Adult & Teen Challenge Of Oklahoma HQ

Oklahoma Teen Challenge was a nightmare. I went due to depression/suicidal ideation and lack of motivation as well as minimal anxiety. My mental health did not only get worse, but so did my spiritual health. No matter how small a mistake you make, you got a discipline for it. One discipline, written or physical, meant no snack or non-uniform clothing for the week in addition to what they decided they wanted you to do. This heavily increased my anxiety which in turn increased my depression. In regard to dealing with depression or other problems, all you received was a half-hour per week to speak with an assigned mentor (not a certified therapist). Nothing else. I don't know where the enormous amount of money my parents were paying was going either. The majority, if not all, of the food was donated and usually came out of a can and/or expired. I got food poisoning the first few days down there. They claimed they would take me to the doctor for 3 days until the head woman decided I was faking. The amount of guilt trips and manipulation was absolutely insane. Of course the worst part, and the reason I'm leaving this review, was the spiritual aspect of it all. The most basic description I can give is "borderline cult." They had these worship nights on Sunday and Wednesday (if you were a high level you got to go to Youth Group instead) that were beyond words. They would turn on music and there is no other word for it than absolute 'chaos.' There was screaming and fits of coughing as well as fainting and laughing. False speaking in tongues (Yes I believe in speaking in tongues, however that was repetitive gibberish and nonsense.) There were girls claiming to have visions of heaven and dead loved ones. And all of this was praised and seen as normal. The new girls, especially those who had never been exposed to any sort of Christianity before, always had these horrified looks while this went on. The staff members forced you to participate in their form of worship. There was quite a few occasions where I was forced to stand up and raise my hands. If you did not, you got a discipline. Silent prayer was not accepted. The gifts of the spirit were much more praised than the fruits of the spirit. I was not a "good Christian" because I preferred silent worship rather than chaotic rambling and screaming. A side note regarding the gifts of the spirit is that some of the staff members boasted of their abilities that were... questionable. One in particular always claimed to have the gift of healing and bragged that she could pray over someone's scraped knee and it healed days later. (Pretty sure it would have healed anyway.) The staff members (not all, some were decent) often acted as though they needed to be the ones in a Teen Challenge. Case and point: If you are looking for a good Christian Girls Home for Teens, stay far away from here.