"stay at Lakeside"

99% of staff excellent, giving their everything in a very depressing (and I should imagine for the staff a very stressful place to work).

As I've stayed in many other mental health units I would say the Lakeside unit (not staff) belongs in the 1960's to be honest I don't think it can be upgraded to something fit for the 21st century.

I have no mental health expertise but the very building, the structure of Lakeside, I would think to be very detrimental to someone suffering severe depression. I met someone who had been there 12 months and they blamed the extended stay and the none improvement of their condition on the horrible building and environment. Gradually during my stay each day the urge to hang myself got stronger and stronger until I was let out after 17 days, before I went in I had no such horrible feeling it was definitely the building, as stated previously I've stayed in many mental health units and during my previous stays each day I've felt happier and happier, not so at Lakeside and there was nothing different with my diagnosis, during the Lakeside incarceration. I know that if I'd been honest/stupid and told the psychiatrist about the strong feeling to hang myself, I would still be in there or a successful suicide.

There was one very chilled out area, the art room. Not being an artistic person I used to sit in there for hours taking in the atmosphere and the view of the back of the old Victorian Leigh infirmary that can be seen from the large windows of this place. I like old buildings.

oh yeah where's the lake?