Would YOU live here?

[Solideliquid]

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http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/04/11/asylum.condos.ap/index.html


Pretty creepy.

 

[Psyclops]

How much per sq. ft?

 

[asculapius]

Cool but pricey. I've been always fascinated with the architectural style of "the hospitals for the insane."

 

[Hurricane]

Kinda creepy, but they've got a point. They're neat old buildings with nice grounds. I personally wouldn't live in one because I want a house and not a condo, but if they do a good job on the renovation, it could be cool.

Check out the abandoned asylums webring for sites with photos of lots of old mental hospitals.

 

[Psyclops]

Super creepy, thanks for the link. The way I understand the history of the state hospitals, is that with the advent of the phenothiazines in the 50's many of them were shut down with the assumption that the "cure" for long term psychosis had been found. In addition, patient advocacy groups further pushed for their closing. The shift led to the responsibility falling on counties, spawning the current MH/MR system in place today, with each county being alloted a certain number of beds in those facilities that remained. Although the hospitals certainly had a reputation for poor treatment and neglect, thier closing was (and as everyithing is) a double edged sword. The phenothiazines naturally left something to desire, it was difficult to keep patients on them, but by then the wheels were in motion, the hospitals had been shut down, and the responsibility lay with the counties to manage some often times difficult clients. In my experience there is a need for large long term facilities to manage some cases. Additionally, I've heard they certainly weren't all as bad as thier reputations made them out to be. I've heard that many had the patients performing gardening, and working, helping with the cost and treatment, but that patient advocacy groups took care of that because it was "unpaid labor". I've known clients who have cost counties $850,000 a year essentially because they were unable to manage him, nor secure a bed at the psychiatric hospital. I'd be interested to know what you guys' thoughts are on the large state run psychiatric hospital and county mental health system.

 

[pschmom1]

Super creepy. There is something about old abandoned asylums that weird me out. Maybe it has something to do with old scary movies and stories about the mentally ill. I would definitely not live on any old asylum grounds. I'm a chicken for sure.

 

[OldPsychDoc]

Super creepy, thanks for the link. The way I understand the history of the state hospitals, is that with the advent of the phenothiazines in the 50's many of them were shut down with the assumption that the "cure" for long term psychosis had been found. In addition, patient advocacy groups further pushed for their closing. The shift led to the responsibility falling on counties, spawning the current MH/MR system in place today, with each county being alloted a certain number of beds in those facilities that remained. Although the hospitals certainly had a reputation for poor treatment and neglect, thier closing was (and as everyithing is) a double edged sword. The phenothiazines naturally left something to desire, it was difficult to keep patients on them, but by then the wheels were in motion, the hospitals had been shut down, and the responsibility lay with the counties to manage some often times difficult clients. In my experience there is a need for large long term facilities to manage some cases. Additionally, I've heard they certainly weren't all as bad as thier reputations made them out to be. I've heard that many had the patients performing gardening, and working, helping with the cost and treatment, but that patient advocacy groups took care of that because it was "unpaid labor". I've known clients who have cost counties $850,000 a year essentially because they were unable to manage him, nor secure a bed at the psychiatric hospital. I'd be interested to know what you guys' thoughts are on the large state run psychiatric hospital and county mental health system.

There are some patients I've seen for whom LOOOONG term ( or lifetime) care in a safe, peaceful asylum-like setting would be a significant improvement in quality of life, consistency of care, and safety of housing relative to their current tenuous existences on the fringes of the social safety net. Would probably save states & counties money, besides. But is the system likely to switch back? Wouldn't bet on it...

 

[Hurricane]

There are some patients I've seen for whom LOOOONG term ( or lifetime) care in a safe, peaceful asylum-like setting would be a significant improvement in quality of life, consistency of care, and safety of housing relative to their current tenuous existences on the fringes of the social safety net. Would probably save states & counties money, besides. But is the system likely to switch back? Wouldn't bet on it...

There is an article up on salon.com about a guy who wrote a book proposing just that: Our crazy mental health system

 

[Psyclops]

Forensic mental health work is so messy, IMO. There are constant challenges to the ethical standards that should be in place, and I think for the most part are, just not in forensic settings.

 

[Anasazi23]

There are some patients I've seen for whom LOOOONG term ( or lifetime) care in a safe, peaceful asylum-like setting would be a significant improvement in quality of life, consistency of care, and safety of housing relative to their current tenuous existences on the fringes of the social safety net. Would probably save states & counties money, besides. But is the system likely to switch back? Wouldn't bet on it...

I agree completely. The asylums were shut down prematurely. I know a great many patients that would benefit from living there. Society (particularly from an economic standpoint) would benefit greatly as well.

 

[50960]

I do live there...... I am one of Sazi's super secret research patients. I now believe Reagan was GOD, psychologists are children I dreampt up when I was in a steroid rage, and my Mac10 is hidden under my labcoat! ????ever see "falling down"!!!!!!

😱

 

[Solideliquid]

I do live there...... I am one of Sazi's super secret research patients. I now believe Reagan was GOD, psychologists are children I dreampt up when I was in a steroid rage, and my Mac10 is hidden under my labcoat! ????ever see "falling down"!!!!!!

😱

I loved that movie! "Can of coke, 12 ounces, how much?"

 

[Poety]

There are some patients I've seen for whom LOOOONG term ( or lifetime) care in a safe, peaceful asylum-like setting would be a significant improvement in quality of life, consistency of care, and safety of housing relative to their current tenuous existences on the fringes of the social safety net. Would probably save states & counties money, besides. But is the system likely to switch back? Wouldn't bet on it...

👍 It was a shame when they closed all the institutes in massachusetts, it left the SPMI's homeless (and still homeless) and using the ER as a means to get food/roof over their head on bitter nights.

