I attended pathways psychiatric center from March 6th, to March 13 2021. Even though it wasn’t a WWASP program, they for sure used their techniques. I remember before I got sent there, I was really depressed and had undiagnosed ADHD and anxiety which caused me to fall behind in school. My parents didn’t know what exactly was happening but my sister did. She was the person I told everything to. Anyways, one day I see my councilor and I tell her about my suicide attempts and s/h. She recommends I go to Pathways center which sounded kind of nice because she made it seem like I’d have lots of fun. When I get to Pathways, I have no idea what the hell is going to happen to me. I figure maybe they’ll talk to my parents about some coping strategies and then let me go home. Instead, they take me aside, ask me questions, then grab me and force me into a room where I would wait for what seemed like an eternity. After, I was sobbing my eyes out as they did an evaluation where they did a strip search and asked me personal questions. I entered in the building, and already I was swarmed with questions by the other kids that were in there. Yes, we were aloud to talk and walk freely. However, what I would experience, would stick with me for a lifetime. Every night that I was there I had panic attacks, which later I found out was because they gave me the wrong medication. I once saw a girl there that had been there for 4 years yell “I just want to fucking kill myself!” And she was restrained with way more force needed and they put a needle in her neck also known as “the booty juice”. There was this other boy that went there and he threatened to rape my best friend and the night he was supposed to go home, they restrained him while he was screaming. Meanwhile, I was in the dayroom covering my ears sobbing, wanting to go back home. The people there also told me if I kept crying, that they would make me stay longer than a week. (a week is the shortest time you can be there) Two days before I got out, the woman told me I was leaving a day early since I had “good behavior”. But I ended up staying there for the full week. Although my story isn’t as bad as the others, I felt like maybe some of you could relate to this (maybe). We only got 10 minute phone calls and everyday I would beg my mom to take me out. There’s a lot more that happened but that’s not as important I don’t think. These were the worst of the worst. I hope everyone that ever went to a place that is too traumatizing to say, that your justice will be serve. I love you and keep fighting. 🙂
-Ava
16 years old
