I had been in and out of treatment facilities since I was 13 years old. The longest time I spent in treatment was 10 months at age 16. The facility I will be describing was a place I was in for only one month, however, there is trauma I am still working through to this day. To help describe what I went through, I’m going to share my Google review I wrote back in 2016:
“I was a patient here for just over a month in June 2013. I am writing this review in 2016 because I am still dealing with the emotional trauma that I suffered while attending this facility. I am writing this because this is all I can do to warn others about the care here. If you love your child, please please please do not send them here. I was in the Magnolia cabin and it was the worst month of my life. I have been to other rehab facilities and I can say this facility was borderline abusive and not a place for any human being. According to this facility, everything is a privilege. I was denied food and bathroom “privileges” and I was traumatized by the way everyone around me was being treated. Scratching your arm (in the most innocent of ways) could eventually be led to being restrained. This place is most definitely hell on earth and I came out traumatized and much worse. If you have a loved one and are considering this place, I urge you to not come here. I would not be writing a review 2 years later if this was not something close to my heart to share. I went as far as to contact the head of whoever is in charge of this place with my complaints, and I received an email back stating that there would be an investigation and I would get the results. Needless to say, that never happened. Please don’t send your loved ones here- literally any other place would be better.”
As I have continued to process my experience at this facility, I have realized that the term “borderline abusive” does not do it justice. My experience was abusive. There is no scenario I can think of where throwing a child against a wall is okay. There’s no scenario where denying children basic human needs, such as food and a restroom, is okay. I was here when I was 15 years old and I am now 23 and still actively speaking out against this facility.
To clarify, I have been to multiple facilities and none of them were safe or productive in actually treating my issues (depression, suicidal thoughts, self-harm, etc.). This facility was just the most blatant in the abuse I endured. The biggest message I have for people is this:
Even though the stigma towards mental health is moving in a positive direction- the treatments for mental health (or anything trouble-teen related) are not even close to where they need to be.”