"I feel Dudhope did me more harm than good"

I am 23 years of age and I was referred to Dudhope House at the age of 14 due to personal reasons.

I can honestly say that my experience there was the worst I've ever encountered. I found some of the staff at Dudhope took liberties in their professions, and on many occasions I was personally victimised, insulted and made to feel worthless.

After a year at Dudhope I was discharged, and I personally believe my time there did me a lot more harm than good.

One psychiatrist I met I felt almost tore my family apart, due to certain remarks they made about my father during family sessions - which were completely and absolutely false. Some of the negative comments that were made about my family and me have stayed with me to this day.

But I will never let my memories of that "hellhole" get the better of me - I just hope that no other teenager anywhere has to go through what I did.