A recent post on The Wall Street Journal’s health blog is a review of “The lives they left behind: Suitcases from a state hospital attic”, which is now on display at the New York Public library through the month of January. The display features items left behind from patients who stayed at Willard State hospital, a former psychiatric hospital which closed its doors finally in 1995. According to the blog post, some 50,000 patients were treated at Willard hospital during its 126 year existence, more than half of which died there.
The suitcases featured in the display are also the subject of a book by Darby Penney and Peter Stastny. From the exerts on the books website, it looks as though the book is primarily concerned with answering a few different questions; 1) Were the people at Willard justly committed? 2) How were the patients at Willard treated? 3) Who really, were these patients and what was there past like before they came to live at Willard?
The book focuses on 10 different patients and their histories through both medical records and suitcase contents.
One theme emerging from the website on this book and this display is that often times when patients were admitted to the hospital, the staff didn’t take the time to get to know anything about the person’s past. This often resulted in the hospital staff believing that the patient was hallucinating their past. Such is the case with one patient, whom the book refers to as “Theresa”. According to the research conducted by the books authors, Theresa had actually spent some of her past life as a nun. When she was admitted to the hospital, the staff seemed to believe that Theresa was hallucinating her religious past. This complete ignorance of a patient’s past seems to be the root cause for a lot of mistreatment which went on at Willard.
Sometimes it’s annoying to me how much time therapists spend delving into someone’s past. I posted a while back on “The Crutch of Why: How fixating on the source of mental illness can delay treatment”, which was essentially about how a patient can become preoccupied with their past and not focus enough on how to move forward. However, I can definitely see that having some insight on a person’s past can be useful for treatment especially after reading about Willard, in which case the staff had very little, if any information about a person’s past.
(7 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
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4 Responses to “Former state hospital patients are subject of an exhibit and book” (Pingbacks/trackbacks not shown below)
Emily Gold at 8:50 am on
January 21st, 2008
I’ve read this facsinating book, and I agree with Jennifer Bechdel about 2 of the 3 questions she thinks the book is trying to asnwer. But I didn’t think the authors were trying to see if the people were “justly committed,” but were rather trying to depict the shameful history of the the public mental health system from the persective of those who suffered in it. No one, in my view, can ever be “justly” committed.
ANN MARIE at 1:57 pm on
January 29th, 2008
