That One Week

The day was June 4, 2004. I was sitting in the doctors office, wondering why I was here. My mom was sitting the chair next to me, reading a magazine. I started at a blank wall, and then heard the door open. It was my doctor (of course) and he looked pretty stressed.1

"Hello Danielle, hello Vicki." He shook my hand and hugged my mom, then he sat down in his chair. 2

"I have to go over somethings with you Danielle. Your mother told me about the book." I looked at him in confusion. I had no idea what he was talking about. "What book?"3

"This book, the one I found in your room," my mom was holding a blue notebook in her hand. My eyes widened. She turned to the page with suicide threats and people threats in them.4

"When I read this, I was really surprised," says the doctor, "you didn't seem like the person who would do this. Vicki, I'm suggesting that Danielle goes to a mental institution."5

I was in shock that I had no clue what to think.6

"I'm not going," I said, shaking my head.7

"You have to. If you don't, I have every right to call the police because these are threats to yourself and to other people. If you don't go, I have every right to do that." I just stared at him and felt like walking out of the room. Then the doctor gave my mom a phone number and an address written on a piece of paper.8

After the appointment, we got into the car and drove to the address. We arrived at a College Hospital in Costa Mesa. We walked into the hospital and was given a visitor pass. A woman then came up to us and asked to see us in another room.9

"Hello. I'm Erica. And you are?" she looked at me.10

"I'm Danielle," I said. 11

"Hello. So, why are you here today?"12

My mom starts, "Danielle was writing this very disturbing things in this notebook," she hands her the notebook. Erica starts reading some of the things and looked very stunned.13

"Wow, I think this needs drastic measures. Danielle, we have to put you in the hospital. It's not going to be a bad thing. Some people think that a psych hospital is bad, but really it isn't.14

After the talk, I had a wristband put on my wrist and was taken to a seperate building that was fence in with barbed wire. I walked through the door, and it locked behind me. I sat down in a chair. 15

Jason came up to me. He was a six-foot-tall man who had a blonde beard and blue eyes. He started asking me questions and took away anything metal that was on my body. A few minutes later, I heard people walking down the hallway. They were all teenagers around my age or a little bit older. 16

After the questioning, I was taken to the group that walked passed me be before. A woman named Vanessa asked me my name, my age, and why I was at the hospital.17

"Danielle, 14, I'm here for depression, attempted suicide, suicidal thoughts, and a threat to myself and others."18

People looked at me like nothing was wrong. I thought to myself, "Wow, they must have been through the same stuff as me."19

~~~20

A few days passed by, and I was still there. I got to the people very well. Some became my friends, some became my enemies. 21

One day, the police were at the hospital. They asked for Danielle. That was me. I was in a room with two sheriffs. They asked me questions like, "Why do you hate this person? Why are you threatening yourself?"22

I hate absolutley hated it. 23

Friday. June 11, 2004. I pissed off at my mom because I didn't go home the day before. But today, I knew I was going home. I packed my clothes, my books, everything I brought.24

My social worker told me that everything will be very weird when I get back home, but she told me not to worry. My mom arrived, and I gave her the biggest hug in the world. I was so glad I was going home.25

When people hear the words "Mental hospital", the first thing they probably picture are mental people in restraints and sraight jackets. That is not true. I was at the mental hospital for a week, and I only saw that once. Please, before you judge someone who was at a mental hospital, think about everything they've probably been through before. They need more help than you might know.26