I was never a patient at Danvers, but have been to a different rural, currently-open, much smaller psych hospital. The first time there was quite shocking, as I was first placed in a unit that you might want to call "lockdown". The windows had fence-like coverings, the small yard was steeply fenced. There were not any locks on bedroom/bathroom doors. Staff could enter the bedroom at any moment, and did - privacy is totally gone. New patients with unknown psych ills are new roommates, sometimes arriving in the middle of the night, again into your bedroom without asking. Feeling very vulnerable. Only a hospital gown. Trying to cover up. Staff who are strangers, looking in on you with flashlights, waking you every hour. For the first time sharing living space with the truly mentally ill without understanding it or them. Not knowing how they'll behave, and being considered one of them. How to talk to them. Not thinking the way you usually do. Not wanting to exist. Listless. Trying to figure a way out the window. Trying to figure the place out, what to do, how things are done. What is the commotion out in the hallway. For the first time, talking to someone that appears to be talking to the air, and they talk to you too, quite well, then go back to their conversation with the air.

Finding out these are people. The shock of seeing that these "weird" and "frightening" people are treated fairly and with respect by staff. Learning to do the same. It leaves you feeling sad to leave because you lose the staff and patient support, and unconditional acceptance from staff - but hoping not to return, because you want to be well, and free.
And then you are almost well, which is scary, and then you are. But then again, you have the no-slip fuzzy socks as a souvenir.

Danvers must have been quite nice in it's time. It was a beautiful facility. I would have loved to have gotton a tour of DSH before it was torn down.

Lynne - never met you, but thank you Lynne, for being in the business.