Anchor Hospital - Atlanta, Georgia

Michael Eddy

I share the sentiment that many reviewers share. This was an absolute nightmare. I was hospitalized in 2015 when I lived Upstate NY. That facility was amazing. I was here a month or two ago (I try to forget) and it was an absolute joke. With bipolar depression, anxiety and panic attacks there was no therapy to learn to cope with them. I sat in a chair and watched TV. That's it. The food was horrible. I wouldn't give it to my neighbors dogs and they irritate me to no end. You feel like you're a prisoner. I would see the psychiatrist once for like 5 minutes. He'd ask me questions and that's it. I didn't even know who the social worker was for most of the week I was there. God forbid she be nice when filling out your discharge paperwork. I ended up with an infection in my thumb. Which cost me a lot having to have two different doctors slice into it to drain all the infection out. I had told a nurse my thumb hurt when it started and was told what am I going to do about it. Never saw a doctor they said they'd put me on antibiotics and that never happened. You use the common bathroom and there isn't even a sink to wash your hands and all they had was hand sanitizer at the nurses station. So who knows what germs you pick up there. When I walked out that door to leave I couldn't get away fast enough. No one should ever attempt any kind of therapy here. You won't get any. The place is an absolute joke of a hospital and doesn't deserve to be in business. Every patient is just a paycheck to them.

Kenyatta White

I stayed here December 2022 and as I’ve had time to reflect I can give an accurate review on this establishment.
Intake- Upon walking in there was a man very unkept laying down on a chair, very scary. The hospital was under construction and I was put into a “waiting room”. Very nasty floors, crud in the corners and only one chair in the room. I thought this was because this area was in remodeling, I was astonished when I realized that leaks, stains, mold, and stench was standard throughout the entire facility except for the administrative office, where they put on a facade to keep patients rolling in. The nurse told me to make sure I locked the door behind myself as the man laying down inside was “crazy”. I stayed here for 2 hours. A lady then came in and gave me a change of clothes and ushered me to the bathroom. There was bodily fluid everywhere on the floor upon entering. She then took my belongings and told me I would get them back when I left. I didn’t get my items back and lost total of $200 clothes and shoes combined. After reaching out to patient advocacy for months they did nothing about it and didn’t even bother to compensate, though it was their fault.

Day to day processes- Once I got taken to where I would be “treated” nothing improved. Mold everywhere and out of the 10 staff members I interacted with only 2 seemed to actually care about the patients. Patients of all kinds of issues were out together and it seemed as if we were only separated by age; ages up to 16 in one pod, 16-60 in another, 60+ in the remaining. Meaning you could be in the hospital for mental illnesses and on your day to day you would have to deal with withdrawing addicts because they were in your age group. We were not separated and we were in the day room all together almost all day.

Care-My experience was 6 days, the details are from my personal 6 day stay. A nurse would come in our rooms every morning at 5AM and check vitals. Then the doctor would come in at 6AM and ask you 3 questions then leave. There was a therapist who would see you once and that’s it. There was also an activities lady who came in twice. The doctor prescribed antidepressants and other things and that’s all he did.

Food and wellbeing- Jail food, but it’s all you have. Breakfast is okay. For the most part you get everything you need as far as self care. Not the best products (very cheap) but they will do.

I would not send a loved one or anyone I hated here. The lack of cleanliness, quality, and care for their patients is disturbing at the least. Everyday it felt like you were living in a dumpster and you often didn’t know if people genuinely felt better or if they were so disgusted that they would pretend to progress to get out. Do not send anyone here. You will pay $5k for a quality that’s less than a 1 star hotel. If I could give this place 0 stars I would. The only good thing that came out of this experience was the friends I made there as we helped each other through our battles. Nevertheless, a patient should not have to be a therapist to their peer. Unfortunately I don’t have any pictures because phones were not allowed. Please take my word on this.

Alicia Robinson

This has to be the worst behavior unit that my son has ever been sent to. He was there at that unit for almost a month and still came home the same I asked several times for him to be placed on the Invega shot Which has worked very well for him in the past, but instead they ignored my request and did it as they felt even though they never met him a day in their life,how could you possibly know what was best and not listen to a mom‘s own advice? I hope that this center is closed down soon because evidently it’s not helping anyone these reviews that I’ve been reading are horrible and I have to agree One of them. Just because everyone is not fortunate enough to have insurance, doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t receive the best care possible!!!!

