"Not at all like I imagined"

This was the first time I've ever been a patient of a mental health facility and frankly I was bloody terrified when it was suggested I go to the Priory as a day patient following what I'd describe as a mental breakdown, (the professionals at the Priory don't use this term but that's what it felt like to me). For those with similar worries about going to the Priory Woking let me put your mind at rest. (Difficult I know when you can be struggling to think rationally at times) The Priory Woking in my opinion, doesn't really feel like a hospital, more a conference style country hotel. Staff and patients dress in the main in normal every day clothing and it can actually be hard at times to spot who is a patient and who is staff.

The patients I encountered can be divided into 4 main groups, In patients, (those that stay full time, normally for a few weeks) Day patients (those that come for a full days therapy but go home at night), Day patients who pop in for one group a week, or perhaps for an hour long one to one private session with a therapist and ATP patients who stay as residents for about 28 days I think, on the Alcohol Treatment Program. The patients themselves come from the whole spectrum of society and you're as likely to meet a high flyer from the City as you are to meet a house wife. I and other members of my group found going through therapy with fellow sufferers really eased the pain. Just knowing I wasn't alone and I wasn't going mad made all the difference to me.

Therapy involves sitting in groups of about 10 patients with a trained therapist leading and directing the session, which could be psychotherapy, CBT, Art etc. You start gently on module 1 at the main hospital and learn about the therapies available and how they work then when you and the therapists think you're ready you progress to module 2 at the Lodge a small annex in the hospital grounds. As a day patient I got to choose which days I attended and if you really don't like a day or feel you want to try something else you can change. All the staff I met were friendly & professional and the therapists were in the main brilliant and really helped me.

General admin things I'd like to have known before I went. Meals are served in the main hospital, the food was great and the restaurant staff were lovely.

I didn't stay overnight but other patients told me the bedrooms were ok and private. There are TV's in bedrooms and the lounges and there's tea and coffee available 24/7. You can smoke outside in a designated area. There are free car parking spaces in the grounds. The nearest shops are a 5 min walk. The hospital isn't a locked unit and you can walk freely in and out.

In summary if you get the chance to go I'd highly recommend it, I think it probably saved my life.