Brattleboro Retreat

Having been a patient at the Brattleboro Retreat recently I want to give a "shout out" to all the Staff and workers. This institution is amazing. The Staff of experienced, top notch counselors have given me tools to use to manage my illness. I am

I stayed here 10 years ago. I still suffer from the trauma from being here and have PTSD from my experience as well. Please never send anyone you love here.

Never leave your adolescent child here, it was our last resort and in hindsight we never should’ve walked away from the facility. Biggest regret in my entire life. Don’t use it.

I went there for detox for alcohol, it really fools you when you go in. You go through a lovely lobby and the building looks nice, however, when they take you to your floor you feel like you are going to prison. I was told I would have a single room and it was a double, it was winter and I froze and had to keep asking for blankets everyday I was there (5 days), they took most of my clothes because it was a safety hazard which I understand but when I asked for some pants from their \"boutique\" I had to wait 2 days. You have to ask to go the bathroom or get drinks or snacks which again, I get but you are ignored by many of the staff and may have to wait over a half hour to go to the bathroom and you will end up hoarding snacks because you never know when they will get to you. Some of the staff were awesome, very caring and you could tell they cared about the patients and their health. But some of the staff treat you like garbage, one nurse in particular seemed to think it was hilarious to come in my room in the early morning and shout my name very loud to tell me it was time to take my morning medication. It wasn\'t 9 AM, it was 6 AM at the latest, and when I brought it up to the nurses when I got up early to ask for those meds one of the nurses laughed and said. \"yeah, that was me\" and she did it AGAIN 2 other times. There is not nearly enough time spent on 12 steps and rehab but they did just shut down the other floor that is specifically for detox. OH! and it was truly lovely that a longtime patient would come up to you and show you her...unmentionables. Not a fan.

My daughter has been twice and neither time have they done anything except coach her on what to do and say in order to get released. Any time I was able to get in touch with her for phone calls, she was in a common room with so much background noise we weren’t able to really talk. I pray we find a facility where she can get the support she needs, because it wasn’t Brattleboro.