Mental Illnesses In The Middle Ages

Those who suffered with mental illnesses have endured have suffered countless times of being ostracized no matter what period of history. In the period before the middle ages, people were sought out to be possessed by some sort of evil deity that took control of them due to them doing something bad. Those with mental illnesses were not given the proper respect that should be given in facilities that were made to provide help. In the Middle Ages people were thrown to the streets and later on be beaten by authority and be taken away from civilization. The types of treatments and cures that were given to these people were not scientifically correct. However, once these treatments were exposed people began to try and help those in these facilities

Though these people were more than often ostracized. They were hidden in their homes by their family in “cellars, caged them in pigpens, or put under the control of servants” (Porter) because it was shameful to have a family member with mental problems because at the time family honor played a big role in hierarchy. However, some families would throw them into the streets to be abandoned and put in jail because they were thought to be a treat to civilization. Because these people were deemed to be dangerous they would be beaten in public. It was also during this time that some of the first asylums were being made however these asylums were not made to help cure but just to facilitate so that these people would not be a disturbing the public. However, cathedrals were the opposite of asylums since the clergy tried to help and cure these abandoned people. Although their form of cure to patients were prayer and atonement but the conditions in cathedrals were far better than

The types of treatments that were given to the patients were inhumane since people with mental illnesses “were seen as little better than animals” (Rush). The majority of the staff for these mental institutions were not trained and furthermore, would often giving beatings to patients. The expose of Nellie Bly in the 1864 reveals about the poor conditions of these asylums, specifically Blackwell Island Lunatic Asylum. She depicts that the meals are not suited to maintain a healthy diet. The showers that patients would receive were cold and given by staff, they were bathe very harsh as patients felt dragged and almost drowning a times. The sleeping and room conditions were awful as well, the rooms would be locked and patients were given a sheet and an oil cloth as covers for the bed and a wool blank that did not cover their whole body. One of the concerns that Nellie Bly had was about the doors being locked because of what would happen if a fire had started. This shows the concerns that facilities had for patients and that this institutions needed more improvement. It was also towards the end of the 1800s were inhumane inventions to cure patients arose. An example is, patients with anger, the Rush chair was a chair that restrained the patient until they were calmed; it was sort of like a strait jacket. This same man also