Note: the company is trying to silence the truth by reporting my 100% factual story.
My first week was great. Calmness and a feeling of extreme safety. It was going really well because the clients were easier clients to handle.
Then week 2 happened.
The house had a lot of turnover, with half the house discharging and a new batch of 6-7 clients coming in within 2-3 days.
One client who arrived has severe bipolar, and it was immediately clear that she was living in a manic episode due to being untreated for her bipolar. She passed the company’s “assessments”, was put in detox, and like all other clients was encouraged during detox to attend groups if she felt up to it.
From the first hour of her arrival, the house turned from a peaceful place to a very chaotic place, with this lady screaming, crying, shaking, and drowning out clients with her voice.
Every day for 4 days, I reported to a new staff member (to protect myself and the group) that this person was incredibly unwell, triggering clients, affecting my mental health/recovery and that of others, and incapable of understanding what she did. The onus to handle this was put unfairly on clients, and by day 6 it was clear that none of the staff really understood how chaotic those first 4 days with her were. What wasn’t clear at all was why a person with a severe, untreated mental health disorder was handled so lackadaisically by staff, as if a lion was released on us with no questions asked and slowly eating a group of sensitive addicts apart.
None of the staff did anything about each of my reports nor any of the reports by other clients who were experiencing the same thing. Not even a quick email that our mental safety was at risk because this untreated individual was let loose on all of us. Just lip service and a serious problem that went in one ear and out the other.
By day 3 I was entering a depression episode because handling this individual was exhausting and regularly triggering me. By day 5 I was curled up in a ball in bed, only capable of leaving my room for the bare necessities. By this point the lady was finally on medication that was somewhat helping her. Unfortunately for me, it was too late, my depression was getting worse, and I was realizing the staff’s complete lack of response was shattering my sense of safety at the facility. After all, if this was a regular occurrence, how would I be able to heal? It would be chaos on top of chaos, and that rips safety and trust apart.
The only staff member who genuinely understood me was Monica (a nurse). She apologized for the staff because she saw they did something really wrong. I was given a medical reason to take the time I needed to heal.
All hell broke loose on day 6. I was still very depressed, so I was only able to attend part of the first group. I went downstairs to distract myself, and a rude staff member told me I can’t watch TV and had to be in group no matter what (this is false and she did not care to know my medical reason). Given she never cared the reason, I made it clear my mind was going through hell and watching tv was keeping my mind away from “feeling like I want to die”. She takes this to the clinical director saying I said I want to die (I did not), and the director just assumed this was true. The director yelled at me saying I’m either going to a hospital for suicide watch or I’m in every group with no exceptions. Again, false because many clients skip group for many reasons that are perfectly acceptable. I was then told by my substance use counselor that I was making all of this up because my brain was putting me through withdrawal. I was done with the excuses and knew I had to leave for my safety.
Now the crazy part: they kicked me out and lied to my family, saying I was the problem, punching/kicking walls, wasn’t taking my meds, never going to group, and that the lady in question was sent to the hospital 3 days before. Not a single word of this was true.
I now have no options. This place has possibly ruined my life to protect their pride at all costs.
