Exposure Therapy

The idea of rumspringa is a very dangerous one, but for that reason, it is also strikingly effective. When Amish children turn 16 and are allowed to live like the "English", the reality is that they will do so in a hyper-real sense. A life of restriction will lead them to heavily experiment with those vices they had previously been forbidden to engage in. Several consecutive nights will be consumed by the consumption of alcohol, cigarettes, and illegal drugs, a pattern of behavior that would exhaust even the most rambunctious American teenagers. For those Amish teens who copiously abuse substances, an inevitable association between rumspringa and heavy partying will be created; they may even begin to see this as the dominant activity in the "English" way of life. And more often than not, this association will be a very negative one, due to the unpleasant after-effects that drug-intake can engender. They may supply the user with a highly elated mood, or even a state of intense euphoria, but this will ultimately come at a cost, be it in the form of a hangover, an unfulfilled drug craving, or withdrawal symptoms. This new way of life compared to their Amish counterpart is surely like night and day, and rumspringa is probably a huge shock for them. It is true that some do choose to leave, but it seems that their reasons go beyond desiring the freedom to party hardy. For those who really had no qualms with the Amish faith and just wanted to experience the "English" lifestyle, rumspringa will most likely be a fun yet ultimately undesired way of life.