistency and support. Also, it’s important to have people of the same age and with the similar concerns be together. They can relate to one another and feel that “I’m not alone.”
On our first visit to RMS, we joined our son ata meditation session. After the session, he looked around the room, turned to us and said, “I think I’m going to like it here.”He plunged right into everything they offered him: Zen practice, meditation, yoga, and Martial Arts. He took cooking classes and learned about money management. He connected very well with the staff, particularly Josh, Tera, and Rebecca. The staff identified the misdiagnosis and stopped the medications, resulting in a significant improvement. By the time he graduated from the program, he had earned his green belt in Marital Arts.
Because it was a residential program and we knew he was safe and actively participating, we were able to back off and let the experts take over. This is a good strategy with young people who think, “parents don’t know anything.” They are more likely to learn from their peers and parental role models than from their parents. It also allowed us to take a break from the stress and drama his situation had caused.
We had an excellent experience with the organization as well. We had weekly phone calls scheduled with his therapist to discuss how he was doing, as well as any concerns we had. We found the staff to be flexible and accommodating, and they excelled at communicating with their students. They had strict rules, which were communicated clearly and the students adhered to them.
Our son finished his first semester back at junior college with two A’s. He is currently taking four classes and finishing up the Red Mountain alumni program. He is going to continue his meditation and his martial arts practices at Red Mountain.
We would strongly recommend this program to other parents and young adults. If your current approach isn’t working, we suggest taking a leap of faith and starting fresh at Red Mountain.
To put it simply: we don’t know what we would have done without Red Mountain.
—Parents