Insane asylums in the 19th century were nightmarish to say the least. The patients there were subjected to horrible mistreatment and downright abuse from the staff. They would do things to cause the patient physical distress such as have their hair ripped out, or even have their heads held under water. A lot of times even emotional abuse was inflicted such as the staff constant belittling of the patients (Ranker.com).
Physical abuse did not end there; if the staff found out that the patient was too far gone in there "illness" then they would sometimes subject them to the extreme procedure of lobotomy. According to allthatsinteresting.com, "Likewise, the growth of psychiatry meant more doctors developing more procedures that seemed increasingly radical throughout the early and mid-20th century, which gave us electroshock therapy and the lobotomy, among others." Most people who had worked at a mental institution in the 19th century more than likely tortured the patients wheter they realized this or not.
The living conditions in insane asylums were horrendous. The patients lived in worn out dreary rooms which, from the looks of it, were also partly torn down. Patiens were always grouped together for treatments and other reasons.
![Image result for mental asylum 19th century](https://allthatsinteresting.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/children-tied-to-radiator.jpg)
Overall, living in a mental asylum in the 19th century should be regarded as one of the worst things any human has had to endure. From extremely poor living conditions to the outright abuse towards was truly the stuff of nightmares. A lot of asylums in this day in age are not considered as bad, but the roots that they came from was issued a much needed change.
Works Cited
Myers, Christopher. "Life in a 19th Century Mental Institution Was Basically Torture." Ranker, https://www.ranker.com/list/life-in-19th-century-mental-institutions-and-insane-asylums/christopher-myers.
Kuroski, John. "Haunting Photos Taken Inside Mental Asylums Of Decades Past." Allthatsinteresting, https://allthatsinteresting.com/mental-asylums.
Honestly the idea of mental asylums isn't a crazy idea- the thought of putting your loved ones in a rehabilitation center for the mentally ill sounds almost comforting because you'd think that your loved ones were in good hands... Or so you thought. Many relatives of the mentally ill had no clue on what went on inside the facilities, and I think you made a great point in telling about the abuse because even though it is well known now, nobody even had a clue when they were active!
ReplyDeleteThe idea of asylums isn't a bad idea at all. Most families with children or loved ones that have mental diseases/disorders don't have the proper funds or knowledge to take the best care of them. This is where institutions or facilities should be brought up in the conversation. However the thought of placing them in the care of others may sound unnerving, the families of that individual assume it's for the best. This is where the real nightmare takes place. The family thinks they're loved one is being properly cared for, but in reality the opposite is happening. As much as we would like to believe this isn't still happening today, we can be certain it does. Thank you for giving me a little insight of the horrors that go on in these types of places.
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