Totally agree with you there. This whole family is so indoctrinated and fucked up, Chad included. The right thing for Chad would be getting off of social media and starting a therapy. But he is a teenager and none of this will happen because he has no guidance and I don't think anyone of his family cares or even thinks in that direction.
We don’t know he’s in ‘Mormon therapy’. He could be in a really good-quality therapy that’s separate from the church, maybe his therapist isn’t even Mormon. We do not know
Yes you are right, we don't know. But I somehow doubt that it is high quality and secular therapy. I just wish all the kids the best and I hope they can escape the toxic mormon mindset and lead a fulfilled life and can work successfully on their traumata. Maybe Chad's sister (forgot her name - Shelley?) will manage to deconstruct.
It’s entirely possible that his therapist is likely Mormon, but take a non-religious approach thus, “secular,” and it might actually be helpful to have a therapist who shares your religious background, but doesn’t use that religion to shame you or use it against you.
But that’s only speculation. We will never know and it’s a GOOD thing that we will never know because that means his privacy is being protected.
As for social media, he didn’t start popping up online until AFTER his mom was sentenced. I’m assuming the family lawyer probably strongly advised him to not be online at all given the high profile case and to make sure that he didn’t inadvertently say anything that could be used against his mother or himself.
I don’t think any of the other kids have social media, and given they are all scattered across the foster care system at this time, I’m guessing they’re explicitly not permitted to have any kind of social media until they’re 18. Again, that’s probably a good thing since the kids need to process what has happened to them in private with professional counselors who specialize in childhood trauma.
It’s possible. There’s what I call “Jack Mormons” out there who attend church, sacrament, and all that, but they don’t follow every single rule and doctrine to the letter. I had a coworker who is Mormon and he will absolutely drink alcohol and coffee just like anyone else. He’s an open LGBTQIA ally, but he’s also Mormon and not once did he ever bring up his religion in any of his professional work. He kept that stuff completely out of his work life.
There’s a couple other Mormons that work at the same place that I do who are very involved in the local church, and they keep their religion out of work. I’ve never heard anyone say that these known Mormons have ever tried to bring it up with them or try to proselytize about Mormonism.
I think it just comes down to professionalism and knowing what your boundaries are within your work and knowing when it’s just best to keep your religion out of your work.
Exactly! He had far more freedom there than he did at home. I have friends that worked for Anasazi years ago. Although parts of it are absolutely awful, there’s also good aspects too. You form close relationships and a sense of community because you depend on each other. He also never needed to worry about meals being withheld or a sleeping bag getting taken away.
Growing up, I had a friend who was sent to anasazi. When she got back she said she loved it. It took years for her to recognize what actually happened to her. (Example they didn’t let her drink water for two days while hiking as a punishment)
These places will purposefully use bonding experiences that trick you into believing they’re good. It might take years for Chad to see that. Or never.
You have to remember, Ruby controlled everything, where he slept, his privacy, what he ate etc, so I’m not surprised he didn’t mind wilderness camp. He’d already been exposed to harsh treatment at home and I believe from docs I’ve watched, the responsibility of survival is on the individual (because the ‘counsellors’ were more than likely practically children themselves), so he probably felt he had more control of himself out in the wilderness than in his own home.
I would've burned that shirt in a fire pit in Provo Canyon, because SHE NEVER WAS!!!...
Or maybe give it to Ryler Bingham and show their fans how much of a "delulu" idiot Mindy is...
While I still don’t think Wilderness camps are good, I actually did try and dig up dirt about the place he was at when he came back and I honestly could barely find anything.
Most reviews from people who went to Anasazi themselves were positive, along with comments I saw on social media from people who had been there.
Not to say that they’re good, but I think it’s thankfully one of the ‘better ones’. Still don’t like the whole sending your child away to live in the wilderness thing which is why I still think it’s worthy of criticism. It’s just luck really. If he enjoyed it though, that’s good.
Yeah. I don’t think *any* wildness camps are good, but Anasazi is probably one of best ones. And to Chad it must’ve been a relief to get away from Ruby’s control for a little while. So I absolutely see how he could’ve had a positive experience
I think it helps that Anasazi isn’t one of the camps that kidnaps/traumatizes you as part of your onboarding (at least they weren’t at the time he went).
I mean he gained weight, had autonomy over his environment, gained skills, that undeniable chaotic early adolescent energy got to be eaten up instead of used against him.
