FauxLiz
Diamond Member
@Blondie2544 i actually live in Michigan so I had to travel a ways to get there I will be honest I have never even visited SP so I can’t compare the two but the staff at River Oaks are amazing.
Has anyone been to sheppard pratt's trauma program?
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Blondie2544
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at this point, having so much time has gone by, I am switching my focus to River Oaks. I don't like to fly and I have no idea how I will get my shampoo and stuff down there with the flight rules. But, I know I need the help and I believe I will be able to get the help I need at River Oaks. I can not thank you enough for your input.
FauxLiz
Diamond Member
Okay a couple of things to consider when I was there in May another patient had ridden a Greyhound bus to New Orleans from somewhere in New York State. It was a two day bus trip that they wouldn’t recommend but an option. You could also consider Amtrak train service if it is possible again going to take longer either way but not flying. As for getting shampoo and conditioner there if you fly, if you check your bag there isn’t a limit on those items in checked bags. If you don’t check a bag you can have them sent to you USPS, UPS or FedEx the package will have to be opened in front of staff but is another way even shipped from Amazon, Target, Walmart etc. Just a few ideas remember when flying the 3oz or less per item only applies to carry on not checked items.
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Blondie2544
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I was at the Therapist today, and my Parents asked my sister to fly with me. Which adds a whole new level of complication to things.
She is lecturing me on how to act on the place and to control my emotions etc. I am trying not to be too scared about going, and to add all of this on top is more than i need to deal with right now. I know they will have to change my meds, which is scary for me. I was there in2014 and lasted 5 hours before I demanded that they let me leave. B/c the weekend nurses where ignoring my meds, my xanax had run out and I was freaking out with out it. it was just bad. So trying agian is hard,,,,reallly hard
I did think about shipping those things by the way.
She is lecturing me on how to act on the place and to control my emotions etc. I am trying not to be too scared about going, and to add all of this on top is more than i need to deal with right now. I know they will have to change my meds, which is scary for me. I was there in2014 and lasted 5 hours before I demanded that they let me leave. B/c the weekend nurses where ignoring my meds, my xanax had run out and I was freaking out with out it. it was just bad. So trying agian is hard,,,,reallly hard
I did think about shipping those things by the way.
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Blondie2544
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Hello FauxLiz,
I am going to River Oaks, I am terrified. I think they can help me. But getting there is the issue, and the thought of it being a locked unit is scary. I am sorry, I have never been so far from home. My trust issues flare when I am upset. Any info you can give me would be great. I am trying to ease my fears. What is a day like at river oaks? you can pm me if you want.
lux.
Bronze Member
Hey. Did you end up going to River Oaks? I'd love to hear about it if you did. I've been to Sheppard Pratt four times, I think. It typically took like a week to hear back from them regarding the admissions decision and 2-3 weeks for the waiting list. But my psychiatrist said that it's been taking longer than usual recently and that they are denying a lot more people for seemingly trivial reasons. I could tell you more about it if you're interested. I really loved it there.
My last time at Pratt was probably about 2 years ago. I had issues with eating disorder behaviors there, and they really don't like that. So I tried to apply again maybe like a year ago and they denied me. I really need to be inpatient again, but I doubt they'll take me as I'm having the same issues as when I was rejected, so I'm going to just have to go to a normal crisis stabilization unit for a short period of time and hope that's good enough. I don't know if River Oaks would be an option for me because I can't afford a plane ticket.
When I was at Pratt, some patients talked about another trauma facility, which I think they said was in NOLA (but it might have been the one in DC), where their philosophy is to just have everyone talk openly about details of their trauma all the time, even in group settings. They all said that this triggered them terribly. And I have only told 1 therapist (and no non-therapists) about the most significant trauma in my life, so I would not like it at all. Pratt's philosophy is the complete opposite. You don't even really talk about the details of your trauma in individual therapy. They try to provide a unit completely devoid of triggers--you can pretty much only watch children's movies, they censor your reading material, they don't let people talk in graphic detail about anything, etc. You do still learn skills to deal with triggers on the outside, of course. Their philosophy is that you're in crisis, so you need to be stabilized by learning skills before you can start actually dealing with the trauma.
Please be aware that most patients at Pratt have DID. Pretty much everyone has a dissociative disorder. They focus on dissociation more than anything else, and talk about "parts" a lot.
My last time at Pratt was probably about 2 years ago. I had issues with eating disorder behaviors there, and they really don't like that. So I tried to apply again maybe like a year ago and they denied me. I really need to be inpatient again, but I doubt they'll take me as I'm having the same issues as when I was rejected, so I'm going to just have to go to a normal crisis stabilization unit for a short period of time and hope that's good enough. I don't know if River Oaks would be an option for me because I can't afford a plane ticket.
When I was at Pratt, some patients talked about another trauma facility, which I think they said was in NOLA (but it might have been the one in DC), where their philosophy is to just have everyone talk openly about details of their trauma all the time, even in group settings. They all said that this triggered them terribly. And I have only told 1 therapist (and no non-therapists) about the most significant trauma in my life, so I would not like it at all. Pratt's philosophy is the complete opposite. You don't even really talk about the details of your trauma in individual therapy. They try to provide a unit completely devoid of triggers--you can pretty much only watch children's movies, they censor your reading material, they don't let people talk in graphic detail about anything, etc. You do still learn skills to deal with triggers on the outside, of course. Their philosophy is that you're in crisis, so you need to be stabilized by learning skills before you can start actually dealing with the trauma.
Please be aware that most patients at Pratt have DID. Pretty much everyone has a dissociative disorder. They focus on dissociation more than anything else, and talk about "parts" a lot.
EveHarrington
VIP Member
Whoa, everyone talks about trauma openly? That’s crazy! Triggering each other, not to mention the fact that all that talk wouldn’t necessarily be processing and moving forward....Geez!
FauxLiz
Diamond Member
@lux. As someone that has been to river oaks twice no one is just sitting around openly talking about their trauma. They also have two separate tracks of therapy groups one the stabilization track which is exactly what you said and when you are ready Trauma processing again with different groups you don’t process until you are ready and it certainly is not as if you are sitting around in a circle and you start blurting out your trauma.
River Oaks is an excellent program and they are also able to treat eating disorders for the very serious condition they are and also compulsive behaviors like self harm and suicidal ideation.
River Oaks is an excellent program and they are also able to treat eating disorders for the very serious condition they are and also compulsive behaviors like self harm and suicidal ideation.
lux.
Bronze Member
I must have heard that about The Center at PIW in DC, then. I’m not trying to bash any place; just repeating what was told to me.
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