I BELIEVE THE PEOPLE TREATED AT STATE HOSPITAL’S IS AWFUL! I WAS ONCE IN A STATE HOSPITAL AS A TEEN AND I REMEMBER THE TREATMENT I RECIEVED. ALL I CAN SAY IS ABUSE, ABUSE, ABUSE!!! EVEN WHEN YOU CALL AN ABUSE HOTLINE (THE ONLY CALL YOU CAN MAKE) THE ABUSE IS EXPLAINED BY A “TAKE DOWN” IN ORDER TO RESTRAIN SOMEONE BUT REALLY IT’S BECAUSE THE STAFF BEAT UP ON YOU. I WAS IN THE STATE HOSPITAL BECAUSE I HAD TRIED TO KILL MYSELF TWICE. WHEN I GOT TO THE STATE HOSPITAL I WAS TREATED LIKE A PRISNER WHO HAD COMMITED A CRIME. WHEN I GOT TO THE WARD THEY PUT ME ON THEY WERE NICE TO ME AT FIRST BUT ALL THE ABUSE I SAW WAS HORRIBLE. I THOUGHT I MUST BE SEEING THINGS THEY CAN’T TREAT KIDS THIS WAY, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT THEY CAN AND THEY DO. MOST OF THE KIDS ON THIS WARD WHERE IN REALLY BAD SHAPE MENTALLY AND THEY DIDN’T KNOW THIS WAS WRONG, THEY JUST TOOK EVERYTHING!! FINALLY I REALIZED I WAS JUST SEEING THINGS AND THIS WAS REALLY HAPPENING AND I STARTED CALLING THE ABUSE HOTLINE. THEY WOULD COME OUT BUT THEY WOULD ALWAY’S EXPLAIN THAT IT HAPPENED WHEN THEY WERE TAKING THEM DOWN TO TIE THEM UP AND THEY PUT UP A STRUGGLE, WHEN REALLY THE STAFF JUST PUNCHED HIM AND THRU HIM UP AGAIST A WALL. THEY WOULD ALSO TEASE THEM HORRIBLY. THE ABUSE PEOPLE WOULD COME AND GO
JUST THINKING I WAS THE CRAZY ONE. THE STAFF FINALLY GOT MAD AT ME FOR CALLING SO MUCH THAT THEY STARTED IN ON ME TO SHUT ME UP, THEY EVEN BROKE MY COLAR BONE IN TWO PLACES AND I HAD TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL, THEY TOLD ME IF I TOLD ANYONE THEY WOULD HURT ME MORE AND THEY SAID NO ONE WILL BELIEVE A CRAZY GIRL LIKE YOU. I DIDN’T TELL OUT OF FEAR OF BEING HURT WORSE BUT I SURE WANTED TO! I WAS ALSO SEXUALLY ABUSED THERE BY THE STAFF AND SECURITY GAURDS. BUT ONE TIME I THOUGHT I GOT LUCKY WHEN I GOT BEAT UP REAL BAD AND CALLED THE ABUSE PEOPLE THEY CAME AND I THOUGHT THEY WOULD TAKE ME OUT OF THERE OR AT LEAST FIRE THESE PEOPLE, THEY DIDN’T BUT THE STAFF DID HAVE TO TAKE A CLASS IN HOW TO TAKE PEOPLE DOWN PROPERLY, BIG DEAL! THEY KNEW HOW TO DO IT PROPERLY IN THE FIRST PLACE THEY JUST NEVER DID IT. BUT FINALLY THEY GOT REALLY MAD AT ME WHEN I FINALLY TOLD A FRIEND OUTSIDE OF THIS PLACE (I SNUCK A CALL IN) AND SHE CALLED A ATTORNEY FOR ME AND THEY CAME OUT AND I FILLED CHARGES AGAINST THE HOSPITAL. I THOUGHT FOR SURE THIS PLACE WOULD BE CLOSED DOWN BUT AFTER I DID THIS I WAS PLACED ON A VIOLENT ADULT WARD, I WAS STILL A MINOR! AGAINST THE LAW, HELLO!!!! ANYWAY’S A NURSE FINALLY CALLED MY MOM AND TOLD HER SHE NEEDED TO COME AND GET ME THAT MY LIFE WAS IN DANGER. MY MOM DROVE 5 HOURS TO GET THERE AND WHEN SHE ASKED TO SEE ME THEY TOLD HER SHE COULDN’T, SHE TOLD THEM IF SHE COULDN’T SEE ME SHE WOULD HAVE THE POLICE THERE IN A SECOND. THEY THEN TOLD HER THEY DIDN’T KNOW WHERE I WAS, THAT I WAS SOMEWHERE IN THE HOSPITAL BUT THAT THEY HAD LOST ME (I HAD FALLEN THRU THE CRACKS SOME HOW!) THEY ONLY HAD ONE CHILDREN’S WARD HELLO!!! SO SHE SAID YOU FIND MY DAUGHTER IN THE NEXT TEN MINUTES OR I WILL CALL THE POLICE. IN THE MEAN TIME THEY CAME TO ME AND TOLD ME IF I DROPPED ALL CHARGES AGAINST THE HOSPITAL AND WOULD NOT PRESS ANY NEW CHARGES THEY WOULD LET ME GO HOME WITH MY MOM. SO OF COURSE I SIGNED ALL THESE PAPER’S FOR THEM STATING EVERYTHING I SAID WAS A LIE AND THEY LET ME GO! I NEVER WENT BACK TO FILE CHARGES AGAINST THEM AND NEITHER DID MY PARENTS AS THEY WOULDN’T PUT ME THRU THAT AGAIN. SOON AFTER THAT THE HOSPITAL CLOSED THE CHILDREN’S WARD AND IT BECAME ONLY AN ADULT HOSPITAL. I’M NOW 35 YEARS OLD AND HAVE PUT THIS BEHIND ME WITH MANY YEARS OF THERAPY BUT I HAVE TO SAY STATE HOSPITAL GET AWAY WITH SO MUCH IT’S NOT EVEN FUNNY. I SAW HOW THEY USED PEOPLE WHO WHERE MENTALLY ILL AND ABUSED THEM BECAUSE THEY COULD, MOST PEOPLE WHO END UP IN A STATE HOSPITAL ARE SO SICK THAT THEY DON’T KNOW THIS IS WRONG AND I FEEL VERY SAD THAT ABUSE STILL HAPPEN’S TO PEOPLE WHO ARE MENTALLY ILL. IT’S WRONG VERY WRONG!