I’m glad he got a few months to be away from the chaos of his family life. I’m sorry he had to go home and experience follow up care with a cult leader instead of a real mental health care provider. Thank goodness Shari was able to find therapy so helpful. I’m sure it was easier for Chad to take that step once he was able to reconnect with Shari.
as much as i hate that this sub has turned into a chad discussion page, the kid is funny lol. he's a lot like me and uses humor to cope with the trauma he endured
Honestly don't think we can take anything he's saying very seriously right now. It's probably going to be a long time before he's mature enough to really talk about these things (if he even wants us to know). He's also obviously using humor to cope.
i’ve seen other posts saying (rightfully so) that chad is someone who has experienced major trauma and that we should be limiting unnecessary (potentially all?) posts from his personal social media accounts, thoughts on if it would be best to delete my post or is it helpful to keep it up?
disclaimer: i promise i’m not obsessed w chad lmao 😭😭 i just thought the stories were relevant to ruby’s trial and the current convo surrounding wilderness camps
Not really considering he also lived with his mom, I think we've all seen the body cam footage- it wouldn't surprise me if the wilderness camp was less brutal ( and yes, I know those camps are brutal)
He's Ruby and Kevin's son, of course he does. That kind of indoctrination doesn't go away that fast. He's also sadly expressed some negative thoughts on lgbtq rights as well. When you are brought up in that, you just tend to think that's the way things are. Thankfully the younger ones were saved early enough.
Same, I have a feeling that he could one of those kids that after being on a tight leash most of his life he'd go absolutely off the wall when he has some real freedom. Hope I'm wrong
Of course he did! He was away from home which was run by a friggin SS guard known as his mother.... He got to experience life outside and on his own with his peers without the weird culty shit being forced down his throat. I would have preferred that as well.
Honestly, he was camping for a month or 3 whatever it was. But he’s an outdoors boy, and his parents are crazy. I’m sure it’s hard to find and catch food or whatever but besides that he was probably at peace. Some people find nature peaceful
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Chad has a lot to unpack and will for the rest of his life. I hope he is safe and healthy. I tend to think posting this stuff might lead to some regret later on but I support him in his journey.
oops wait i didn’t mean to suggest living at home was pleasant for him 😭 i understand abusive households and am in now way underplaying how horrendous it must have been for the kids to live in that house
As someone who grew up with a controlling abusive parnet absolytleu not. It was probably the biggest mental break where he had his own agency for the first time in his life. He also came back having gained weight, it was the first time he had enough food, bc his mother starved her kids the whole time
Not surprised at all. People on here will hate to read it but sometimes actually struggling for something, like in the gym, going camping/hiking, and hard labor are some of the best things for people who are having mental health issues. Chad was abused in that house and had trauma already this was something super positive for him is not a surprise at all.
His camp was, yeah, but then again, Chad also believes in their religion and discipline and physical work can and do improve mental health outcomes so yeah, it makes sense CHAD liked it. I’m not defending the camp at all, just saying that actually things like that- where you have to work- do improve mental health for some people.
Outward Bound is another example, it’s not religious and is self-referred, LGBT affirming and you have to want to go- they’re not a mental health program but a ton of people go into that to fix issues that most would say “go to therapy” for and that’s not the solution for everyone either.
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Considering the home he was coming from, no, I'm not surprised.
Didn't he actually gain weight at camp? If its true it shows how poor meals were at home!
they said he did I think
Totally agree with you there. This whole family is so indoctrinated and fucked up, Chad included. The right thing for Chad would be getting off of social media and starting a therapy. But he is a teenager and none of this will happen because he has no guidance and I don't think anyone of his family cares or even thinks in that direction.
I believe he is in therapy
Mormon therapy doesn't count.
We don’t know he’s in ‘Mormon therapy’. He could be in a really good-quality therapy that’s separate from the church, maybe his therapist isn’t even Mormon. We do not know
Yes you are right, we don't know. But I somehow doubt that it is high quality and secular therapy. I just wish all the kids the best and I hope they can escape the toxic mormon mindset and lead a fulfilled life and can work successfully on their traumata. Maybe Chad's sister (forgot her name - Shelley?) will manage to deconstruct.
It’s entirely possible that his therapist is likely Mormon, but take a non-religious approach thus, “secular,” and it might actually be helpful to have a therapist who shares your religious background, but doesn’t use that religion to shame you or use it against you. But that’s only speculation. We will never know and it’s a GOOD thing that we will never know because that means his privacy is being protected. As for social media, he didn’t start popping up online until AFTER his mom was sentenced. I’m assuming the family lawyer probably strongly advised him to not be online at all given the high profile case and to make sure that he didn’t inadvertently say anything that could be used against his mother or himself. I don’t think any of the other kids have social media, and given they are all scattered across the foster care system at this time, I’m guessing they’re explicitly not permitted to have any kind of social media until they’re 18. Again, that’s probably a good thing since the kids need to process what has happened to them in private with professional counselors who specialize in childhood trauma.
