Aurora Charter Oak Hospital

I arrived at this facility attempting to make an appointment with a therapist, I had had a fight with my mother earlier that morning, and afterwards had had enough time to calm down, and to have lunch with my boyfriend, and consider the option of family counseling. I came to Aurora with my boyfriend seeking an appointment with a therapist, and the front desk staff told me they would take my insurance, so they told me to fill out some forms and I would see a therapist.

These forms were then used,12 hours after this fight occurred, and after five hours of waiting in the office, to place a 72 hour hold saying I was a danger to my self because I mentioned I had had suicidal thoughts when I was fighting with my mother. Although I was not suicidal after leaving my mother, or when walking into this establishment, this statement was harped on over and over to keep me there and charge me large amounts of money (now that I was admitted involuntarily, there was new information about NOT taking my insurance and me having to pay $950 a night).

I tried to make it clear that this wasn't my intention in visiting their facility and that I merely came there to make an appointment with a therapist. No one informed me that this could potentially happen to me by consequence of my seeking out information at this establishment. I still do not know why they had me fill out a form for in-patient care when I had come there only seeking information about mental health services.

I am a student and don't have $3,000 to pay for a 72 hour hold that was placed because of a dramatic comment I made in the heat of the moment of fighting with my mother, so me and my boyfriend had to run out the door and escape to avoid being trapped by this place.

About thirty minutes later, me and my boyfriend are at home watching TV and six police officers come to the door asking that I return to the facility or they will make me go to the facility by force. So I went with them.

Every time I asked to speak to a supervisor they treated me like I was crazy, and kept telling me I deserved to be there because I was "obviously there for a reason". When I calmly and clearly insisted that the intake nurse had made a mistake, they told me they would "strap me down and inject me" if I continued to complain. When I continued to ask for supervisors and leadership of the facility, I was ignored or treated like a crazy person. The nurses make fun of the mentally ill patients right in front of them, I guess assuming they are too unwell to understand. It was incredibly sad.

During my 2 day stay there, I was not allowed to speak to a Psychiatrist at any point. (I imagine b/c they were afraid their own doctors would affirm this care was unnecessary and excessive.) When I complained about not being allowed to see a psychiatrist to release the unnecessary hold, and asked to speak to the director of the facility, I was not allowed to speak to the director either. Eventually, because I was constantly asking to speak to supervisors and leadership, they transferred me to another facility which ended up being far more competent,

I was released within 24 hours of seeing a doctor. (He couldn't release me right when he met me because he did not know me, totally understandable). He did not recommend any medication, and did not diagnose me with any mental illness.

The simple fact that someone can wind up being in mental institutions for four days simply for seeking information at this establishment is staggering. The incompetence of this institution is staggering. Their willingness to victimize people for walking through their doors is terrifying. Please avoid this place at all costs if you wish to maintain your freedom and privacy. I have now had to tell about 70 people about my previous suicidal thoughts, in the attempt to file grievances on the state and local levels. This whole experience has been very violating, and recuperating from this traumatizing experience very much feels much like recovering from a rape or something. Now doing research on this facility, I'm finding reviews on yelp that people are tricked or manipulated into unnecessary inpatient care about once every few months.

I visited the administrative staff to file a complaint, and upon first speaking with them they originally apologized that this happened to me. When I asked to receive this apology in writing, they changed their mind and now claim they did nothing wrong. I asked about the numerous complaints on yelp that mirror situations similar to mine ( in terms of being duped into in-patient care when having arrived for something much different) and they hide behind the fact that they are a mental health facility, claiming the people who made these comments are mentally unwell or in denial, despite these reviews being written by family members of in-patients.

These people are dangerous and irresponsible and refuse to better their practices despite numerous complaints.