Hi, I am a female and I am 14 years old. When I came to ERA, I was barely 13 years old, and it was in 2008. I was a mess.
I had no idea who I was or what I wanted. I did everything for anyone but my self I came to ERA for sneaking out, self mutilating, being violent and defiant, for manipulating, lying, and having sex with older guys. I hated my family, and I hated myself. I sat for about 4.5 months doing nothing but being shady. When I got on honesty, I started to fly. I still have my ups and downs.
But I kept my head up. And one big time I struggled was during a period of time two of my closet and favorite staff left ERA. And all the old behaviors and thoughts came rushing at me faster than I could imagine. But with the support of ERA, they helped me like no other. I learned so much. I learned to stand up for myself, to love myself, to respect myself and to be me.
I was ok with myself, and I didn’t care if anyone liked me or not. I had become myself again. ERA taught me life lessons I will remember for the rest of my life. And they believed in and supported me when I didn’t believe in myself. The people at ERA also challenged me to look at things differently. For a while, I chose not to, but now I do.
I came in here a mess with no healthy relationships at all. And now I am leaving with respect, honor, and healthy relationships… .especially with my family.
Female Student