Douglas Tankersley

I was there in 2006. From reading the reviews nothing has changed. I remember not getting enough food and I am a type 2 diabetic. I finally found one of only 2 or 3 dedicated nurses. She took me to the door where they gave out meds and asked if they had any milk and they didn't. She told them that they would have some tomorrow and she checked with me beside her they had it and she told them when I asked for to give it to me because I a diabetic. This place was terrible. The food was like they were trying to have just enough and that caused some patients to get nothing. I went to every group meeting and I did learn a lot from that. I remember a staff member named Mary. I told her I would never be back. She said all the patients said that but she said she believed that I would not be back and I haven't. If you have a loved one and have any choice don't send yourself or a loved one to ANCHOR. IT WAS A HELL HOLE AND FROM THE REVIEWS IT STILL IS. I have never been back to any mental hospital and I never will be going back to one. I found an answer.

Kate Endrews

This is long overdue, let me start by saying, some staff there genuinely cared and wanted us to get better. BUT, some were horrid. I’m going to try and get through this with little emotion.

I was in the juveniles unit and things were bad. The rooms and bathrooms were standard. The toilets clogged easily but I fixed it with no tools, so no worries. They isolated the guys and girls from eachother which just became grueling because it got very boring and they should’ve been worrying about other things, but that’s beside the point. Big stuff now.

They completely ignored patient triggers. If irony were a place it would be Anchor Hospital. They were constantly physical with a victim of sexual assault WHILST she was having flashbacks and literal patients would have to stop staff from borderline abusing her.

They poked fun at my pajamas in front of other staff, getting their attention to make fun of my choice in PJs. It was a night gown. They made us ostracize patients going through mental health crisis when they just wanted someone near. Sometimes we didn’t even see our doctor the whole day.

There’s more but this review is already long enough. The snacks were buss though.

Tricia

I went to Anchor when I was 15, I'm 37 now and I still think about my week spent there. From the other reviews I see not much has changed in 22 years.

In the juvenile wing I saw sex between patients, self harm, staff not caring or straight up antagonizing behavior towards juvenile patients. Not to mention from the juvenile wing we could see and hear the adult patients and they were terrifying.

I wasn't allowed to speak to my parents.

I saw an actual doctor once for about 10 minutes and all he did was review staff notes and tell my parents I would never be able to lead a normal life without a lot of medication.

Staff refused to give otc meds to patients who need them. However, they were happy to shove mental meds down your throat. I remember taking something that turned me into a zombie and when I refused to take it again I was treated like I was being insubordinate and threatened with more time in the facility.

This is not a place to send children. It does not help children. It scared me to death and did nothing to improve my mental health.

We had group therapy sessions, they only had us go around the room and say our names, why we were in the hospital and how we were feeling. Nothing more. It was more like a low security prison for minors than a place for mental help.

I'm leaving this review all these years later to beg people not to send their kids here. Your kid would be better off in prison. If you send your child here, you will scar them for life. Period.

Staci Harrison

I was just thinking about this place since I just celebrated 14 years sober. The state of GA mental health care is horrible! This place didn’t help me just allowed me to have a roof over my head while I got sober but treatment wise I wouldn’t recommend it. I liked that they let us keep our phones but the other comments here are accurate about the bad condition of this place. Uncaring staff with very little to no supervision. They didn’t force me to take meds thankfully but the groups were not helpful. The trips to Wal mart for supplies in the group van were completely unsupervised and they did not check purchases when you came back so I know for a fact there was alcohol being purchased and brought in that way. I did not feel safe there. We stayed in a trailer and it was extremely crowded and in poor condition and lots of drama always going on. I actually spent 35 days there and I’m glad I’m still sober but I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone!!

Vicki Black

My daughter was a patient at Anchor Hospital for a week. This complaint is with her permission. My daughter went to Northside Hospital because she was experiencing depression - she couldn't stop crying. She legitimately wanted help. They transferred her to Anchor Hospital. During the entire time she was at Anchor, she had two group meetings, no therapy, and they could not provide her with her ADHD medicine or her med for bladder spasms. This is unacceptable. She went there to work on her depression and mental health issues, and they did absolutely NOTHING to help her. This was a waste of time, resources, and money. Her insurance will be charged thousands of dollars, and for what? She has absolutely nothing to show for a week in the hospital. What insurance does not pay, she will have to pay. This hospital is extremely short-staffed - perhaps they should find appropriate help or close their doors. I realize there is a shortage, but that is no excuse for taking insurance money and not helping their patients.