Gaining Freedom

     Take inventory of everything you can do and all the choices you can make each and every day. Even think of the trivial things like going to the bathroom or taking a walk; think of the simple decisions you take for granted every single day. Now imagine all of those options gone. Imagine living your life at the discretion of other people. Imagine not being able to breathe.

     No, I am not talking about jail (In my opinion, committing a crime automatically forfeits your right to freedom). I am referring to being in a Residential Treatment Facility (RTF). For those of you who don't know, an RTF is a lockdown placement where children and teens go to receive mental health support. That does not mean they're crazy. It just means terrible things happened to them and they need help overcoming those issues. Until last Wednesday, I was in one. For a year and a half I asked to go to the bathroom, I was under 24 hour supervision, I could not go outside at my leisure, and I could not live my life. 

     After all of that time, I forgot what I was being deprived of. In that type of environment you have to learn to adapt or you'll be miserable. Humans have an uncanny ability to survive under any circumstance and that was what I did. I survived. I even learned to like pieces of it; mostly the amazing people I met there. While I gained a lot from the experiences I had there, I have gained so much more by getting my freedom back.