Recently, I spiraled into a severe depression. I sought help at the PARC Unit, a psychiatric facility at Pen Bay Medical Center. Upon admission, I was placed in a windowless room with a bed and TV. A security guard sat outside the room. I felt like I was in jail. The unit offered little in the way of treatment. There were no books. I saw a psychiatrist for half an hour a day.

Although I was there voluntarily, I was detained for several hours before I was allowed to leave. I have also talked to parents of mentally ill children, and they describe the woefully inadequate services in Maine. We can and should do better. 

John Cross
Tenants Harbor