Overcoming The Obstacle Of Being An Outsider

Overcoming The Obstacle Of Being An Outsider

Written by WinGate Wilderness Therapy Program for Teens, Posted on

Life can be tough for kids who don't fit in, and it can often lead them to make bad choices in pursuit of acceptance. This is exactly what happened to a young girl named Noam after she moved to the United States from Israel when she was 7. Noam suddenly found herself in a school where she didn't know anybody, couldn't speak the language, and was dealing with serious culture shock. It's not surprising that someone in these circumstances would do whatever it took to make friends, and that's what she did. This desire to fit in didn't cause many problems at first, but it would later have a major impact on her life as she reached high school. 

Her Issues Become More Serious

Where before the things Noam had done to fit in had been relatively innocent, once she reached high school she started being pressured to do drugs and drink alcohol. Because she was still carrying around this need to be accepted, she went along with it and eventually developed a serious problem. Before long, she was cutting class and had moved on to more serious drugs like nitrous and cocaine. Because of the effect this was having on her academic performance and overall health, her parents quickly became aware that there was a problem that needed to be addressed. Luckily, they took the situation seriously enough to pursue professional help through Wingate Wilderness Therapy. 

Noam Find The Help She Needs

Getting help can be a difficult process, and Noam was resistant to her parents plan to put in into a program but they didn't relent. A few days later, she found herself starting the beginning of her journey back to the right path. At first, she was resistant to the lessons the program tried to impart but that didn't last long. Quickly, she found herself making major breakthroughs and understanding her issues in ways she had never before even considered. Needless to say, the overall impact of this was significant. She spent a total of 8 weeks going through the program and came out a different person. Since leaving, she moved back to Israel and has been studying for her Phd in psychology. Her long-term goal is to become a researcher and none of this would have been possible if she hadn't received the help she needed through Wingate Wilderness Therapy.

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