Burning Tree Lodge

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My cousin had a very serious problem with drugs and alcohol. He had been in and out of rehab several times and was chronically relapsing. Our family sent him to Burning Tree. It was a much longer treatment program than he had been through before but worth it because I finally have my cousin back and he living a sober life and sticking to it.

As a former client of Burning Tree, all I can say is that their promotion of the facility is beyond misleading. I clicked on their web site to see if it had (finally) been updated, and I actually laughed at loud. They claim that it is a beautifully supportive environment where everyone learns together and laughs together, as though fun was even an option there. During the several months at Burning Tree, I remember laughing twice, and both times it was at how ridiculous the place was run. It's an institution. All personal freedoms are revoked upon admission. You turn in your ID, your credit card, and any cash you may have on you. If you leave before your (typical) 14 month sentence (which they never tell you upfront), they do not return these personal items to you. So you are basically left on the street with nowhere to go. The same procedure applies to those who are kicked out of the facility. If something were to happen to a client, I wonder how they would defend themselves in court? The standard of living was beyond subpar. Eight people were crammed into a tiny space in bunk beds and forced to share a tiny bathroom made for two with open toilets with no doors for privacy. If you have stomach troubles, be prepared for your explosion to be witnessed by many. I found the experience shaming and diminishing. They claim the goal is to dissolve the ego and open your mind to the teachings of the Big Book. However, the Big Book of AA itself never once instructs us to shame one another, and neither does it condone degrading one another, talking down to others from a moral hilltop, or forcing others to comply with our personal points of view. I found it hopeless, and I was especially frustrated with the poor quality of individual therapy. There is an overemphasis on the 12-Steps, without taking into account each client's personal, unique situation. You are all lumped together and not only is independent thought discouraged, it is punished. If you're considering going to this place, ask a LOT of questions before you do. Once you make the decision to go here, they will make every last effort imaginable to keep you confined within its walls for a year or more - although staff will likely deny this upfront. I, however, would discourage anyone thinking of going here. Despite what Burning Tree wants you to believe (that it is the last option available to avoid an alcoholic death), there are plenty of reputable long-term treatment centers across the country. Be aware of anyone who tells you that they are the only solution. Yes, it is a treatment facility that claims to offer support, but it is a business as well. Remember that.

Since Burning Tree keeps insisting on deleting its negative reviews (since there are so many), I'll keep it short and sweet. Inhumane, dishonest, unprofessional, and have been reported to the Better Business Bureau. Enough said.