A patient at East Tennessee Behavioral Health in Knoxville, Tennessee shares her transformative experience, from having suicidal ideation when she arrived to putting in the work and reaching a point where she felt much better and could be discharged. She emphasizes the autonomy she had over her treatment: everything she did was on her terms. Thank you to the East Tennessee Behavioral Health team for your deep care for the patients you serve.
“I was here for six days and was treated fantastic. I was taken via ambulance due to suicide risk.
I was on the ‘mood’ floor, unit three, where people there are being treated primarily for mood issues and substance abuse, separate from those being treated for things like severe schizophrenia, etc. They put you with a roommate most of the time, but you don’t have to be in your room if you don’t want to, unless you’re sleeping.
The techs were AMAZING and always made sure you had everything you need. The doctors truly care. Everything you did was on your terms. Don’t wanna eat, go to group or take your meds? You don’t have to…but you should, to get better. I did, and the food was amazing. And you can ask about every medicine you take before you take it. You do have to have a doctor’s order to have any personal belongings, but those aren’t hard to get, and then it takes maybe a day or so for them to sanitize and log your things.
If you go to all the groups – which are very beneficial – time passes by quickly. They’ll give you any kind of activity sheet you ask for, there are games and puzzles and TV, and you can have books and a journal and pens. I will always recommend this place. They made me feel so much better.”