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Brief history of asylums
History of the insane asylum
Brief history of asylums
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More handpicked essays just for you.
Brief history of asylums
History of the insane asylum
Brief history of asylums
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Institutionalization in the 1800’s was Dorothea Dix was a mover and shaker, who together with a few others in her era was responsible for alleviating the plight of the mentally ill. In the 1800's she found them in jails, almshouses and underneath bridges. She then began her major lobby with legislators and authority figures across the land, to get hospitals built in what was then known as the "Moral Treatment Era. " Things did get better, with ups and downs, of course. She visited widely, in the Midwest state hospitals in Independence and Mt. Pleasant, Iowa and Winnebago in Wisconsin ca.
There was little to no proven means for rehabilitation, and generally, the mentally ill were viewed as useless for society. These unfortunate humans were also forced to house with convicts, despite having never committed a crime. Prompted by prison reform and direct government influence on social welfare in Britain, an American woman named Dorothea Dix sough to bring reform to the prison system within the United States. In 1843, she published a “Memorial to the Legislature of Massachusetts,” which set forth multiple provisions for changes to the penitentiary system in Massachusetts. This document was very significant in the prison reform movement because it was the first of its kind in the United States to describe in detail the poor conditions the insane were forced to live in.
Naomi Tessema Mr. Aronson History 10 HH 1 March 2024 "Distinguished gentlemen, allow me to draw your attention to the situation of individuals with illness who are confined in various deplorable conditions within this state. From cages and closets to cellars, stalls and pens. They endure chains, nudity, physical abuse and brutal discipline,” said Dorothea Dix, addressing the Massachusetts Legislature in 1843. Dorothea Dix presented this speech in order to put light on an issue she had observed, the mistreatment of the mentally ill. She had urged the legislature for reforms when it had come to the living conditions and care of the mentally ill individuals in different facilities.
She realized that she needed to challenge the idea that people with mental disturbances could be cured or helped. Dix soon began to investigate the treatment of the mentally ill in Massachusetts, and in 1843 submitted her first “memorial” to the state legislature. The memorial shows how Dix worked within the conventions of herself in public life and draws attention to the horrendous treatment of the mentally ill in prisons, almshouses for the poor, and asylums. Dix’s efforts to help the mentally ill led to building of about 32 institutions in the United
Horrified by the results of her research, she took this to court and secured an order that said they need to have heat, and other basic living requirements. She started traveling to find out what conditions were like in other prisons, and in poorhouses. Dorothea crafted a document that was presented to the Massachusetts Legislature that increased the budget to expand the state mental hospital at Worcester. She still wanted to do more, so she toured the country and documented the conditions and treatments of patients in mental hospitals. She founded or added to asylums in: Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Maryland, Louisiana, Alabama, South Carolina, and North
Before Dix, the mentally ill were treated like animals. Insane people have been poorly treated all throughout history. The insane were physically and sexually abused in dirty cells with many other people (Reddi; Asylum 19th). If one was a lunatic or mentally impaired, then one was viewed as a criminal and housed accordingly (Asylum 19th). Many religions saw that insanity was a result of great sin or demonic possession (Asylum 19th).
False Imprisonment of Sane One big flaw in the system for the insertions was determining if a person was really insane or not. They did not have the technology and the knowledge to really figure that out yet. Due to this many people that were completely sane were sentenced to these institutions. One huge example of this inability to sort sane from insane was Nellie Bly. Nellie Bly was a reporter at the time that snuck into an asylum in order to uncover the truths.
He went on to explain that the people in those institutions are very limited to the things they are able to do and the choices that they can make. Simple choices such as what to eat, what to wear, and what to do in your freetime are made for the mentally ill by the workers. The patients are forced to take medication against their will and are also limited to everyday things such as being outside. There is so much dehumanization that occurs that the mental hospital doesn't feel like a place where the patients are receiving help. Instead, the patients themselves refer to being at the mental hospital as “doing time” as they would in
Taking a Stand for the mentally ill Thesis Dorothea Dix took a stand by recognizing the importance of establishing mental institutions. Her philosophy saved mentally unstable people from the harsh treatments they once received in jails Background The conditions that the mentally ill lived under in the mid-19th century were unfitting. Unstable individuals were imprisoned and mistreated. People who suffered from insanity were treated worse than criminals.
Reformers like Dorothea Dix advocated for the insanity defense, which made it so that people who were mentally unstable or clearly insane would be put in a mental hospital instead of a
Introduction Prior to the mid-1960 virtually all mental health treatment was provided on an inpatient basis in hospitals and institutions. The Community Mental Health Act of 1963 was established with its primary focus on deinstitutionalizing mentally ill patients, and shutting down asylums in favor of community mental health centers. It was a major policy shift in mental health treatment that allowed patients to go home and live independently while receiving treatment, (Pollack & Feldman, 2003). As a result of the Act, there was a shift of mentally ill persons in custodial care in state institutions to an increase of the mentally ill receiving prosecutions in criminal courts.
In the book Girl, Interrupted, by Susanna Kaysen, one of the biggest focal points is mental illness. Mental illness can be tough to talk about, simply because the phrase “mental illness” encompasses such a wide range of conditions and conjures up images of deranged people, but it is very important, especially in this book. There is a certain stigma that people who are put into mental hospitals because they have medical problems or are insane and a possible danger to society. While this is sometimes true, it is far more common for patients to need help for a disorder, but just don’t know where to go or what to do, and can end up putting themselves or someone else in danger.
When people hear the words, “mental illness,” they think of insane asylums and psychiatric wards, but that’s not necessarily the case. Yes, back in the 1800’s they did have asylums for people with mental disorders. But that was when doctors didn’t fully understand mental illnesses and disorders. But currently, doctors are able to comprehend illnesses and disorders.
Understanding Mental Disorders: Causes, Subcategories, and Treatment Perspectives Introduction: Mental disorders encompass a wide range of conditions that affect an individual's emotions, thoughts, and behavior. They can significantly impact daily functioning, relationships, and overall quality of life. This essay aims to provide an overview of mental disorders, explore their causes, and delve into specific subcategories such as Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD). Additionally, we will discuss the potential causes and treatment options for these disorders.
Even of the patients are mentally disable and some cant express clearly, they still manage to form a strong social bond with the regular people. During the 1970’s President Kennedy passed a health reform act in which psychiatry was reevaluated, and insane asylums were shutting down. The given number 160,000 was lowest at the time as more asylums designed to isolate patients were converting to a therapeutic haling centers