Unsilencing the Survivors of the Troubled Teen Industry

⚠️ Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of institutional abuse, medical neglect, and trauma experienced by survivors of the troubled teen industry. Please listen with care.

This one’s heavy—but necessary. In this gripping episode, Lyndsay Soprano sits down with Meg Appelgate to expose the disturbing realities of the troubled teen industry—a multi-billion-dollar machine built on silence, shame, and survival.

Meg shares her personal story of being institutionalized as a teenager, detailing the abuse, medical neglect, and psychological control she endured under the guise of “treatment.” From attack therapy to forced circle sessions, this conversation pulls back the curtain on an industry that claims to help struggling youth but often leaves them with deeper wounds.

Lyndsay and Meg dig into the lack of evidence-based practices, the systemic failures that keep these places running, and the long-term physical and emotional toll they take on survivors. They talk about how trauma isn’t just something you move past—it lives in the body, demands attention, and deserves to be addressed with care, not cruelty.

But this isn’t just about exposing what’s broken. It’s about amplifying the voices of survivors and advocating for real change. Meg shares how her organization, Unsilenced, is helping others reclaim their stories, seek justice, and hold the industry accountable.

Tune in if you’re ready to hear the truth behind the troubled teen industry—and why it’s time to stop sending pain away to be fixed behind closed doors.

Find Meg Appelgate Online Here:
Instagram: @megappelgate
Facebook: Meg Appelgate
LinkedIn: Meg Appelgate
Website: megappelgate.com
TikTok: @megappelgate
Book: Becoming Unsilenced

Find The Pain Game Podcast Online Here:
Website: thepaingamepodcast.com
Instagram: @thepaingamepodcast
Facebook: The Pain Game Podcast
LinkedIn: Lyndsay Soprano
YouTube: The Pain Game Podcast

Highlights:
(00:00) Introduction to Chronic Pain and Trauma
(01:04) Personal Trauma and Its Impact
(03:45) The Troubled Teen Industry: An Overview
(05:34) Meg's Abduction and Institutionalization
(09:12) The Dark Side of the Troubled Teen Industry
(11:33) The Long-Term Effects of Institutional Abuse
(13:46) Experiences Within the Institutions
(18:44) The Cult-like Environment of Chrysalis
(23:09) The Psychological Manipulation and Control
(28:32) Medical Neglect and Its Consequences
(34:15) Life After Institutionalization
(37:47) Healing and Advocacy
(45:46) Conclusion and Call to Action