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Women of the Asylum: Voices from Behind the Walls, 1840-1945
The 26 women who tell their stories here were incarcerated against their will, often by male family members, for holding views or behaving in ways that deviated from the norms of their day. The authors' accompanying history of both societal and psychiatric standards for women reveals the degree to which the prevailing societal conventions could reinforce the perception that these women were "mad".
384 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1994
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January 5, 2017
„INSANE ASYLUM“. A place where insanity is made.“ (S. 123) So lakonisch umschreibt eine der Patientinnen, die in diesem Sachbuch zu Worte kommen, die Einrichtungen, in denen sie Monate, manchmal auch viele Jahre, verbringen mussten, häufig ohne echte medizinische Diagnose. Um ein ausgewogenes Bild zu bieten, enthält das Buch auch Berichte von Frauen, denen tatsächlich geholfen wurde. Doch die überwältigende Mehrheit der Patientinnen wurde in der jeweiligen Einrichtung der Willkür der Aufsichtspersonen ausgesetzt, sie wurden menschenunwürdig behandelt, mitunter gequält. Häufig reichten nichtige Gründe, etwa eine unliebsame Meinung, die sich nach der Meinung des Vaters oder des Ehemannes der Frau nicht für eine solche gehörte, um sie für verrückt zu erklären, manchmal wollte der Mann die Frau auch einfach nur loswerden. Es ist schier unerträglich zu lesen, wie ausgeliefert Frauen Männern in vergangenen Zeiten waren. Entsprechend wütend und aufgebracht war ich bei der Lektüre über weite Strecken dieses Buches.
Das Buch beginnt mit einem sehr interessanten Vorwort der amerikanischen Psychologin Phyllis Chesler gefolgt von einer nicht minder interessanten Einführung der Autoren in das Thema. Daraufhin folgen die Augenzeugenberichte der betroffenen Frauen, die zeitlich in vier Abschnitte gegliedert wurden, um das sich in Laufe der Zeit verändernden Frauenbild widerzuspiegeln. Den Berichten aus den verschiedenen Zeitabschnitten sind Erläuterungen eben dieses Frauenbildes sowie Beschreibungen der allgemeinen Zustände in Einrichtungen für Geisteskranke und der jeweilige Stand der Psychologie vorangestellt.
Die Augenzeugenbericht stammen von vielen verschiedenen Frauen, entsprechend unterschiedlich lesen sie sich auch. Die meisten von ihnen stimmen jedoch darin überein, dass der Aufenthalt eine Qual war und es im Grunde ein Wunder ist, dass die Frauen ihren ja häufig völlig gesunden Geisteszustand über lange Zeiträume hinweg bewahren konnten. Die Frauen wurden nach Aussage einer Patientin schlimmer behandelt als Verbrecher:
„Most criminals have some sort of a trial before they are punished; but here, all that is required, is the misrepresentation of an angry attendant, who thus secures to her helpless victim the punishment, which her own conduct justly merits upon herself…“ (Seite 62)
Die Beschreibungen der teilweise gänzlich unwissenschaftlichen Behandlungsmethoden sind kaum zu ertragen:
„Based on the unfounded assumptions that psychiatric illness resulted from gynecological disease, these treatments were directed at women’s reproductive organs… Other women were subject to electrical charges applied to the uterus…“ (Seite 100-101)
Es wird noch schlimmer, aber das möchte ich euch an dieser Stelle ersparen.
Das aufschlussreiche Buch endet mit einem Epilog, in dem die Autoren feststellen, dass die Zustände in psychiatrischen Kliniken heute keineswegs bestens sind und geben entsprechende Beispiele. So schließen die Autoren mit einem Appell an die Gesellschaft, die Stimmen der Betroffenen stärker wahrzunehmen.
Das Buch beginnt mit einem sehr interessanten Vorwort der amerikanischen Psychologin Phyllis Chesler gefolgt von einer nicht minder interessanten Einführung der Autoren in das Thema. Daraufhin folgen die Augenzeugenberichte der betroffenen Frauen, die zeitlich in vier Abschnitte gegliedert wurden, um das sich in Laufe der Zeit verändernden Frauenbild widerzuspiegeln. Den Berichten aus den verschiedenen Zeitabschnitten sind Erläuterungen eben dieses Frauenbildes sowie Beschreibungen der allgemeinen Zustände in Einrichtungen für Geisteskranke und der jeweilige Stand der Psychologie vorangestellt.
Die Augenzeugenbericht stammen von vielen verschiedenen Frauen, entsprechend unterschiedlich lesen sie sich auch. Die meisten von ihnen stimmen jedoch darin überein, dass der Aufenthalt eine Qual war und es im Grunde ein Wunder ist, dass die Frauen ihren ja häufig völlig gesunden Geisteszustand über lange Zeiträume hinweg bewahren konnten. Die Frauen wurden nach Aussage einer Patientin schlimmer behandelt als Verbrecher:
„Most criminals have some sort of a trial before they are punished; but here, all that is required, is the misrepresentation of an angry attendant, who thus secures to her helpless victim the punishment, which her own conduct justly merits upon herself…“ (Seite 62)
Die Beschreibungen der teilweise gänzlich unwissenschaftlichen Behandlungsmethoden sind kaum zu ertragen:
„Based on the unfounded assumptions that psychiatric illness resulted from gynecological disease, these treatments were directed at women’s reproductive organs… Other women were subject to electrical charges applied to the uterus…“ (Seite 100-101)
Es wird noch schlimmer, aber das möchte ich euch an dieser Stelle ersparen.
