Podcast Summary: Something Was Wrong – S24 Ep17: Wounded

Host: Tiffany Reiss | Guest: Terry | Date: October 15, 2025
Theme: This episode of "Something Was Wrong" features Terry, a mother recounting her family's devastating experience with the troubled teen industry—specifically, her decision to send her son, Anthony, to the Academy at Ivy Ridge. Terry speaks candidly about being misled by the school, the trauma her son endured (including sexual assault), and his eventual suicide. The episode is an exploration of manipulation, parental regret, trauma, survivor advocacy, and the ongoing fight for accountability and change.

Main Themes and Purpose

• Parental Desperation and Deception: Terry’s well-intentioned but ultimately tragic decision to place Anthony in a “troubled teen” facility.
• Exposure of Abuse: The documentary nature of the episode seeks to reveal the painful realities of the troubled teen industry, from psychological manipulation to outright abuse—including sexual assault.
• Lasting Trauma and Loss: The long-term effects of institutional abuse on survivors and their families, culminating in Anthony’s untimely death.
• Advocacy and Healing: Terry’s efforts to honor Anthony’s memory through activism and her relationships with other survivors.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Terry’s Story: From Seeking Help to Unimaginable Loss

• Background & Anthony’s Early Life (01:43–07:00)

  • Terry describes Anthony as a fun and loving child with a close family bond.
  • After losing weight, Anthony’s abrupt change in behavior (likely related to steroid use) concerned Terry, leading to outpatient counseling and attempts at intervention.
  • Anthony’s substance use escalated, complicated by a traumatic car accident that led to exposure to painkillers despite Terry’s warnings.

• Searching for a Solution (07:00–10:49)

  • Feeling powerless and desperate, Terry hears about WASP (Worldwide Association of Specialty Programs) through a school counselor-in-training.
  • The Academy at Ivy Ridge is selected due to location and cost, but was still financially overwhelming—requiring a second mortgage on their home.
  • Dramatic moment (09:30–10:49): Terry recounts the traumatic teen transport:
    “He was begging me not to send him, but I sent him...I have to live with that for the rest of my life.” – Terry (10:46)

Deception and Realities Inside the Program

• Cult-like Conditioning & Lack of Communication (10:49–12:48; 14:12–15:38)

  • Terry details deeply limited communication with Anthony, who had to “earn” a call home after several months.
  • Parents underwent emotionally taxing seminars:
    “When I look back, it definitely was cult-like...At the time I felt they were all for this really, really tough love and I’m like, well, I guess I was doing it wrong, because I’m a sap.” – Terry (14:25)

• Graduation & Aftermath (15:38–16:50)

  • Anthony received a “fake” diploma from Ivy Ridge and a real diploma arranged via his home school.
  • He leaves the program after 7.5 months but remains changed and scarred.

The Lingering Pain: Trauma, Secrets, and Loss

• Anthony’s Struggles and the Revelation (16:50–26:00)

  • Anthony’s experience at Ivy Ridge is rarely discussed, but he expresses deep resentment and emotional distance.
  • He achieves some milestones (including graduating from UNLV), but depression and instability persist.
  • Unforgettable moment (20:49):
    “He said, ‘You know, Mom, you think Ivy Ridge was so good. He told me that he was sexually assaulted. And he said, I’m not going to say anything else about it. He was embarrassed.’” – Terry (20:49–21:56)
  • The weight of this confession devastates Terry, as she realizes the magnitude of Anthony’s pain and her role in his placement at Ivy Ridge.

• Anthony’s Final Days (22:00–30:10)

  • Terry’s recount of the last days and hours with Anthony is heart-wrenching. Communication is laden with sorrow and finality.
  • The call, the text—“I love you, Ma.”—and the subsequent suicide leave a permanent scar.
  • The family’s decision to donate Anthony’s organs, striving for meaning amid devastation:
    “They said it could save up to 50 people and help them. We have to do it. And that was hard, but we did it.” – Terry (28:30)

Memory, Advocacy, and Coming to Terms

• Legacy and Reflection (30:10–36:12)

  • Terry wants Anthony to be remembered for his kindness, humor, and loving heart.
  • She speaks to the lack of accountability of troubled teen programs:
    “They destroyed my family...I can't even believe people could be that dastardly.” – Terry (32:10–32:55)
  • Guilt and “what ifs” haunt her, especially after learning (too late) of the widespread nature of abuse in these programs.
  • Survivor support and advocacy become her path for healing and meaning.

• Power of Survivor Community (36:12–42:29)

  • After Anthony's death, Terry connects with other survivors and families; she finds solidarity and friendship, especially at a survivor gathering in Ogdensburg.
  • She is moved by how many parents still refuse to believe their children’s stories:
    “The worst part about all this is some of the young men and women told me that their parents still don’t believe them, even after the documentary. That floored me.” – Terry (40:55)

Ongoing Fight for Justice

• Continuing Anthony’s Legacy (42:29–44:06)
  • Terry commits herself to advocacy, supporting legislation and survivor-led efforts:
    “I will fight for him till the day I die.” – Terry (43:54)
  • Tiffany supports and affirms Terry’s efforts:
    “It’s a great honor to speak with you...in hopes that we can continue to try to make change and get every single one of these fucking places shut down.” – Tiffany (43:26)

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On parental regret:
  “It’s terrible when you think you’re doing something to help your child and it doesn’t have a happy ending.” – Terry (03:06)

• On the reality of troubled teen programs:
  “Absolutely. Anything in my mind I could think of that was bad that would happen was probably a one on a scale to one to ten. And what actually happened was ten plus.” – Terry (10:53)

• On survivor community:
  “The survivors are my favorite people in the whole world...how much they want to comfort me when I’m the other side, but they embrace me.” – Terry (38:20)

• On the industry’s lack of accountability:
  “Nothing has happened to them. They just get richer. They’re told to close their schools, they close and they reopen. Sometimes at the same location under a different name. And they just keep scamming people.” – Terry (31:57)

• On never being free of the pain:
  “I’m never going to be free again. I’m always going to carry it, and I’m always going to have that memory.” – Terry (41:25)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:43] – Terry introduces herself, her son Anthony, and the painful backstory.
• [07:00] – Decision to seek out troubled teen facilities.
• [10:46] – The traumatic forced transport to Ivy Ridge.
• [14:12] – Terry describes the cult-like parent seminars.
• [15:43] – Anthony’s time at Ivy Ridge and attempts at graduation.
• [20:49] – Anthony discloses sexual assault at Ivy Ridge.
• [22:00]–[30:10] – The events leading to Anthony’s suicide, and its immediate aftermath.
• [30:24] – Terry reflects on Anthony’s memory and laments the industry’s impunity.
• [36:12] – Terry’s connection with survivor community and journey toward activism.
• [43:54] – Terry's lasting commitment: “I will fight for him till the day I die.”

Tone and Language

• The episode is raw, emotional, and honest, told in Terry’s own words, with minimal editorializing from host Tiffany.
• Both speakers emphasize compassion for survivors and intense criticism for the troubled teen industry.

Conclusion

"Wounded" is a powerful portrait of maternal love, loss, and accountability. Through Terry’s heartbreaking but candid narrative, listeners gain an unvarnished look into the troubled teen industry’s manipulations, the destructive power of institutional abuse, and the ways trauma echoes across generations. The episode closes with a call for action and solidarity: Terry’s resolve, survivor advocacy, and the urgent need for reform.

“They destroyed my family...I will fight for him till the day I die.” — Terry

For more information, content warnings, resources, and survivor stories, visit the episode notes at Broken Cycle Media.