
Generally, people have an image of what a “mad” person is supposed to act like. We categorize them as maniacs and are terrified of what they might do. The place where they all come together is an even more horrifying thought to most. Insane asylums are common settings for horror movies and shows. Their reputations set a tone for a creepy environment. However, not all insane asylums were frightening because of the inmates that inhibited it. Years ago, the terrifying experiences were caused by the workers and how they treated the patients behind the walls.

In the article, “5 Insane Asylums and the Horrors that Happened There” by Kara Nesvig readers get a glimpse into the closed doors of some of history’s worst institutions. Insane asylums or mental institutions are known throughout culture as terrifying places filled with lunatics. Our minds can turn on us at any moment and result in a new identity or illness. However, in real-life scenarios, researchers and investigators have seen that they only terrifying act was the conditions and treatments given to the patients. In the 1800’s, many patients were easily taken advantage of and treated poorly by doctors and nurses. She goes into detail of these famous places and the barbaric methods of mistreatment that were used back in the day. Topeka State Hospital of Kansas is known to have strapped down a patient for so long that skin grew over the straps. A hospital by the name of Danvers is said to be the birthplace of the lobotomy. At the Overbrook Insane Asylum in New Jersey, the patient to staff ratio was unbalanced. This resulted in many patients freezing to death and other never being found. At a children’s hospital patients wandered, covered in urine and feces and were often sexually assaulted by members of the staff. Many other horrible events including a body chute for the dead and illegal surgeries in which organs were removed were not uncommon for these institutions to take part in. All these institutions were shut down after these treatments came to light. 

Ten Days in a Mad House by Nellie Bly, an undercover journalist, follows her days in an asylum in which she purposely commits herself. She goes to expose the corruption and abuse that occurs inside. The article shows that these forms of torture she experiences did actually happen in these times and weren’t uncommon in the time period. The patients did not get the opportunities to prove their sanity and did not experience any forms of kindness. Physical abuse was often the workers form of discipline. In the story, a patient was slapped and even chocked. Misdiagnosis was largely apart of the hospitals. A committed patient looses all forms of freedom. Doctors had the ability to examine a person and deem them “insane” very easily. They could keep someone for as long as they like and continue the abuse. They then had the opportunity to do as they pleased and provide horrible conditions. Eventually, some patients would actually go mad or start to believe that they are. Food conditions were considered horrible and the buildings themselves were often very dirty. Nellie continuously struggled to eat the disgusting food that she was given and got her clothes taken. It was common for punishments to involve isolation. A patient could be thrown in a dark room alone to “learn a lesson.” A common tactic for workers was harsh words and inducing fear. In the story, a nurse would tell Nellie to shut up or it will get worse. This way a patient stays in line and follows orders, making it easy to control them. The horrors shown in the article and the story show today’s society of the brutal conditions a patient could have faced in a mental asylum years ago.

In the article, “The 10 Worst Mental Health Treatments in History” by Madeline R. Vann she discusses how evidence from the past is a clear indicator of the large amount of inhumane treatment of mentally ill patients. Doctors can look to the past and see how to continuously improve their treatments. In the 1800’s, many people believed that the illnesses were caused by moral issues and could be solved by discipline. Hospitalization, isolation, and constant sessions of discussing their wrong beliefs were strategies for “curing” the patients. Many of the treatments used were not fully tested to be proven effective. Some treatments were even more harmful. The lobotomy was a clear demonstration of this and was used widely before being thoroughly tested for its effects. Practitioners believed that seizures and mental illness could not exist at the same time. Seizures were then induced purposely with the thought that the mental disorder would be reduced. This was proven to be completely inaccurate and a harmful method of treatment. It also was common for doctors to have the belief of a relationship between an “internal biomedical imbalance” and mental disorders. Bleeding, purging, and vomiting were thought to balance and heal the mental illness. In the 18th century, physicians often made the mistake of not being able to separate mental and physical issues. As a result, to cure mental illness they used approaches that were strictly physical to help symptoms. Some included, ice water baths, restraints, and isolation rooms. Asylums were supposed to be places for the suffering to be placed and helped with treatments. However, overcrowding was a large concern. Each patient could not receive the attention and care that was needed. This led to a widespread concern for the quality of care and the number of staff needed to properly help the patients in later years. 

In Ten Days In A Mad House, a reader can see how the use of improper treatments and methods were likely used throughout the 1800’s. Nellie Bly committed herself to Blackwell’s, the most notorious mental institution in New York City. She describes the doctors as oblivious. Not all medical professionals were properly trained with the right equipment. As the article showed, wrong treatments were used to fix diseases. Physical means were used such as choking, beating, and harassment.  She wrote of her ice cold bath that they poured buckets into her eyes and nose, making her feel as if she were drowning. She also spoke of how a perfectly sane woman would easily go insane in these circumstances. They made the patients sit on benches from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., not talk or have knowledge of the outside world, and be given horrible food and no kindness. If given months of this treatment, it is likely for an individual to be an emotional and physical disaster. 

Through research and Bly’s account of her ten days in a mental institution, a reader will find that a lot has changed behind the doors of an asylum. Their reputation of being a horrifying place was not always the case. In the 1800’s, the treatment of patients was despicable and sometimes criminal. The frightening places mentioned, the treatments used, and the real-life investigative work done by Bly all leads to the confirmation of the sad conditions faced in a mental hospital. 