With Gratitude- Tom de Chauny
It has been 6 years since my stay with Austen Riggs. They saved my life. A difficulty encountered for almost all that attend is honesty. I was willing to discuss and finally surrender to my painful past, but only in my final 2 weeks did my alcoholism get discovered. I completed my time at Riggs and then went on to a Rehab for drug/alcohol abuse. I attend AA meetings and go to see a therapist weekly. I am responsible for my personal maintenance and growth, though I utilize others and all available resources.
Thank you Austen Riggs, I have a life today and it is a good one.
$45,000.00 PRE PAYMENT! REGARDLESS OF INSURANCE! Before you walk into the $1500.00 interview, you have to give them FORTY FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS. Then it's aprox. $800.00/day and you have to hope your insurance reimburses you. Considering this is the only long term, intensive therapeutic facility in 3 states, they figure families will pay anything to help their sons, daughter's, parents etc. Why? Because there's no one governing this and there's no competition.
Austen Riggs can be a God send for a very specific group of patients... Those suffering from personality disorders without active addiction or eating issues. For this very small subset of psychiatric patients there is no better place on earth.
Quote from Austen Riggs
"Patients are encouraged to work with their treatment team to design the most cost-effective course of treatment that meets their clinical needs within the resources available. We have learned that the limitation of financial resources is both a reality and a powerful metaphor for other limitations in life. Attention to the practical and emotional consequences of these limitations is often a useful focus for treatment."
The quote below is from their web page which In true terms means. if you can't afford us we will still admit you, take what money you have regardless of whether that amount is close to what you will need for appropriate treatment. They may be not for profit but I feel unless you have great monetary resources they are also not for patients. We threw away $50,000.00 for our daughter to be in a bubble for 10 weeks with no real plan for what would happen once she left. She was worse after her stay and it was downhill from there into complete addiction. Had we been warned of the drug problem (we believed it was primarily emotional) we may have avoided another six years of torment. This continues to haunt me and I feel Austen Riggs holds some responsibility in regards to what became of our daughter after her stay. I say shame on us for allowing them to take advantage of us at a crucial time in our lives (I was battling cancer) but shame on them for admitting her knowing full well we did not have the resources to keep her there for an unlimited stay, Imagine saying that limited financial resources is a metaphor for life. What that means is if you can't afford good treatment get used to it because everything in your life will be limited because of your financial shortcomings. And for the record their finance manager used those terms when we spoke.
Also, too often, medical decisions are based on financial factors and not the best needs of the patients. Patients whose families have unlimited resources will be permitted to stay even if doing so furthers their issues or even endangers their life. Patients miraculously are cured right when money runs out. Honestly, I don't understand why there have not been more law suits against Austen Riggs and why there hasn't been any criminal investigations.
It cost money and lots of it to make the help needed available. For those that feel it is too costly, there are other options available. The great thing about our country is freedom that allows us to choose.
I concur that Austen Riggs may not be for everybody, that is why checking out a number of other facilities is crucial.
However, for patients with active drug/alcohol/eating disorder issues this place could very well be a death sentence. Their approach does not stop the addicted patient from acting out, at all.
This certainly is what we have faced when trying to get even adequate dual diagnostic treatment. Only the wealthy are entitled to good or superior treatment and even then there are no guarantees.
Austen Riggs Center is a US Hospital based in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Austen Riggs Center is located at 25 Main St, Stockbridge, MA 01262, USA.
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