David Bowie’s Daughter Discusses Struggles with Treatment Centers

In a recent video posted to Instagram, David Bowie’s daughter, Alexandria “Lexi” Zahra Jones, shared her personal experience of being forcibly removed from her home as a teenager and placed in several treatment centers she described as “inhumane.” This occurred while her father was battling cancer.

“Thanks to therapy, I realized how much I had to fast-forward through my teenage years,” she remarked in the video. “Even though I was a teenager, I found myself wanting to be a teenager, just not in the traditional sense.”

Jones, the daughter of Bowie and supermodel Iman, began seeing a therapist before she turned 10, prompted by concerns from her parents and teachers. She recalled, “That was around the time I had my first anxiety attack.”

A few years later, her situation deteriorated. She said, “I started to feel depressed, like my heart was turning against me.” At 25, she spoke of struggling with school, feeling insecure about her appearance, and becoming bulimic at 12. “I started self-harming when I was 11,” she continued. “I didn’t know why I felt that way. I just knew I was miserable.”

Her father’s cancer diagnosis marked her breaking point. “I was angry, scared, and numb,” she said, reflecting on her turn to drugs and alcohol during that period. As her mental health worsened, she admitted to becoming abusive, seeking respect in ways that ultimately harmed others.

Jones recounted a particularly traumatic experience: her mother called her into the living room one morning, where her parents and godmother were waiting. “Then two men came through the door,” she explained, describing their intimidating presence. “They told me I could do it the easy way or the hard way. I chose the hard way.” She vividly described fighting back, screaming, and calling for help as she was taken away.

The men placed her into a black SUV, where she felt utterly terrified, unsure of her destination. When she reached the treatment center, she had her belongings searched, and was given unfamiliar clothing. “This wasn’t a camp. This felt like a weird cousin of boot camp,” she said, expressing the confusion of her situation.

During her three-month stay at the wilderness camp, communication with the outside world was limited to a weekly letter to authorized individuals. They cooked meals over an open fire and slept with minimal comfort. “We dug a hole in the ground far away from the site to use as a toilet,” she commented, feeling the ridiculousness of the rules imposed on them.

Although some aspects of the therapy proved beneficial, she noted a pervasive feeling of being dehumanized. “The point, it seems, was to strip humans of all their basic comforts and needs,” she said, “and force them to do the ‘right’ thing in order to regain some small privilege.”

After leaving the wilderness camp, she was sent to a residential treatment center in Utah for more than a year. Again, she faced similar rigid rules and felt an overwhelming sense of starting over. “It was like starting all over again,” she lamented.

Despite the various treatment facilities, she formed a strong bond with one of her best friends and found encouragement from a teacher who nurtured her interest in art. “All this happened while my father was back home and his illness was only getting worse,” she noted, expressing her desire to be with him during such a critical time.

Bowie passed away as she was participating in the program, a moment she reflected on poignantly: “I had a chance to talk to him two days before his birthday.” They expressed their love for one another, and while she accepted his passing, she admitted to grappling with feelings of guilt and wishing circumstances had been different.

After returning home shortly before turning 16, she found herself overwhelmed by newfound freedom, which led to old habits resurfacing. The cycle of moving between facilities left her feeling that her problems were being overlooked. “Every place seemed to be shaping me into something else I didn’t want,” she remarked.

In conclusion, she shared her aim in bringing awareness to the impact of such treatment facilities on individuals. “I went through something that no child should ever go through. But at the same time, I became a person I can be proud of.” She emphasized the unfairness of needing to learn about healing alongside academic subjects like algebra, stating, “This isn’t just a story about trauma; it’s about how I’ve built myself into who I am now.”

Though she remains vigilant about her surroundings, feeling guilty about her freedom at times, she ultimately expressed pride in her journey towards defining healing for herself.