I’VE NEVER TOLD MY WHOLE STORY TO ANYONE BUT I FEEL LIKE I MUST SAY SOMETHING HERE! AND I HOPE THAT EVERYBODY WHO DEALS WITH THE MENTALLY ILL WHO READS THIS WILL STOP ABUSING AND REALIZE WHAT YOUR DOING TO THESE PEOPLE, I’M ONLY ONE PERSON AND YOU CAN BELIEVE ME OR NOT BUT I’M TELLING THE TRUTH HERE PEOPLE THIS REALLY DOES HAPPEN!!!
violet tude at 1:23 pm on
June 2nd, 2008
abuse is real, as real as Aunti Emmas apple pie. No one will ever stop it. No one ever ever can.Wake up world.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Be a Part of the Conversation! Comment on this Entry Now:
I’ve read this facsinating book, and I agree with Jennifer Bechdel about 2 of the 3 questions she thinks the book is trying to asnwer. But I didn’t think the authors were trying to see if the people were “justly committed,” but were rather trying to depict the shameful history of the the public mental health system from the persective of those who suffered in it. No one, in my view, can ever be “justly” committed.
I BELIEVE THE PEOPLE TREATED AT STATE HOSPITAL’S IS AWFUL! I WAS ONCE IN A STATE HOSPITAL AS A TEEN AND I REMEMBER THE TREATMENT I RECIEVED. ALL I CAN SAY IS ABUSE, ABUSE, ABUSE!!! EVEN WHEN YOU CALL AN ABUSE HOTLINE (THE ONLY CALL YOU CAN MAKE) THE ABUSE IS EXPLAINED BY A “TAKE DOWN” IN ORDER TO RESTRAIN SOMEONE BUT REALLY IT’S BECAUSE THE STAFF BEAT UP ON YOU. I WAS IN THE STATE HOSPITAL BECAUSE I HAD TRIED TO KILL MYSELF TWICE. WHEN I GOT TO THE STATE HOSPITAL I WAS TREATED LIKE A PRISNER WHO HAD COMMITED A CRIME. WHEN I GOT TO THE WARD THEY PUT ME ON THEY WERE NICE TO ME AT FIRST BUT ALL THE ABUSE I SAW WAS HORRIBLE. I THOUGHT I MUST BE SEEING THINGS THEY CAN’T TREAT KIDS THIS WAY, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT THEY CAN AND THEY DO. MOST OF THE KIDS ON THIS WARD WHERE IN REALLY BAD SHAPE MENTALLY AND THEY DIDN’T KNOW THIS WAS WRONG, THEY JUST TOOK EVERYTHING!! FINALLY I REALIZED I WAS JUST SEEING THINGS AND THIS WAS REALLY HAPPENING AND I STARTED CALLING THE ABUSE HOTLINE. THEY WOULD COME OUT BUT THEY WOULD ALWAY’S EXPLAIN THAT IT HAPPENED WHEN THEY WERE TAKING THEM DOWN TO TIE THEM UP AND THEY PUT UP A STRUGGLE, WHEN REALLY THE STAFF JUST PUNCHED HIM AND THRU HIM UP AGAIST A WALL. THEY WOULD ALSO TEASE THEM HORRIBLY. THE ABUSE PEOPLE WOULD COME AND GO
JUST THINKING I WAS THE CRAZY ONE. THE STAFF FINALLY GOT MAD AT ME FOR CALLING SO MUCH THAT THEY STARTED IN ON ME TO SHUT ME UP, THEY EVEN BROKE MY COLAR BONE IN TWO PLACES AND I HAD TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL, THEY TOLD ME IF I TOLD ANYONE THEY WOULD HURT ME MORE AND THEY SAID NO ONE WILL BELIEVE A CRAZY GIRL LIKE YOU. I DIDN’T TELL OUT OF FEAR OF BEING HURT WORSE BUT I SURE WANTED TO! I WAS