I was there for a year and a half. It was an interesting experience to say the least coming from someone that just had behaviour issues rather than mental health issues. Watching people doing the "thorizine shuffle" and zombified due to overuse of meds. Listening to the screams from the open rooms and 5 point restraining rooms. We even had a half deaf staff member that was in Met-state her self when they had children there who I believe still had issues and shouldn't have been a staff member. As long as you knew how to beat the system or manipulate you were able to keep clear of the "mangling" as I called it. I went to the restraining room just once. Which is all it took. I was one of the lucky ones to get unsupervised movement priveledges within the hospital. Being 14 when I got there and used to more "free" environments the place scared me to death. I believe in the period I was there abuse was at a minimum. Although being one of the older patients staff often tried to intimidate us into getting into physical altercations with them just to prove thier superiority. I was smart while I was there,keeping myself from being medicated and minimal physical confrontation with the staff. Nonetheless the place was a scary place for me. And once you witness someone on thorizine you tend to be intimidated and use more restraint on yourself so you won't be subjected to the helpless zombie results of the drug. There were alot of us that weren't psychologically defected, just behaviourally problemed and shouldn't have been put together with those that were. The pictures are more morbid than the reality of when it was open. The murals were not a trick, just to give the patients a peaceful, safe feeling. Like the yellow painted walls. It sucked having to sleep with an overhead light on at all times though. And having that Rod Mathews (the kid that beat another kid to death with a baseball bat just to see what it felt like) while he awaited trial, who was also allowed to watch the World series (oh the irony in that) was a securing feeling. I was there from 86-88. Anyone else that was there during that time is more than welcome to contact me at deezil_daddy@yahoo.com . I hold no grudges or bad feelings toward the place. I was just out of place. There are even staff members I miss and would love to hear from.