Annetta’s Sonora Behavioral Health Testimony

I was a voluntary patient at Sonora Behavioral Health for 12 days. During my stay, I witnessed patients being brutalized in the evening. Certain staff, particularly the technicians and even some of the nurses lack so much patience and compassion for the patients, it was no different to a psychiatric ward. Restrictions didn’t make sense, and even after further approval was made by the doctors on hand, you wouldn’t see the results for said approvals. At night, they refused to give extra blankets even when they told us they wouldn’t turn on the heating either. I especially saw the least amount of understanding from the Caucasian staff. No visitations were allowed. No one knew of when they would be discharged. All of the POC staff gave me the kindness of patience and compassion, and for some of the kindest staff, I can still remember their names. There is so much more than just cruel conditioning to unpack about this hospital. No one should have to go through what I went through, especially as a voluntary patient who just wanted to leave and see her spouse. I only hope that the patients I knew of were able to be discharged.