Ep 215: What Was Life Like in an Asylum?

Ever wondered what it was like to be a patient in an “insane asylum”? “Asylums” changed names over the years (including “State Hospital” and “Psychiatric Center”) and so did the treatment of the mentally ill. Hear from Dr. Jennifer Bazar how we went from chaining people up to hydrotherapy to sexual surgery and finally to what is called “moral treatment“. A fascinating walk down the history of psychology with an engaging psychology historian.

Additional Resources on Asylums

• • Jennifer Bazar’s blog: Field Notes

• • The Modern Asylum

• • DSM-V and On Being Sane: Are Psychiatric Labels Really Harmful?

• • Ten Days In a Mad-House by Nellie Bly

• • Asylum tourism: In the 19th century, travelers visited asylums to admire the institution’s architecture and grounds.
     
  • Ten Days in a Mad House

• • Remembrance of Patients Past: Life at the Toronto Hospital for the Insane, 1870-1940 (Canadian Social History Series)