I found this bit really sad.
.....
There’s a cognitive dissonance to their predicament. And their parents have bought into it and reinforce it: this sense that these kids ought to be grateful for everything they have, and that failures, small and large, aren’t justifiable. Is it any wonder, then, that they grow up paralyzed, lacking the most elemental of life skills? It’s beyond entitlement—it’s a corrosive arrested development. Until they come to rehab, they can’t even come up with a rational narrative of neglect because they’ve been so coddled.
Agreed on the sadness. I don't really want to mock these people....if they can afford it, then why not? While 'affluenza' sounds pretty ridiculous, I've seen a little bit of it in person -- went to a preppy high school for two years. There was a lot of money floating around -- nice cars, big parties, expensive clothes -- but one guy in a class below mine was troubled, and ended up committing suicide years later. Having everything you could want materially eliminates a lot of potential issues, but doesn't equate to having everything a kid needs emotionally/psychologically.
In the face of a media that broadcasts the message that money and things are what make people happy, it's easy for us to pile on and pshhhh. But the MMM community knows that true wealth is in the freedom that money provides -- to spend time on our family, our relationships, our hobbies that bring joy -- kids raised in families that prioritize stuff and cash don't get to see that perspective.
I don't think that 'affluenza' should be the basis of a lighter sentence for a criminal defense...but I can relate to having everything I could need/want (albeit not at the trust-fund level) and carrying shame that despite my good fortune, I still have some depression. In a society that ranks people's problems in such judgmental fashion, someone with the 'rich people problem' of not feeling loved or valued might see their problems as not 'bad' enough to share in group therapy, knowing that the group includes people living below the poverty line.
On one hand it's throwing money at the problem, but it seems like they make an effort to get parents engaged in ways that could affect the relationships going forward. It also makes sense that having a zillion types of therapy in one place could help someone find what works best for them. Just too bad that not everyone has access to this level of care.
Certainly not Mustachian, but if it gets more parents to send their kids who need it to rehab, and actually helps the kids...why not send them somewhere that lets them know it's okay/normal to have problems that money doesn't solve? Definitely better than 'I'll buy you a new car if you stop doing this [destructive behavior]'.