jdjohnson333

A costly mistake

Neurodivergent? Gender non-conforming? Then move along, you're not welcome here. I showed up, naive, miserable, and so eager to engage with the program that numerous staff commented on it. 6 weeks, a new mortgage, and every ounce of savings later, what do I have to show for it? A misdiagnosis that would haunt me for years, a recommendation to an actually competent program, and lots of new debts.

What can you expect at Menninger Clinic?

Pros:
-Comfortable facilities
-Decent meal options

Cons:
-Staff unwilling to respect chosen name/pronouns
-Homophobic staff that will take away TV privileges for watching a tame movie about *gasp* homosexuals!?!
-A treatment team with no regard for you and your needs
-A cookie cutter treatment program with absolutely no room for personalized care
-A philosophy that actively discourages inclusion/development of an external support network
-An attitude of superiority shared by all Members of staff I interacted with


More money than you know how to spend? Need somewhere to put your embarrassment of a child for a few months? Then check out this great opportunity! Want to actually improve your mental well being? Then I would suggest a hard pass unless you want to waste time and resources that could be used on actual treatment.

Here's some exciting things you can expect based on my own time as a patient:
-A complete misunserstanding of meditation and mindfulness in general
-Regular classes that give even the most underfunded public schools a run for their money
-Large concrete walls that keep out any unwanted publicity of your family's "little secret"
-A patient handbook last updated around the turn of the century. Need someone to tell you the expectations and rules? Too bad!
-Personal care perfect for crushing your last remnants of self esteem
-Respect (😂 sorry, couldn't get through this one with a straight face. Menninger Clinic only respects their back accounts)
-As many as 3 hours of treatment per day, wow!
-Refusal to provide any continuing care recommendations unless you finish their arbitrarily long program
-A well earned mistrust of numerous proven treatment methods based on their gross misapplication


All jokes aside, do not attend the Menninger Clinic if you want to improve. 3 years later, and I think I've finally worked through the trauma associated with my experiences at the Menninger Clinic. I can see the remnants of what was probably once a great program, but it's long since degraded into a public school counselor level of care. That's not even an exaggeration, at least my old school counselor had a net 0 impact, I genuinely believe Menninger Clinic set my treatment goals back by years. I still have flashbacks to red faced staff yelling at me for things that, as an undiagnosed autistic person, I didn't understand. You'd think the medical professionals would've noticed, having observed me 24/7 for 6 weeks in both a clinical and miliue environment, but I suppose a misdiagnosis that led me in the total wrong direction for years is the best I could hope for *apparently*. Menninger Clinic led me to mistrust proven treatment methods by applying them with all the grace of someone who took a weekend course at the learning annex. Personally and wholeheartedly, I believe a society that respected mental health would shut this facility down for patient abuse. But alas, we don't live in that society so predatory organizations like the Menninger Clinic are allowed to prey upon the sick and helpless.

Closing thoughts:
Menninger Clinic does not wish to help you.
Menninger Clinic does not respect you.
Menninger Clinic does not take responsibility for the damage they cause.
Menninger Clinic does not see you as a person.
Menninger Clinic is a predator, draining the life and money out of the poor saps who assume their reputation is deserved.

I'm writing this, years later, at recommendation of a REAL therapist, to help me find closure on this miserable chapter of my life. My time at Menninger Clinic has far reaching implications that damaged my faith in the mental health profession as a whole. I don't know what it was like 20 years ago, but the Menninger Clinic's practices reflect a gross negligence that I honestly believe should be criminal, something I would gladly repeat under oath if anyone ever found a way to prosecute them. I'll even contact my various psychiatric providers to sign something confirming the validity of my testimony.

If you only remember one thing from this,
DO NOT ATTEND MENNINGER CLINIC