My first experience was a really long time ago so I'm vague on it - showers without shower curtains (someone had tried to hang themselves and they hadn't worked out a solution yet), very low staff to patient ratio. Having to go to the cafeteria for food (don't remember the quality) and any snacks being locked up and having to beg for something.

There was one male patient who was very confused and needed to be on observation or a more secure wing and he'd move through the rooms and get confused and take your stuff out and throw them on different beds. This didn't happen to me but one patient was in therapy and started crying or screaming and the nurse burst in and interupted the session and told her to shut up (the doctor had been encouraging her to let out a lot of pent up anger).

Then there was the Queen Bee who'd been there awhile and she decided she didn't like me and I ended up shut out by everyone else. The social worker was nice.

Now, my last IP - the food wasn't bad - we got to pick what we wanted out of a limited menu and I started getting creative to make new things. We could get chips and stuff and keep them in our room plus there was kitchenette with drinks and healthy snacks. They are phasing out soda so that caused problems (it was caffiene free anyway) but you could bring your own food or have someone bring it. And if your food order got messed up or you got hungry you could order something else.

Groups weren't mandatory which is good because I really didn't like one therapist (she was nice just not my style). The only outside time was in this enclosed courtyard that was really small and it could get loud and not worth it for me.

When I was first in I was in a room wtih someone who was on one on one so I was too and that sucked. After a couple of promises of getting my own room I finally did. We could close our doors but there were checks every 15 minutes. And most of hte night staff was really respectful of us sleeping. Except for one prson (I don't know who) that as loud opening the door and left it on.

Very small area to walk in - 33 laps =1 mile (it was on the board). No one really watched tv much until I was almost out of there and then there were 2 patients really loud talkers who liked to watch tv at odd hours.