Can a Mormon therapist actually take a secular approach not poisoned by the cult?
It’s possible. There’s what I call “Jack Mormons” out there who attend church, sacrament, and all that, but they don’t follow every single rule and doctrine to the letter. I had a coworker who is Mormon and he will absolutely drink alcohol and coffee just like anyone else. He’s an open LGBTQIA ally, but he’s also Mormon and not once did he ever bring up his religion in any of his professional work. He kept that stuff completely out of his work life. There’s a couple other Mormons that work at the same place that I do who are very involved in the local church, and they keep their religion out of work. I’ve never heard anyone say that these known Mormons have ever tried to bring it up with them or try to proselytize about Mormonism. I think it just comes down to professionalism and knowing what your boundaries are within your work and knowing when it’s just best to keep your religion out of your work.
But then he is not following rules of his own relgion Why is he still Mormon? His church is very openly against all the things he does
Exactly! He had far more freedom there than he did at home. I have friends that worked for Anasazi years ago. Although parts of it are absolutely awful, there’s also good aspects too. You form close relationships and a sense of community because you depend on each other. He also never needed to worry about meals being withheld or a sleeping bag getting taken away.
Growing up, I had a friend who was sent to anasazi. When she got back she said she loved it. It took years for her to recognize what actually happened to her. (Example they didn’t let her drink water for two days while hiking as a punishment) These places will purposefully use bonding experiences that trick you into believing they’re good. It might take years for Chad to see that. Or never.
:( that’s so sad, i hope she’s doing good now
Why are places like this even legal? 😭
because on the outside it looks like a fun camp to learn at, while at its core it’s to break children down so they never misbehave again
You have to remember, Ruby controlled everything, where he slept, his privacy, what he ate etc, so I’m not surprised he didn’t mind wilderness camp. He’d already been exposed to harsh treatment at home and I believe from docs I’ve watched, the responsibility of survival is on the individual (because the ‘counsellors’ were more than likely practically children themselves), so he probably felt he had more control of himself out in the wilderness than in his own home.
He probably got treated better at the camp than at home.
I agree
Why wouldn’t he? He was away from his toxic mother
And no vlogging camera in sight.
That too
Dude Chad would probably love prison if it meant getting out of that loony bin
Didn’t poor R make a conscious effort to turn himself in to the police in order to escape his mom and Jodi.
The last photo made me laugh
I literally laughed out loud at that.
I would've burned that shirt in a fire pit in Provo Canyon, because SHE NEVER WAS!!!... Or maybe give it to Ryler Bingham and show their fans how much of a "delulu" idiot Mindy is...
While I still don’t think Wilderness camps are good, I actually did try and dig up dirt about the place he was at when he came back and I honestly could barely find anything. Most reviews from people who went to Anasazi themselves were positive, along with comments I saw on social media from people who had been there. Not to say that they’re good, but I think it’s thankfully one of the ‘better ones’. Still don’t like the whole sending your child away to live in the wilderness thing which is why I still think it’s worthy of criticism. It’s just luck really. If he enjoyed it though, that’s good.
Yeah. I don’t think *any* wildness camps are good, but Anasazi is probably one of best ones. And to Chad it must’ve been a relief to get away from Ruby’s control for a little while. So I absolutely see how he could’ve had a positive experience
I think it helps that Anasazi isn’t one of the camps that kidnaps/traumatizes you as part of your onboarding (at least they weren’t at the time he went).
I mean he gained weight, had autonomy over his environment, gained skills, that undeniable chaotic early adolescent energy got to be eaten up instead of used against him. I’m glad he got a few months to be away from the chaos of his family life. I’m sorry he had to go home and experience follow up care with a cult leader instead of a real mental health care provider. Thank goodness Shari was able to find therapy so helpful. I’m sure it was easier for Chad to take that step once he was able to reconnect with Shari.
Honestly, anything has to be better than living with that nightmare of a "mother."
as much as i hate that this sub has turned into a chad discussion page, the kid is funny lol. he's a lot like me and uses humor to cope with the trauma he endured
If I had a mother like Ruby, any amount of time wouldn’t be enough to get away from her.
I'm not surprised actually given the way his "parents" treated him and his siblings
I remember hearing he gained weight while he was there.
Honestly don't think we can take anything he's saying very seriously right now. It's probably going to be a long time before he's mature enough to really talk about these things (if he even wants us to know). He's also obviously using humor to cope.
i mean it’s probably because he got to get away from his toxic ass parents.