It also left those with SPMI subject to abuse by the general population, both physical and mental. I think it was an absolute detriment to society to close these places down, and now each state appears to be doing it one by one.

Now the options are drug infested halfway houses, jail, or the streets - we still have a long way to go to reform mental health awareness and the ethical treatment of the mentally ill.

 

[Doc Samson]

👍 It was a shame when they closed all the institutes in massachusetts, it left the SPMI's homeless (and still homeless) and using the ER as a means to get food/roof over their head on bitter nights.

It also left those with SPMI subject to abuse by the general population, both physical and mental. I think it was an absolute detriment to society to close these places down, and now each state appears to be doing it one by one.

Now the options are drug infested halfway houses, jail, or the streets - we still have a long way to go to reform mental health awareness and the ethical treatment of the mentally ill.

Poety... are you from Mass?

 

[Anasazi23]

I do live there...... I am one of Sazi's super secret research patients. I now believe Reagan was GOD, psychologists are children I dreampt up when I was in a steroid rage, and my Mac10 is hidden under my labcoat! ????ever see "falling down"!!!!!!

😱

Seen it?

I own it on DVD. I watch it about 1x/month to keep me grounded in reality and realize that I'm not the only one.

 

[Psyclops]

I think it was an absolute detriment to society to close these places down, and now each state appears to be doing it one by one.

Now the options are drug infested halfway houses, jail, or the streets - we still have a long way to go to reform mental health awareness and the ethical treatment of the mentally ill.

My thoughts exactly, although it can be hard to sell the lay person or even those who don't have much experience in the field on a long term state run facility. Neverthless, it is necessary. What chaps my buns is the role some of the patients advocacy groups played (or at least in my stae PA). They were outraged that the state hospital patients were doing things like gardening with their time which added fresh produce to thier diets, but more importantly gave them somehting to do, allowed them to be productive and accomplish something and feel proud about it. Of course it was seen as forced uncompensated slave labor so they railed against it. Now they can shuffle around the linoleum hallwys reading faded copies of readers digest from 1976. 👎

 

[Anasazi23]

Wow, check this place out.

Look at the 'galleries' pictures. Fantastic photography.

Danvers State Hospital

The lobotomy room is particularly disturbing.

 

[Poety]

Poety... are you from Mass?

I'm pleading the virtual fifth. 😉

 

[Poety]

My thoughts exactly, although it can be hard to sell the lay person or even those who don't have much experience in the field on a long term state run facility. Neverthless, it is necessary. What chaps my buns is the role some of the patients advocacy groups played (or at least in my stae PA). They were outraged that the state hospital patients were doing things like gardening with their time which added fresh produce to thier diets, but more importantly gave them somehting to do, allowed them to be productive and accomplish something and feel proud about it. Of course it was seen as forced uncompensated slave labor so they railed against it. Now they can shuffle around the linoleum hallwys reading faded copies of readers digest from 1976. 👎

Yes, thats why I intend on getting involved on a political level to increase awareness - jerks like Tom Cruise are ruining the publics eye, when it all seems so easy to be crazy with his kind of money 🙄

 

[Psyclops]

If you've got loot it's very easy to be crazy, take a look at Howard Hughes diary. Or TC, or arguably even Hugh Heffner (I don't really think so, but some do).

 

[Psyclops]

Wow, check this place out.

Look at the 'galleries' pictures. Fantastic photography.

Danvers State Hospital

The lobotomy room is particularly disturbing.

It is nice, is that the right word? I was going through, amazed at how far the field had come (hydrotherapy, the "chair", etc.) then I saw the personal effects pic, and it remenided me of the patients contraband bins, I gues not everything changes.

 

[pschmom1]

Speaking of state run facilities, which there are only a couple in my state that are for the criminally insane. I was speaking with my old philosophy professor today, who happens to have a son that suffers from severe paranoid schizophrenia and was institutionalized in a hospital for the criminally insane in our state. He said that his son is now in a halfway type home and is doing very well, yet, there are soooo many people there "completely gone" as he said it. He has had extensive personal experience with severe psychosis as his son tried to murder himself and his wife while in one of his paranoid psychotic rages. He believes that his son got the care he needed while he was there and feels like he only got that care b/c he committed a crime. He mentioned that he thought it was sad for the patients in this inpatient facility that his son is currently in b/c he didn't feel that they would get the extensive treatment needed, as his son received at the hospital he was in. I thought it was quite interesting to hear his opinions on this since he was dealing with it personally, and he found the long term hospital setting very beneficial. I just thought I'd share a story from the other side. Now for opinions, does anyone think the lack of hospitals for the mentally ill is detrimental? Does anyone think that these floors, or partial floors, in a lot of cities for the mentally ill is detrimental to the overall treatment and productivity for these patients? A lot of these patients need long term care, and the care provided (where I'm from) is not conducive for there treatment, nor is it conducive for there quality of life. They are stuck in a circle of the guarded gloomy hospital floor, or a halfway house, which they in turn, return to the hospital. Do you think facilities that house them, treat them, and instill life skills and management are a better option than the "treat em and release em" treatment at some local hospitals?

 

[Psyclops]

Mama, my answer is an unqualified yes. The current "for profit" system of hospitalization is not working, IMO. Patients are stabilized in acute care inpatient facility, pushed for the earliest possible release by the managed care company, often against the doctors better judgment. The system is set up around what is necessary, not what is beneficial to the patient. They are released into the care of the county agency alot of the time, or to an oupatient provider with limited services in place. The long term facility would allow for better monitoring, med management, stabilization and frankly quarantine. Although chronic MH clients are loved dearly by their families, they are not always able to care for them best. An institution or asylum, which have taken on negative connotations, really would be the most beneficial if run correctly.