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Mental Illnesses In The 1960's

1784 Words8 Pages

It can be very hard struggling with an illness that there is little to no cure for, especially when you are not provided the correct help you need to get better. Especially when just living your day to day life seems like the biggest struggle to get over. Well in the 1960s a massive problem for many was dealing with a mental illness and an even bigger problem was getting help. Mental illnesses have been a struggle in human life for centuries, however in 1960 it was brought to worldwide attention. Being that it was 62 years ago, many changes have been made since then in support of helping people with mental illnesses and disabilities to have a better life. However, not everything has been solved. Mental illness is still a very hard struggle …show more content…

The American policy for education and managing the mentally ill was often very inhumane and harsh. The patients who were put in asylums and hospitals for their mental health often underwent very cruel and inhumane conditions and procedures to try and “fix” them. Some of these procedures included lobotomies, shock therapy, medications, and even removal of certain organs. The worst part about this is that the patients did not have any say of whether they wanted these or not. When patients would refuse to take their medications they often would get in trouble and face very harsh consequences. For example one patient quoted, “‘You get blown up and you go unconscious, like something boils up,’ described one patient of treatment. ‘I felt every time I took that as if I was going to die,’”(Fabian). Patients were put through such terrible procedures with no chance of getting out. Many patients in these hospitals and institutions were not mentally insane, however they said they were. For instance, in Illinois a husband had his wife sent to a mental institution, they came to her house, took her pulse, and declared her mentally insane. She was then confined for over three years and when she was released it gained attention worldwide. Being forced against a person’s will to go to one of these hospitals, take medications, and get procedures done proves the major problems that were going on in the 1960s. This goes to show the major imbalance of power between the patients and workers in mental institutions that affected the lives of

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