Committed to the State Insane Asylum: 1903-1912 Western State Hospital

[BillPringle1]

Tragically these cases and treatments are commonplace throughout the world in the "old days".

The asylum facilities all look the same and by today's standards are truly barbaric. Today people are still "committed" to psychiatric facilities but thanks to modern pharmacology and enlightened attitudes stays are usually short and treatments productive. That said, we still have a long way to go in reducing the ignorance and stigma surrounding mental health.

[MrGoth54]

I FOUND YOUR NARRATION TO BE RATHER BIZZARRE IF ONLY BECAUSE YOU KEPT GOING TO...COMMERCIALS WHILE READING THE HISTRIONICS OF THIS MENTAL PATIENT.YET I WAS SOME-WHAT AMUSED BECAUSE YOU DID REMIND ME OF A LADY FRIEND WHOM HAS LONG SINCED PASSED.DO TAKE CARE,PEACE.

[crochrot1]

Hey I live in Tacoma,WA and I believe you are misinformed or just a lier!

[Carex09]

@crochrot1 These are actual news articles from the Port Townsend paper. They can be found at the U of Washington archives. I don't make this up, I just read it how it was (except one small comment about people mostly not being a danger). All photos were taken in psychiatric institutions including Western. Rather strikingly unjust isn't it? The Truth I mean.

And "liar" is spelled as such.

[MercedesNoah]

if i take a laxative and shit a lot in a day im crazy? lol jk

[Carex09]

@MercedesNoah If you make lightly of that that is so deep, are you being shallow, or are you being defensive? Are you callous or just a survivor?

[MercedesNoah]

@Carex09 just making a joke some times i can be kinda stupid, say things i don't know why i said but i also don't really understand your comment

[tutukathy]

It is very hard to prove your sane once they cart you off to a state run mental institution.

[grettagrids]

@pumpkinpieindasky some states here still use asylums but under the name state mental hospital.

[TheNoGoodAngel]

@pumpkinpieindasky The mental health system is flawed. Some celebrities do fight against them. Emilie Autumn is a writer, singer, and musician who does. You should research into her. She is amazing.

[Bllackguard666]

Kris Kristopherson, the singer? Seriously asking...if so..wow.

[musicdraganfly]

Wow! Thank you for posting this. I am a fact seeker and I am interested in insane asylums right now as well as Danvers Ma. In which does have an asylum.

[grettagrids]

@musicdraganfly you mean you're an urban explorer?

[clintonearlwalker]

Most of these asylums in the US have been abandoned, and several have been demolished. I visited the abandoned Weston State Hospital in WV last summer. It's the second largest hand cut stone building in the world after the Kremlin. It was started during the Civil War, some ect machines and ice picks are still there. It's a creepy place, but at least the torture has ended there.

[sabMysterrr]

@clintonearlwalker what torture? what would happen to these people???

[clintonearlwalker]

@sabMysterrr Electro shock machines were used for what they called "therapy", painful voltage was passed through a persons head basically for punishment. Lobotomies were used where an icepick was hammer into a persons brain through the side of their eye. It was then swished back and forth like a windshield wiper severing brain connections, made patients docile. People were placed in seclusion and could only be released by the guard that put them in, sometimes after their vacation.

[sabMysterrr]

@clintonearlwalker omgg dam i new it was rough but not that rough...thats really say and scary once you think about it

[clintonearlwalker]

@sabMysterrr Nowadays, mental patients are given all types of drugs that do all sorts of things. You very seldom hear about these things, but they happen all the time. Most of these asylums have been closed because people figured out they they were just prisons and the "doctors" were basically doing experiments simply to try to keep the patients calm. There is info about lobotomies on YouTube if you are interested. I've seen electro shock machines for sale on e-bay for $100.

[sabMysterrr]

@clintonearlwalker o wow..... ya i think i have watched every single vid about this on youtube im really fascinated i really hope to visit one one day

[clintonearlwalker]

@sabMysterrr There are abandoned asylums all over the US, they closed them for a reason. Patients were tortured and so many people started complaining about it they couldn't keep these places open. I've been to the abandoned Weston State Hospital in WV, it's a giant house of horrors. A woman there said she worked at "Sharp", that's the new hospital they built that you never hear about. There are still some of these places that are open, but they are hard to find, they hide them, for a reason

[sabMysterrr]

@clintonearlwalker wow thats deep... ya hopefully i can go one day there arent many on the west coast! but these type of things interest me like no tmw sometimes i scare my self... but didnt some of these patients try to kill one another in there? werent they all mad crazy or what not?

[clintonearlwalker]

@sabMysterrr I think there were 7 murders at Weston in it's 150 year history. I remember reading of one in about 1982 in our local newspaper. A patient said "there's ghosts in there killing people", he was the murderer. These places are on the west coast also. Patton State Hospital in San Bernardino, and Atascadero State Hospital in CA are still open, I'm sure there are many more. A guy named "Kirkbride" designed these giant stone buildings in the 1800's, that's why they look the same.

[marshalljimduncan]

@clintonearlwalker You mention you visited a hospital in WV. If you are close to pittsburgh, there is a state mental hospital that just closed down about 1 year ago. Mayview state mental hospital. Its about 15 miles south of pittsburgh. I'd like to go explore it, but I think they may have a guard there. I visited Woodville state hospital many times before they demolished it. It was quite fascinating. The underground tunnels, morgue, all the buildings and history there.

[clintonearlwalker]

@marshalljimduncan Well thanx for that, as a matter of fact, I'm not too far from Pittsburgh and I'm already south of there. I used to go to Pirate baseball games when I was kid, seen about 7 I guess, they lost every single one. I've visited Weston State Hospital twice, I took a tour once, I have a few pics I took saved. There are vids of the place on YouTube. Second largest hand cut stone building in the world after the Kremlin. Cheers!!

[MrMrsasal]

@marshalljimduncan I'm doing research on Woodville, as I believe a relative of mine lived there in the 1970s. Would you by any chance have more information about the hospital, or know anyone who worked there? Thought I'd ask since it sounds like you're from the area..... You can reach me at asal23593 [at] yahoo.com

[marshalljimduncan]

@MrMrsasal I have limited information on the hospital. I first toured it in 1990, when I was in high school. The school was right across the street, and it was a halloween parade I believe. Once it shut down, I went back multiple times to explore it in the late 1990's. I became somewhat fascinated with the place. However I have no useful information, other than my memories of the explorations. Bldgs/underground tunnels/morgue/ isolation ward ect. Your more than welcome to pick my brain!

[MrMrsasal]

@marshalljimduncan Thanks for letting me know. Is there a way to contact you outside of comments on youtube? Maybe you could shoot me an email at : asal23593 [at] yahoo.com Thanks so much for the info.