I spent 4 months ,$200000 and received no benefit. The treatment is extremely expensive and takes many months. The place has few older people so it is better for people under 40. I myself am a physician. The food is very good. There are not many activities and they are of variable quality. Staff were helpful and kind
I spent time as a patient at Riggs from 2011 - 2013. Although not a perfect place (nowhere in the world is perfect), Riggs is probably the only place in the world where I could have (and did) make enough progress to recover from a sever depression and find the ability to put together a life that feels good enough to want to live. The unique open setting and community structure provided me the freedom and ability to make connections and friendships with other patients - the relationships and issues that came up helped me to learn about myself and understand why I was suffering so much. The "work" of trying to understand why I was so depressed and anxious - what the core issues were - it was not an easy process. I had difficult times and struggled much, but in the end, it worked for me in that three years after leaving I am well enough to go back to visit and honestly say I am doing so much better. Not all outcomes are good as the most difficult "cases" end up at Riggs. The process takes time and it is not cheap. But, I lived life while I was there - as time went on, I went out more, socialized more, laughed a bit, got into some trouble... I think that most people who write reviews end up writing because something negative happened, but after a visit back today I remembered how desperate I felt years ago and thought it was important to let others now about my positive experience and that they shouldn't give up without trying Riggs. It takes time and hard work, but hopefully it can lead to a good life.
I had a former patient who went to Riggs. She committed suicide there - on the grounds. From everything I heard she was ignored even when family called repeatedly to say they feared she would commit suicide. I iknow other professionals who have sent patiens who all say the same thing. DO not go to Riggs.
Riggs was helpful to me in that my shrink helped me find a good cocktail of meds that have helped me stay stable and together without relapse. I have schizophrenia and clinical depression and have overcome severe insomnia. Otherwise, help with overcoming my social issues was null. I also was not educated about my illnesses but the nursing staff made me feel very loved and special. They did the lions share of the work. It was a mixed bag and I would not go there again If I did fall sick again.
This place saved my life. The respect, compassion, and care I was consistently shown made it possible for me to turn my downward spiral around and live again. I would most certainly have committed suicide had I not been a patient at Riggs.
My daughter spent approx. 3months at Riggs. I would concur with the previous reviewer. There is a lack of commitment by the staff. The therapy is very limited and narrow in scope. I got the feeling they consider their clients more as customers than patients. When I got my daughter back, she was drugged to the point of being more like a zombie than an engaged person. Difficult to imagine how much effective therapy can take place under those conditions. Stay away
Austen Riggs is a complete fraud. Perhaps at one time they ran a good operation, but that is no longer the case. Over $250,000 was spent on my adult child and we were then told that they couldn't help her after initially being told they were "specialists in treatment resistance" and "they don't give up on anyone". This is total PR nonsense. The staff runs for the exits at 5PM and they hardly, if ever, return phone calls. The administration is a disaster and unresponsive and uncommunicative unless they want more money.