Complaint Review: American Addiction Centers

TO Whom It May Concern:

I am currently here at Singer Island.  I have been called names, threatened by patients, witnessed illegal passing of medications by staff, given the wrong medications, and felt threatened by staff.  I was told by a group therapist that when I arrived I was acting like I was deserving of speical treatment and was told when I was in severe pain post car accident injury that I was drug seeking.  I was taken to an orthopedic speicalist after several days and this Dr. told me that I should be on a pain medication due to soft tissue damage and swelling.  I was given a muscle relaxer and told that was all I would be given.  I was not even allowed at first to take my own tylenol.  They tried to give me clonidine which is a BP med to sleep, I refused. They then offered melatonin which I took.  I am working on 4 hours or less a sleep per night due to pain.  I had to sleep with a neck brace for two weeks.  I was in such pain on week two that I had to have them take me to the emergency room becasue of pain level of 10.  They gave me tramadol at hospital and some ultram.  The ER doctor prescribed me ultram but I was not allowed to have it.  They again assumed I was drug seeking. 

Some of the therapy sessions are good; however, some have been taught by tech staff with no education in therapy.  I have been missing a long term breathing medicine for 23 days.  I asked about the prescription every single day starting on day 3 when my own ran out.  I kept getting the answer that we will look in to it.  I have COPD and yes I smoke; however, without the long term corticosteriod I start to have severe coughing with a feeling of drowning.  This was not addressed untill day 23 and now I had to switch medications becasue their cost of my medication is 300.00 dollars.  They could have told me this on day 3.  I called my own doctors office to get medication switched and address my own respiratory distress.  The nurse had me hang the phone up and got Dr. Erickson to call me into an office.  They told me being I was a professional nurse and had a license they were now going to have to write the FLorida Board of Nursing and report me not only for being here getting help, but to say that I was not following their doctors orders.  They stated that she had now become my primary care doctor.  I simply stated that I was not giving up my primary that I have had for over ten years and the only boss that I had was god and walked out of the room.  I also stated that they could report anything they liked, but to make sure they also reported their illegal passing of medication by unlicensed professionals and attempting to give me someone elses meds.  

In addition,  clients are out of control here, they have girls sneaking around with boys doing you know what, they have all kinds of inappropriate behavior happening.  Techs calling clients names, more gossip than a highschool girls locker room and are not providing therapy as promised.  I am supposed to be treated for dual diagnosis, but they have me do nothing but introduce my self as an addict and only talk about drugs and addiction.  I needed help, but this is not the place that is truly providing adequate care.  There are some good things here please dont misunderstand, I am learning about drugs and their issues; however, most of it is from Narcotics Anonomys meetings and AA meetings. 

As a last comment, techs have taken personal food items such as pringle potato chips, 4 packs of cigarettes have been stolen, personal property gone through, and my computer has been mistreated by the way they are transporting it.  They also lied about allowing me proper time for my educational needs of study.  I wish I could check out; however, I have been told if I leave it will be AMA and my insurance will not cover it leaving me with a large debt I cannot pay.  I am sadly dissapointed and have asked them kindly today that I no longer wanted Dr. Erickson listed as my physician or linked any access whatsoever to my medical records.  1/27/15.     Lisa, pray for me,  I need help not more pain!