Being Sane in Insane Places
The day I arrived at the mental hospital. The staff asked what was wrong with me. I told them I was hearing voices. I was of course lying. I had butterflies in my stomach. I felt strange and deviant falsifying my sickness. After a quick evaluation, I was admitted into the mental hospital. I felt nervous and kind of anxious wondering what would become of me. After a day went by I told them the voices had stopped. They didn’t believe me. No matter how hard I tried to convince the staff. I felt trapped not knowing whom to turn to. They started giving me medication. Which they forced me to take. Some of the medication that was given to me made me feel strange and sleepy. I started feeling like I was crazy. I didn’t feel I should have been taking the medication after I told them the voices had stopped. But they gave me the medicines anyway. As days went by I witnessed disturbing actions. Some people were hurting themselves by beating their heads of the wall. Some were hitting themselves. Others would yell out for no apparent reason. Yet some were rocking their bodies back and forth. I felt what an existence for the people that were truly mentally ill. Not knowing that the actions they were doing was wrong. I felt sad for them, but happy for myself knowing I would eventually be released from the mental hospital. The most disturbing part of my experience was some of the staff, which were suppose to be “sane” treated the insane people like animals. Beating, pinching, kicking, and ignoring their existence. I felt that some of the staff were the “insane “, because of their treatment of the insane. I truly believe that my cooperation and non-disruptive behavior would eventually lead to my release. After thirty days of being hospitalized. I was finally able to convince the doctors, I was sane and released. Now that I return to the “real world” I will always remember my stay at the mental hospital.
The Essay on Mental Hospital Kirkbride Hospitals Patients
Dr. Thomas Kirkbride was born in 1809 in Pennsylvania. He went to the University of Pennsylvania Medical School originally intending to become a surgeon. However, in 1840 after his training and internship at Friends' Asylum, he was offered to become the superintendent of the newly established Pennsylvania Hospital of the Insane. "His ambition, intellect, and strong sense of purpose enabled him to ...
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