I was sent here after being threatened by a brand new APRN who had no relevant experience in mental health issues and didn't bother to ask about safety plans or actual suicidal intent. She forcibly took away my ACTIVELY TASKING service animal, and threatened me with police action - which as a survivor of abuse resulted in me shutting down and dissociating.
While there I was given a PRN anti-anxiety medication with known and SEVERE possible interactions with my anti-depressants that could have caused significant medical issues. I was not given a suicide risk assessment until almost 48 hours later, despite the fact that it is required more frequently - the discharge paperwork was signed and dated before my only SRA was completed.
I was strip-searched and threatened with violence for sighing. I was denied my own clothing back, and during the course of my stay, no fewer than three nurses and two male patients made inappropriate sexual comments about the clothing I was given. These nurses also ignored the information on my triggers and utilized specific phrasing that had been marked at intake as things to not say to me.
Because my service animal was not present with me, I had a full autistic meltdown due to violations of my personal space, was frequently touched in areas that have nerve damage and are very painful for me to be touched at, and engaged in self-harmful stimming because I was not alerted to what I was doing so I could stop. I ended up with multiple additional scars on my arms from scratching at my skin (something which I do without noticing when I am overstimulated or stressed). No nurse or provider noticed or did anything to stop it, or provide first aid after the fact.
The group sessions were a load of hot garbage. They primarily focused on things which patients had no way of implementing, such as significant dietary changes or exercising out of doors. Additionally, a lot of the information was significantly out of date or incorrect, such as claiming that depression can be caused by caffeine (there is no known link between the two), or that all carbohydrates make depression worse ( refined carbohydrates, such as white bread and soda, have been linked to depression in post-menopausal women, but unrefined carbs are not, and there's no known link between unrefined carbs and depression when eaten in a balanced diet). Ironically, a majority of meals offered were high in processed sugars and refined carbs - deep-fried shrimp and preserved peaches, fried chicken tenders, sugary cereals, etc. As a person who needs to eat a fairly strictly balanced diet due to physical health issues, it made my overall health worse as well.
There were exposed cords in several areas, and the staff handling medication dispensation didn't pay attention to allergies. I have an anaphylactic reaction to ibuprofen, and was offered... Ibuprofen for pain caused by a severely sprained ankle. If I had been actively suicidal I not only could have killed myself in this hospital, but would have been actively aided by the staff, since they openly admitted to not having any epipens or albuterol inhalants on site when I pointed out that they offered a medication that could kill me.
Despite purportedly being a "voluntary" admission, I was denied the ability to check myself out, which is considered a felony charge for false imprisonment. I was threatened repeatedly with violence by the "therapist" present during a twenty minute meeting, and he lacked any relevant knowledge on autism, trauma, and comorbid issues which affected previous treatments I have received. He attempted to switch my anti-depressant to Lexapro, ignoring the information provided in my medical charts which clearly state that Lexapro was not an effective medication for my depression and that it had severe side-effects on me.
I was discharged after 48 hours, with no changes to my medication, no useful resources, three open wounds, and new additional trauma to add to my pile from being sexually harassed, threatened repeatedly with violence, being forcibly taken from my medical equipment, and being strip-searched.
Unfortunately I cannot directly sue Prairie St. John's for this because they have a disclaimer present on intake paperwork which I was coerced into signing, again under threat of violence. This is the last place anyone who needs any form of help should be sent to. They are a disgrace to the mental health field, and they have no appropriate oversight or checks in place to prevent medical malpractice or abuse of patients. read more