Crisis Intervention Centre - Belleville, Ontario

Slug A.

I was in crisis on the 24th of May 2022 and this was such a miserable phone call for me to partake in.
I had been trying to contact my doctor for hours for help to no avail, no walk in clinic would take me, I had already cried in my pharmacy asking for any advice they could give and I was on what felt like my last leg. I couldn't sit in the ER for hours in the condition I was in, so I called the crisis intervention centre.
The lady who answered immediately broke the news to me that there is currently no appointments being held and that I can just do a couple of CBT-esque exercises to calm myself out of a panic attack and that if I am unable to keep myself safe, to go to the ER. She had no other options to offer me. But this wasn't a panic attack.

Upon hanging up, I go back to the BGH website. Nowhere does it say they are not open to appointments at all, in fact it encourages you to give them a call. Which I probably will never do again.

I cry. I cry for what feels like the entire day, and basically was the entire day. I poured my soul out to so many people that day, begging for help. I couldn't go to the ER, I was too exhausted to hurt myself at that point anyways. I dragged my body home, got into bed and didn't leave it until the next day. I woke up and continued to cry.

I needed help and even the crisis intervention centre wouldn't help me.

I had cried so hard and for so long, my face is still raw 2 days later.

I know this isn't everyone's experience, but this was mine. And people should know.

Edit due to owners response, May 26th 2022:

The woman I talked to on the phone was the very first person I spoke to. The only person I spoke to. I asked if there was anyone available today i could speak to and all she told me was they aren't doing appointments. She did not give me any information I could go off of to infer that virtual appointments were an option. And if she had, I would have asked for one. She said there was no appointments, a general statement which made me believe I had to go elsewhere for help. Whether she could have worded it better or not, the only option she offered me was a tip to relax a panic attack and the ER. If there were more options, I wish she had told me.

Kay W.

Wonderful Staff. Thank you for being there for me when I need it the most.

Tara A. S.

Shaun C.