Copper Canyon Academy Featured on Nickelodeon's "Nick News: Kids in Rehab"
PDFAt Copper Canyon Academy, a therapeutic boarding school in Arizona, Peyton and Molly began the long road to recovery from addiction. Featured on a special episode of "Nick News with Linda Ellerbee" titled "Kids in Rehab" that aired on October 18, 2009, the two teen girls described a high school experience dominated by drugs and alcohol, parties and living by their own rules.
After being arrested and making a series of life-threatening decisions, the girls' parents sent them to Copper Canyon against their will. One of the girls hit bottom after drinking a bottle of hand sanitizer, waking up the next day wondering what had become of her life.
According to Paul Taylor, the executive director at Copper Canyon Academy, that moment can be a "wake-up call" if the teen is in the right space. If the student "catches that and really feels the danger of it, realizing they have an addiction and have to do something about that, [Copper Canyon] is where you can get that work done."
Because of their struggles with drugs and alcohol, part of the curriculum for Peyton and Molly at the academy included an intensive 12-Step program. The girls explained to Nick News that the 12 Steps are about accepting the things you are powerless over, admitting that life has become unmanageable and giving it up to higher power. One of the girls said, "It doesn't have to be a particular religion or anything, but admitting that there is a power greater than yourself can return you to sanity."
One of the most important aspects of the academy's 12-Step program, explained Taylor, is that the girls can share their feelings with others who understand how they're feeling. "They're supported and have comfort, and the next day it will be there again," he said.
The 12-Step program at Copper Canyon breaks the process of recovery down into manageable steps and helps the students realize that they want something better than what they've had.
Still, the process of recovery is an enormous challenge. The students are "trying to restore their lives, the order, the peace, the love, the connection they had with their families, but this recovery is a tough battle," said Taylor. "They lean on us and we get to support them."
Rehab, wherever it is done, isn't easy and most students relapse at some point. Molly relapsed a couple of times during her stay at the academy, explaining that she had forgotten about everything that was important to her. The counselors at Copper Canyon helped her reprioritize her life and get back on track.
Although relapse is common among drug users, the difference at Copper Canyon is the girls know what to do when it happens. "It's not about not making mistakes, but what we do when we make them," Taylor said.
Their time at Copper Canyon Academy has shown Peyton and Molly that "Rehab is hard work, but after you take it one day at a time, it gets a lot easier. It doesn't matter what happened yesterday; it happened and I can't control that. I can't control what happens tomorrow, but I can control what's happening right now."
To watch "Kids in Rehab," visit www.nick.com/videos/clip/nick-news-kids-in-rehab-full-episode.html.