The author wrote his autobiography Boy Erased: A Memoir — which was eventually adapted for the 2018 film Boy Erased — about his experience with conversion therapy. "I had believed there were actual demons possessing me," he previously told BBC News. "I had lived 18 years of my life in this almost cultish environment. It was cult-lite." On his parents having him undergo the therapy, he added, "Yes, my parents made a terrible mistake which could have cost me my life. But they didn't know what they were doing to me. It's why I do this advocacy work. It's so important for people who may be considering this for their own kids."