One of the worst cases of patient abuses in Ancora-breaking

this kind of thing makes me sad I live in NJ and that such things can happen to people in mental hospitals.

From the article

Sean Denning is a shell of his former self, his mother says.

"He's almost totally different," said Judy Denning, of Lindenwold. "His emotions are different. Everything about him is different. It just hurts a lot to see him that way."

His mother said Sean came close to death more than once. She blames improper medication and the poor care he received at Ancora Psychiatric Hospital for putting her son in hospitals for almost three months.

Sean Denning's medical odyssey began Dec. 11 when Judy Denning said she received a phone call from an Ancora doctor. He said Sean was being rushed to a local hospital suffering from Depakote toxicity, she said.

Depakote mainly is used to treat the manic phase of bipolar disorder. It is sometimes used to combat schizophrenia as well, according to the drug manufacturer'sinformation.

Denning's medical records indicate he had been prescribed 1,000 milligrams of Depakote at Ancora. His records also show he had been prescribed a cocktail of powerful drugs used to treat mental illness, including Ativan, Seroquel, Haldol, Lithium, Cogentin and Paxil.

The medical records note a toxic reaction to Lithium was suspected as a reason for his condition, along with the reaction to Depakote.

Still, the first time Denning was sent to the local hospital, he did not remain long. His mother said her son returned to the main building in Ancora on Dec. 13.

At Ancora the next day, he was pale, incoherent and covered with a rash, Judy Denning said.

article continues here.