Laurel Ridge Treatment Center

Reviews 3

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L C

If I could Id give Laurel Ridge a 3.5, but Ill be nice and round up to 4 because my treatment there was (somewhat) helpful. There was nothing exceptionally bad about it but also nothing extraordinary. I spent 2 weeks in the Laurel Ridge outpatient program after having been inpatient at another hospital (thus I cant speak on the conditions of the Laurel Ridge inpatient facilities). I was assigned to the "Mood" treatment track because I have depression, a mood disorder. Every patient will be given a suitable treatment schedule for their needs. I believe there are classes specific to things like substance abuse and people whove served in the military. Everyone is attended to by the same psychiatrist. Some patients, myself included, thought he was condescending and felt awkward with him. He mostly sits there quietly while you talk about your symptoms and such; sometimes he interjects with comments that can come off as rude or judgmental. The only useful thing he did for me was write me prescriptions. You wont get to speak to him very often, so be sure to remember everything you want to address when you do see him. Youll be assigned one therapist out of the 10 or so who work there. Some people found their therapists to be very helpful and good listeners. When your therapist is there you can talk to them at any time, but mine was often unavailable. My therapist didnt meet with me until my I was quite close to my discharge date. The daily schedule revolves around group therapy sessions, with groups happening from 8:30am to 3:00pm. You can arrive earlier than 8:30 if you want breakfast; all you have to do is go to the cafeteria or ask the staff for something. Lunch is also provided there. You dont have to pay directly for the food, so I presume its covered in the cost of treatment. I personally found the back-to-back groups to be a bit overwhelming. My attention span ended up running short by lunch. If you like structure and keeping busy, youll probably enjoy the packed schedule more than I did. There are 10-minute breaks in between the groups, but the breaks often ran much longer due to the staff not being very punctual. It was a bit bothersome when they were 15-20 minutes late. If you find group discussion therapeutic, I think youll enjoy it very much. Sometimes the groups can be very interesting, and theyre dull at other times. Youll find that some of the group teachers/facilitators are better than others, as Im sure is the case at any treatment center. There were definitely times when I genuinely enjoyed myself and felt I learned new and useful information. The topics consisted of things like DBT, crisis planning, recovery planning, coping skills, changing how we interact with others, understanding our triggers, and so on. If you prefer, you could probably learn about these topics on your own using Google and books. The "elective" classes happen after lunch and consist of things like physical activity, yoga, and art therapy. They seem to be aimed at helping people develop coping skills. The electives werent really necessary for me personally because I already learned that art helps me cope while I was inpatient. Dont quote me on this, but I think its possible to ask if you can leave at noon (they call this a half day) if you dont want/need the electives. Bottom line: This program may not be for you if you dont like waking up early in the morning and if you get overwhelmed by constant interaction with people. If you prefer more individualized treatment, I might recommend just going to see an outside therapist. But I have to say that being around other people can make a huge difference when youre depressed. I tend to isolate myself and going to Laurel Ridge helped a lot with my loneliness. I felt safe there and did not have suicidal thoughts as much as I would have being alone and not busy. So I could say the program helped me a lot in that regard. If you feel the need to be around others or crave structured days, then Laurel Ridge is worth giving a chance.

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Deb B

I had been the victim of domestic violence... but not the kind most people recognize. Emotional Abuse & not as much physical abuse were the tools used against me. Emotional Abuse includes Gas Lightning, Verbal Subterfuge, etc. Anyway I ended up attempting suicide & ended up as an inpatient at this treatment center. It was the best things that happened to me! There was a male wing on one side & a female wing on my side. Each had their own common areas & were separated at night & as needed. It was nice to set it up as 1 tv room & 1 craft & reading room so people could do as they needed. The staff was strict, but engaging & kind. There were classes throughout the day & recreation was a part of this with free time between. When I was there the there no chaplinsurance were available, but when some of us asked if we could get together to read the bible & sing hymn & worship songs we thankfully were allowed - *This was highly instramental in my & some othere recovery! All ages & all kinds of problems were together in my building. This gave a good perspective that problems can happen at anytime, but there is always an answer that is good as opposed to what brought us there. The classes gave me food for thought & doctors & one on one counseling all worked together. Some people, like me stayed only 5 to 7 days. Others were there for 30 days. What determined your length of stay was your progress & attitude. There were other units that had very different & more difficult cases, but they were not allowed to mix with others. In my unit were suicide attempts, drug & alcohol addictions, etc. It amazed me that so many of the women that had addictions had been molested as children or were raped at some point in their lives. The trama that they suffered seemed to never go away or would resurface due to a trigger. My heart broke for these women. All the different problems we had - helped each of us in that we realizedthat there were other problems than just our own. Anyway, the food was good & there were lots of options. Eating in the cafeteria mattered your progress, as well as time outside. It made it a goal! The outside is beautiful with trees, winding walkways & pockets of little park areas with nice flora in season. Visitors for lunch, in the garden or in the common rooms were allowed mattering progress as well. Another good goal. Phone calls were strict, but it was good not to talk on the phone & think about what happened in class. I noticed that those making phone calls had problems because the people they talked to didnt understand or were a part of the problem. When a phone call ends up with you upset or crying, its not worth it. Anyway I am alive & have not made another attempt in over 5 years & have no desire to do so. Im divorced & my children are all grown up. I have moved forward & it all started with my stay here. This place made a posative difference in my life.

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Sunshine Hyatt

My daughter was 10 years old when she went her. I filed complaint against staff in her unit for physical abuse! Why? They locked her in a padded cell and while she was screaming and yelling that she was scared they did so anyways...and while they tried to close the door they busted two of her fingers open and still closed the door even thought there was blood all over floor and she was crying worse! She was in this place two weeks or less before I pulled her out! The incident with her fingers was never reported by the staff! I came to see her the next day after this happened and this is how I found out! No phone call of the incident....nothing! The doctor she had put her on meds that she was allergic too. He continued giving them to her knowing this but decided to give her Benadryl to counter act the allergic reactions! I immediately called the doctor on his cell phone asked him what the hell he was doing? He then told me.... I told him...you better take my daughter off that crap ASAP or Im getting a lawyer! The point to all this....I know its hard raising a child with bipolar, adhd, odd, depression. After all this...I find out my daughter has "boarder line personality disorder" which mimics all the above. Unfortunate doctors refuse to diagnose our children with this being that they cant make money off them or use them as genie pigs! They say because they are young. Hello....young.... Your diagnosing them with mental illnesses that there are no blood work tests for or better yet no tests for! You cant see mental illness on Mri or X-ray or brain scan but rather yet just by listening to them! What is it world coming too! These places are rediculous and ruin our loved ones lifes as it had done mine! She is now and has been so terrified to seek help even though she needs it! Why...because she was the patient she knows what they did to her in there! Military school or a more therapeutic program that costs the parents $37,000 for treatment is way more better than these places! You cant even imagine what truly goes on behind closed doors! My daughter also had problems getting to bathroom while sleeping and wet herself...do you know when she asked to change they told her "no" and made her lay on the floor set in piss through the night without a blanket! This is all 100% true! If you can find another way, do so, dont put your loved one through this! My daughter is now 15 years old and she still remembers this place and how they treated her and the other children in there! It has stayed with her and has affected her life! The sad part...as parents...we cant go back and changed the past!