The great American satirist, Mark Twain, once said “The fact that man knows right from wrong proves his intellectual superiority to other creatures; but the fact that he can do wrong proves his moral inferiority to any creature that cannot.”
The question of morality has perplexed mankind for millennia. This perplexity certainly carries over to the parent who is struggling with a child who begins teetering on the edge of “right and wrong.” This morality question is also something we are experienced in addressing in our recovery program here at Clearview Girls Academy.
An Existential Question Brought Home
What makes us do wrong when we know what is right? What causes us to make choices that are clearly against our best interests? These questions are often looked at as existential. However, when it comes to a child who is struggling with issues of mental health, these questions become quite concrete.
Many of Clearview Girls Academy’s students have lost their ability to listen to their conscience. Often, this is not their fault. They have lost their way, whether it be from outside influences like social media, or from internal struggles that have yet to be addressed. One of the goals of recovery must then be to regain a sense of conscience, so your daughter can make taking the right actions a top priority.
The Loss of Conscience and Mental Health
When struggling with issues of mental health, it should come as no surprise that judgment can become impaired. After all, proper decision-making comes from a healthy understanding of the world around us. But when mental health issues skew our worldview, it also skews our ability to make positive choices.
The mental health statistics in The United States are quite alarming, and they continue to grow. According to the Journal of Child & Adolescent , “Approximately 22% of adolescents in the United States are estimated to have a mental health (MH) disorder.” This was pre-COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, the numbers have increased significantly.
When struggling with mental health, adolescents often have a hard time communicating what they are experiencing. This lack of communication can lead them to attempt to find their own “solutions.” This can lead to risky choices like substance use to avoid their problems. It can also lead to shutting down, which in turn can affect their home life, friend life, and school life. These poor choices often continue to spiral unless help is sought.
Therapeutic Recovery
Here at Clearview Girls Academy, we are proud to offer a wide variety of options to help your daughter recover. When assessing a new student, we create an individualized plan that will ensure the healthiest path to long-term recovery.
One aspect of this recovery involves therapy. Therapy is crucial to help us understand the deeper lying issues that are causing the poor decision-making that is interrupting your daughter’s development.
The image that often comes to mind when we hear the term “therapy” is one of a “patient” lying on a chaise lounge while some stern psychiatrist takes notes. At Clearview Girls Academy, you can drop that image. We have a vast array of therapy that may include equine therapy, art therapy, or trust-based relational intervention therapy (TBRI).
We do not see therapy as a stiff clinical practice. We do not see your child as a “patient.” We see therapy as an interactive opportunity in which everyone can learn and grow. This growth will lead to the positive life choices that have evaded your child before she started receiving help.
Holistic Recovery
Of course, therapy is not all we offer here at Clearview Girls Academy. We want your daughter to grow on many levels, including emotionally, behaviorally, physically, and spiritually.
From a holistic standpoint, we offer programs that include meditation, breathwork, and yoga. These practices have been shown to lower stress, increase self-confidence, and help reconnect our students with their inner selves.
Holistic practices can lead to positive behavioral changes and better decision-making. These practices allow us to pause when faced with moral quandaries and consider how they not only affect us but the broader world around us. This holistic viewpoint also works in tandem with our spiritual offerings.
Spiritual Recovery
Here at Clearview Girls Academy, we believe that no child is born with malice in their heart. In the Bible, Romans 2:15 states “God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right.”
We believe that God’s grace has been imprinted on all of our hearts and that issues of mental health simply block that grace. Our goal is to remove those blocks so our students can reconnect with their true, gracious, and honest selves. We incorporate spirituality to help achieve this end.
Twain also famously said, “Right is right and wrong is wrong and a body ain’t got no business doing wrong when he ain’t ignorant and knows better.” Cheeky for sure, but in all humor there lies a kernel of truth. Your daughter is not ignorant in the least, she is just lost. She needs love and guidance to find her way back. Let us help your daughter get back to her honest self because she deserves to choose a better path. It starts with recovery.
When struggling with mental health issues, one of the side effects can be a loss of comprehension of what’s right and wrong. This faltering conscience can compound one’s mental health struggles while also creating external consequences that can be damaging to a young woman’s future. This is why when it comes to recovery, it is important to focus on restoring a sense of conscience. Without the ability to make the next right choice, recovery is all but impossible. However, with an individualized plan that focuses on spiritual and moral growth, a person’s conscience can be restored. We have seen it happen time and time again. We can help. Please contact Clearview Girls Academy at (888) 796-5484 for more information.
