First off, I'd like to begin with the fact that this is the detox I went to when I got clean, and although being in withdrawal was incredibly unpleasant, I feel that my misery was magnified by so many different aspects of this "facility" that was simply just awful. The level of professionalism at first step is just abhorrent and past the point of questionable- I have heard staff openly curse at clients and lose their patience and temper multiple times. I understand that we probably werent that pleasant to be around due to the state we were in, but it by no means justifies a so called "professional" acting exactly quite the opposite and carrying out their duties with such blatant disregard for care. However, not all the staff acted in such a manner and I had such respect and gratitude for them.
The food there was literally the same slop that I have eaten in jail...with times where only a sine beef patty was the dinner for the day. With an appetite that was already terrible, this was really frustrating to me, since I really did need to eat and eat well in order to improve my recovery rate. I had managed to stay there for three days before I was hospitalized due to a seizure, but it was a blessing in disguise as I was able to transition safely from hospital to a residential treatment without missing a beat. Needless to say, it was successful as I had three years of sobriety under my belt. Unfortunately, as of three weeks ago, I relapsed. So I am trying to nip this in the bud and recover what I lost, so when I had called first step today to ask a few questions and possibly ask for an intake, I was yet again disappointed from the get go. The woman who answered the phone was so incredibly rude and unprofessional; when I had asked her if I could ask her some questions about the transition process at first step, she didnt respond until there was enough silence that she finally said "yeah?!" In an incredibly impatient tone. When I had asked her what would happen if there was no bed for residential treatment available after the detox period, she had told me "well, you would go to IOP until one opened up." I had felt uncomfortable with this so I asked her if this was safe as I would be left to my own devices if I step outside the facility in order to wait for a bed. She then responded with such attitude and aggravation at my question and told me in a patronizing manner that no, I would not be "left to my own devices" and proceeded to speak incredibly fast about very redundant information without letting me get a word in at all. She finally said in the end, word for word, "so are you going to do an intake?" (Although it sounded more like a statement and not a question.) After that experience, I am -not- comfortable with the idea of going to first step and will be calling other detoxes right after this review. This was the final straw and am so disappointed in First Step Detox for how uncomfortable and unwelcome they had me feel. I know that there are beds available there today (due to checking on dmhas and no thanks to her...somehow she didnt include that in her little angry rant) and am so uncomfortable with my experiences there that I am literally willing to wait for a bed at a different detox than go there today. This makes me feel -so- awful and full of self loathing; I'm literally putting my goal for sobriety on hold to go somewhere else, because I just dont have it in me to give this place another try due to my experiences here.