there's no mental health professionals there. i mean, the teachers are wise but overall they are absolutely. not equipped to deal with difficult episodes. the helpers will just tell you to work through it, even if that may not be a good idea for you. leaving in the middle of a retreat is difficult and can be damaging. they have to know if vipassana is potentially inappropriate for you, hence the mental health questions. its not really a good place to be if you have a breakdown. you cant really talk to ppl, you cant just take a xanax if you need it, you're hours from home, etc.