Southern Virginia Mental Health Institute

“My long term boyfriend has been here for a little over a month. I’ve been having the worst experience with this place and so has he. The security guards are absolutely unprofessional and cruel. They listen to our conversations and laugh at us, I’ve seen and heard them mock him, and I have also seen them purposefully try to agitate him. I feel as though he and other patients are getting bullied by staff. This includes the nurses. He told me he was woken up in his sleep by multiple nurses forcefully injecting him. Those shots are only for when they are very agitated, so why do it when he’s asleep? He was slammed on the floor twice by security as well for minor reasons. He has been better and doing well for weeks now and his last hearing went so well the judge and lawyer said he didn’t need to be there anymore but the “doctor” (Vance to be specific) said they “had” to keep him longer to tweak the medications around. More? Why? All of his symptoms have almost gone away completely and he is no longer a danger to himself. So why is he still there and getting penalized for having negative feelings about being held against his will as if that isn’t totally normal? I am hurt and confused by this whole experience and by the complete lack of compassion these people have for the patients and their loved ones. My heart is breaking more by the day.”

“Would give 0 if that was an option. My mom is there and they are of zero help to her. She can't drink the water because it's gross city water and is making her sick. She's in pain. Can't sleep. Lost 8 lbs since last week. They're barely coaching or counseling her. She's not allowed to have a ginger ale In the DINING ROOM, made her throw it out. She has a lot of physical pain and they couldn't care less. She can't heal mentally in this place. I'd love nothing more than to have her transferred. You guys SUCK”

“My son was there for 6 months and was worse when he was discharged. I left several messages to talk to his doctor and he NEVER called me back. 6 months and I never talked to him. This is the worse hospital my son has ever been in and he’s been in many. If he ever gets sent there again I will get a court order to have him transferred to another hospital. One of his meds was causing organ damage. It got so bad through his blood work results they did a cat scan and mri and the doc still prescribed the med that was causing the problems. I truly believe Dr Martin didn’t care what happened to him. If at all possible stay clear of the awful hospital!”

“I came there as a patient at the end of February and thought that place was messing my mind up worse than it was before going into that place! I caught the corona virus and was the last person on corona unit ..last female by march 2021! I have copd and felt this place was trying to kill people! after receiving treatment, I learned it was hard to face reality , but the help of other patients and even staff made me want to change so I dint end up in a place like that again! I was such a toxic person before I went in there! I found while in there that I want to learn more about basketball and writing and reading! I have learned about good coping skills and to always take my meds and how to get out of stressful situations and overcome them! I got out that place in a month and a half! I have a whole new perspective on life!”