snake pit

nouns

any place of pain and turmoil
"the hell of battle"; "the inferno of the engine room"; "when you're alone Christmas is the pits";
hell, hell on earth, hellhole, inferno, snake pit, the pits
pejorative terms for an insane asylum
Bedlam, booby hatch, crazy house, cuckoo's nest, funny farm, funny house, loony bin, madhouse, nut house, nuthouse, sanatorium, snake pit