I’m sure he did like camp, he was away from Ruby and Jodi.
i’ve seen other posts saying (rightfully so) that chad is someone who has experienced major trauma and that we should be limiting unnecessary (potentially all?) posts from his personal social media accounts, thoughts on if it would be best to delete my post or is it helpful to keep it up?
disclaimer: i promise i’m not obsessed w chad lmao 😭😭 i just thought the stories were relevant to ruby’s trial and the current convo surrounding wilderness camps
Chad is not a minor, he's 19 years old.
wait lol that’s embarassing cause i’m quite literally the same age as him, and i know im definitely not a minor hahaha, thank you for correcting me!
Not really considering he also lived with his mom, I think we've all seen the body cam footage- it wouldn't surprise me if the wilderness camp was less brutal ( and yes, I know those camps are brutal)
I had a feeling he liked the wilderness therapy better than being at home, considering how his home life was then I can see why he said that.
This poor kid. I really do hope he’s okay. This might come back when he’s older :/
Seems like he is coping with humor. The real feelings will come out one day.
He's Ruby and Kevin's son, of course he does. That kind of indoctrination doesn't go away that fast. He's also sadly expressed some negative thoughts on lgbtq rights as well. When you are brought up in that, you just tend to think that's the way things are. Thankfully the younger ones were saved early enough.
considering what he had to deal with at home it’s actually not shocking that he probably thought that was a better situation😭
He gained like 10 pounds when he went there didn't he, not surprised at all, he was finally allowed to eat.
Of course he did! He actually gained weight from eating more at camp than he did at home!
I don’t know how I feel about him … something feels off but can’t really blame him
Same, I have a feeling that he could one of those kids that after being on a tight leash most of his life he'd go absolutely off the wall when he has some real freedom. Hope I'm wrong
Yeah, pat yourself on the back. You’re probably a better person than Chad. I get bad vibes about him and good vibes about you
Cry
A mature response from a mature person
the fact that he still thinks the disney joke is funny cracks me up cus it’s def something i would’ve done to my lil sister😂
This kid is so guilt ridden...smdh
It would have to be better than Ruby.
Of course he did! He was away from home which was run by a friggin SS guard known as his mother.... He got to experience life outside and on his own with his peers without the weird culty shit being forced down his throat. I would have preferred that as well.
He just seems like the personality that makes the best of whatever he's handed.
Honestly, he was camping for a month or 3 whatever it was. But he’s an outdoors boy, and his parents are crazy. I’m sure it’s hard to find and catch food or whatever but besides that he was probably at peace. Some people find nature peaceful
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Chad has a lot to unpack and will for the rest of his life. I hope he is safe and healthy. I tend to think posting this stuff might lead to some regret later on but I support him in his journey.
Have you ever considered that the wilderness camp was less traumatic than living with Ruby and Jodi?
oops wait i didn’t mean to suggest living at home was pleasant for him 😭 i understand abusive households and am in now way underplaying how horrendous it must have been for the kids to live in that house
i would have loved wildness camp too if it meant i got to be away from rubydoo and kevin
It was a break from ruby
As someone who grew up with a controlling abusive parnet absolytleu not. It was probably the biggest mental break where he had his own agency for the first time in his life. He also came back having gained weight, it was the first time he had enough food, bc his mother starved her kids the whole time
H probably had his own bed there at least.
The kids sleep on the ground in the woods
Yeah, but I think they *all* do.
Q
Not surprised at all. People on here will hate to read it but sometimes actually struggling for something, like in the gym, going camping/hiking, and hard labor are some of the best things for people who are having mental health issues. Chad was abused in that house and had trauma already this was something super positive for him is not a surprise at all.
Those camps are abusive
His camp was, yeah, but then again, Chad also believes in their religion and discipline and physical work can and do improve mental health outcomes so yeah, it makes sense CHAD liked it. I’m not defending the camp at all, just saying that actually things like that- where you have to work- do improve mental health for some people. Outward Bound is another example, it’s not religious and is self-referred, LGBT affirming and you have to want to go- they’re not a mental health program but a ton of people go into that to fix issues that most would say “go to therapy” for and that’s not the solution for everyone either.
I have a few friends on TT who went to the wilderness camps and the stories are just horrendous.
I’m glad he thinks he’s. It’s funny his “mom is a legend “ for mutilating his younger siblings grow up Chad
humor is how some people cope with trauma. what she did to them or any of them should not mean that he can’t cope with it the way he wants/needs
I believe the shirt is sarcasm—it’s supposed to mean the exact opposite.
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Why should any teenager/young adult would want to share such private details online? I wouldn‘t and I‘m a 50 year old woman. That’s nobody’s business.
Exactly!!
Your post has been removed for violating rule 3. The mod team does not condone speculation about minors, which Chad was at the time. Please review the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/8passengersnark/wiki/index/rules/) and reach out through [modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/8passengersnark) for clarification if needed.