Parkwood Behavioral Health System

Attended PBHS in 2013. People rating 1 star should try the inpatient mental facilities on the West Coast (hint: there are none!). The staff is doing their best, they told us a few personal stories while watching those on suicide watch, stopped me from getting too close to a girl having an episode, and jumped over me at 2am to halt my neighbors suicide attempt in the dark (people get very creative!). Talk about a thankless and dangerous job yet very impactful to peoples lives!

The food is good, especially for a hospital. Its like a cafeteria with hot comfort food lunches, like chicken and mashed potatoes with a biscuit. One of the breakfasts tasted exactly like Mcdonalds sausage egg mcmuffin. The room itself is void of everything, sheets, art, anything you could hurt yourself with, but its not like you spend much time in there anyway, and if you are in there too long staff will shoo you out so you're not moping around. Its quite boring wandering in the community room and to the outside corner but it does force you to communicate with others for entertainment which is positive.

I went to group therapy, 1-on-1 doctor visits, and was lightheaded from adjusting to new medication most the time. I did not understand the "baby-ish" worksheets of coping mechanisms or silly art projects at the time but I have learned a great deal from that experience and those therapies such as the importance of socializing, opening up more, volunteering or choosing activities to not isolate yourself, do not self-dose your meds, and allow yourself to take "me" time and reflect on why am I feeling this way instead of letting the emotion overtake you.

Don't be a "repeat customer" of Parkwood, this facility kicks you off the ground but you need to put in the work with your own therapist, psychiatrist, and push the boundaries of your stressors to keep going.

It was a good experience. I felt that my therapist cared about me. They kept my family in the loop and helped me find ways to deal with some of the issues I was having. I appreciate them. They saved my life.