ALSO SEXUALLY ABUSED THERE BY THE STAFF AND SECURITY GAURDS. BUT ONE TIME I THOUGHT I GOT LUCKY WHEN I GOT BEAT UP REAL BAD AND CALLED THE ABUSE PEOPLE THEY CAME AND I THOUGHT THEY WOULD TAKE ME OUT OF THERE OR AT LEAST FIRE THESE PEOPLE, THEY DIDN’T BUT THE STAFF DID HAVE TO TAKE A CLASS IN HOW TO TAKE PEOPLE DOWN PROPERLY, BIG DEAL! THEY KNEW HOW TO DO IT PROPERLY IN THE FIRST PLACE THEY JUST NEVER DID IT. BUT FINALLY THEY GOT REALLY MAD AT ME WHEN I FINALLY TOLD A FRIEND OUTSIDE OF THIS PLACE (I SNUCK A CALL IN) AND SHE CALLED A ATTORNEY FOR ME AND THEY CAME OUT AND I FILLED CHARGES AGAINST THE HOSPITAL. I THOUGHT FOR SURE THIS PLACE WOULD BE CLOSED DOWN BUT AFTER I DID THIS I WAS PLACED ON A VIOLENT ADULT WARD, I WAS STILL A MINOR! AGAINST THE LAW, HELLO!!!! ANYWAY’S A NURSE FINALLY CALLED MY MOM AND TOLD HER SHE NEEDED TO COME AND GET ME THAT MY LIFE WAS IN DANGER. MY MOM DROVE 5 HOURS TO GET THERE AND WHEN SHE ASKED TO SEE ME THEY TOLD HER SHE COULDN’T, SHE TOLD THEM IF SHE COULDN’T SEE ME SHE WOULD HAVE THE POLICE THERE IN A SECOND. THEY THEN TOLD HER THEY DIDN’T KNOW WHERE I WAS, THAT I WAS SOMEWHERE IN THE HOSPITAL BUT THAT THEY HAD LOST ME (I HAD FALLEN THRU THE CRACKS SOME HOW!) THEY ONLY HAD ONE CHILDREN’S WARD HELLO!!! SO SHE SAID YOU FIND MY DAUGHTER IN THE NEXT TEN MINUTES OR I WILL CALL THE POLICE. IN THE MEAN TIME THEY CAME TO ME AND TOLD ME IF I DROPPED ALL CHARGES AGAINST THE HOSPITAL AND WOULD NOT PRESS ANY NEW CHARGES THEY WOULD LET ME GO HOME WITH MY MOM. SO OF COURSE I SIGNED ALL THESE PAPER’S FOR THEM STATING EVERYTHING I SAID WAS A LIE AND THEY LET ME GO! I NEVER WENT BACK TO FILE CHARGES AGAINST THEM AND NEITHER DID MY PARENTS AS THEY WOULDN’T PUT ME THRU THAT AGAIN. SOON AFTER THAT THE HOSPITAL CLOSED THE CHILDREN’S WARD AND IT BECAME ONLY AN ADULT HOSPITAL. I’M NOW 35 YEARS OLD AND HAVE PUT THIS BEHIND ME WITH MANY YEARS OF THERAPY BUT I HAVE TO SAY STATE HOSPITAL GET AWAY WITH SO MUCH IT’S NOT EVEN FUNNY. I SAW HOW THEY USED PEOPLE WHO WHERE MENTALLY ILL AND ABUSED THEM BECAUSE THEY COULD, MOST PEOPLE WHO END UP IN A STATE HOSPITAL ARE SO SICK THAT THEY DON’T KNOW THIS IS WRONG AND I FEEL VERY SAD THAT ABUSE STILL HAPPEN’S TO PEOPLE WHO ARE MENTALLY ILL. IT’S WRONG VERY WRONG!
I’VE NEVER TOLD MY WHOLE STORY TO ANYONE BUT I FEEL LIKE I MUST SAY SOMETHING HERE! AND I HOPE THAT EVERYBODY WHO DEALS WITH THE MENTALLY ILL WHO READS THIS WILL STOP ABUSING AND REALIZE WHAT YOUR DOING TO THESE PEOPLE, I’M ONLY ONE PERSON AND YOU CAN BELIEVE ME OR NOT BUT I’M TELLING THE TRUTH HERE PEOPLE THIS REALLY DOES HAPPEN!!!
abuse is real, as real as Aunti Emmas apple pie. No one will ever stop it. No one ever ever can.Wake up world.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
