my name is [name withheld to protect privacy] i am a kid at [mental health facility, name withheld to protect privacy] this place sucks and is horrifying i do not recommend sending your kids here
HELP YOURSELF:
- Thank you for using Teen Central to let others know you are having a really hard time at your current placement. You have the right to let people know when you are unhappy or not getting what you need and have people work with you to try and resolve these issues.
- It’s really difficult to be away from home, family, friends, pets, everything familiar – PLUS treatment to recover from any problem, whether it’s a physical or mental health problem, takes hard work and can leave you feeling pushed beyond what’s comfortable. Anyone who’s ever gone through physical therapy for an injury or treatment for a mental health problem can probably remember a time during treatment that they felt tired, pushed too hard and wanting to give up. DON’T GIVE UP!! The work is hard, but the healing is worth it! If you’re in a 24-hour facility, you have someone there every minute of the day that you can talk to about what’s going on. It’s OK to not be OK. But it’s not OK to suffer in silence.
- Speaking of telling people hard things, have you told anyone in your family, or the staff at the facility, that you’re upset about your care? Just like you did with Teen Central, speaking up is the first step to others being able to help. Here at Teen Central, we can listen, make suggestions and guide you to good information that can help, but we aren’t there with you. That’s why we think it’s really important to start telling people what you’re thinking and feeling.
CONSIDER THIS:
- Every healthcare facility, including mental health, has a process for clients to let the staff know they have a complaint – sometimes they are called grievances. Consider asking a staff person you can trust to help you through the process of either telling someone what you’re not happy about, or writing it on a grievance form.
- Make sure you are taking care of yourself during this time – remember to stay in touch with family, take advantage of opportunities to do different activities (we know things everywhere have been limited due to the pandemic), and take a moment to breathe. Breathing mindfully can be really calming, especially if you practice counting and slowing your breathing. If you have an opportunity to look at the resources on Teen Central, you’ll see in our LEARN and TOOLS sections information about Wellness, Meditation, Yoga and other activities that can help you get through tough times.
