Momentum against the "troubled teen" industry (TTI) has been steadily building over the past few years. The multi-billion-dollar sector, which encompasses therapeutic boarding schools, wilderness programmes and residential treatment centres, is supposedly designed to help young people struggling with mental health problems and substance abuse. And some claim it has saved them.
From documentaries and news reports to long reads, blogs, Reddit threads and social media posts detailing extensive neglect and abuse, the noise against the TTI is now deafening. Thousands of teenagers, largely in North America, have spoken out about their experiences, painting a disturbing picture of an industry that thrives behind closed doors.
The reality, however, could not be further from its glossy, seductive promotional materials.
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Mae Martin's Wayward exposes the dark world of 'troubled teen' schoolsBest series to watch on Netflix right nowRead on for the true story that inspired Wayward, in Martin's own words.
Is Wayward a true story?
"I think I was acting out in lots of ways, and I probably was in need of some kind of intervention," Martin told RadioTimes.com.
"But back then, it really was a time of Dr Phil sending kids to brat camp."
And although Dr Phil is often seen as a comedic figure, his name frequently surfaces in Reddit threads related to his role in promoting the TTI – and the comments are far from flattering.
"Both things are true, because he definitely is comedic," said Martin. "It's absurd. He's an absurd man. But it's sinister when you look into it [the TTI]."
"Her parents told her she was going to see David Letterman in New York, she was really pumped, and then she never came back," they explained. "We were all very panicked. It was deeply worrying."
"I remember getting a phone call, she had escaped and she was calling from a pay phone, and it was just crazy," they continued. It wasn’t until two years later that their friend finally returned.
Martin went on to acknowledge that they were "probably more in need of a radical intervention than she was".
Martin also recalled finding out that a drug counsellor they'd been seeing "would receive a commission for every child that he sent to one of these schools".
"I think that's really common," they added. "And I think whenever money is involved, and there's such an incentive for these schools to appeal to parents who are panicked and worried about their kids and trying to do the right thing, and they're so vulnerable to manipulation at that point, when someone's coming along and saying they have a solution, I can totally see why it seems like a fix-all."
Is the 'Leap' real in Wayward?
Martin has revealed that the Leap is fictional, but they did weave in "elements from cults in the ’70s" that they had read about during their research.
But one aspect of Wayward that will be recognisable to many is "Hot Seat" therapy – more widely known as "attack therapy" – a controversial form of psychotherapy in which participants engage in confrontational and aggressive exchanges to publicly humiliate one another, with a supposed view to growth and recovery.
"And in all of the books I read about it, the goal – and you don't get out of being in that hot seat until you break – is people identifying the things that you're most vulnerable about, the areas you might carry the most shame around, and then just digging, sticking the knife in.
Wayward is streaming now on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
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