Das aufschlussreiche Buch endet mit einem Epilog, in dem die Autoren feststellen, dass die Zustände in psychiatrischen Kliniken heute keineswegs bestens sind und geben entsprechende Beispiele. So schließen die Autoren mit einem Appell an die Gesellschaft, die Stimmen der Betroffenen stärker wahrzunehmen.
November 23, 2016
Women of the Asylum: Voices from Behind the Walls, 1840-1945 has proved a difficult book to get hold of. I eventually sourced an inter-library loan which came all the way to my University's library from Cardiff. Jeffrey L. Geller and Maxine Harris have presented one of the first books of its kind here, bringing together the voice of women who were incarcerated in American institutions against their will over a 105-year period, and giving them 'the opportunity to speak for themselves'. Twenty-six first person case studies have been included in all, offering a 'rare privilege' to the reader. 'As a whole,' the editors write in their introduction, 'these narratives offer a clear picture of women's lives from both within and outside the asylums in which they lived. Individually, they provide some of the most harrowing tales of the abuses of the psychiatric system'.44099
Women of the Asylum has been split into four separate, distinct sections to cover the rather vast historical period - 1840 to 1865, 1866 to 1890, 1891 to 1920, and 1921 to 1945 - which all loosely relate to particular periods in treatment, or important turning points within political discourse. Geller and Harris also discuss their decision to split the period up into smaller chunks due to shifting moral and social conditions in the United States. They write that 'the nineteenth-century women of the asylum are morally purposeful, philosophical, often religious. Their frame of reference, and their use of language, are romantic - Christian and Victorian. They write like abolitionists, transcendentalists, suffragists. The twentieth-century women are keen observers of human nature and asylum abuse - but they have no universal frame of reference. They face "madness" and institutional abuse alone, without God, ideology, or each other.'
The women focused upon here, some of which you will have heard of (Charlotte Perkins Gilman, for instance), and others who were publicly unknown, all 'wanted to right the wrongs they saw being perpetuated by what they perceived to be autocratic families, domineering physicians, unfeeling attendants, and misguided lawmakers' in one way or another. Regardless of their social class, whilst trapped within the asylums, none of the women were 'treated with any kindness, sympathy, or medical or spiritual expertise'. Each account here was written once the woman in question had been handed her freedom once more, and many were later published as warnings to others about the horrors which the asylum held, or as a process of self-healing. Some of the women took direct action afterwards, campaigning for change, and others faded into relative obscurity.
As one would expect, I'm sure, some incredibly shocking accounts are presented here; for instance, the way in which 'any sign of economic independence or simple human pride in a woman could be used against her, both legally and psychiatrically.' There was also the fear that an individual would be driven to become mad solely due to her incarceration, or that she would remain in an asylum indefinitely, with no hope of ever escaping.
Some incredibly interesting questions have been posed throughout - for instance, whether such firsthand accounts can be trusted due to the mental imbalance which their authors may be suffering from, or the possible delusional aspect of their condition. Each of these women, regardless of her circumstance or the amount of time in which she was locked away - and the periods vary drastically, from two months per year as a 'rest cure' of sorts, to the horrific stretch of twenty-eight years, such as Adriana P. Brinckle had to face - has legitimacy; each has her own story to tell.
In Women of the Asylum, Geller and Harris have presented a far-reaching and well-researched account, which has been introduced in a wise and lucid manner by Phyllis Chesler. The concluding message seems to be this: 'Whether they were rebels, social misfits, visionaries or madwomen is left for the reader to decide'. If you can get your hands on this important and invaluable piece of literary gold dust, I would urge you to read it.
Women of the Asylum has been split into four separate, distinct sections to cover the rather vast historical period - 1840 to 1865, 1866 to 1890, 1891 to 1920, and 1921 to 1945 - which all loosely relate to particular periods in treatment, or important turning points within political discourse. Geller and Harris also discuss their decision to split the period up into smaller chunks due to shifting moral and social conditions in the United States. They write that 'the nineteenth-century women of the asylum are morally purposeful, philosophical, often religious. Their frame of reference, and their use of language, are romantic - Christian and Victorian. They write like abolitionists, transcendentalists, suffragists. The twentieth-century women are keen observers of human nature and asylum abuse - but they have no universal frame of reference. They face "madness" and institutional abuse alone, without God, ideology, or each other.'
The women focused upon here, some of which you will have heard of (Charlotte Perkins Gilman, for instance), and others who were publicly unknown, all 'wanted to right the wrongs they saw being perpetuated by what they perceived to be autocratic families, domineering physicians, unfeeling attendants, and misguided lawmakers' in one way or another. Regardless of their social class, whilst trapped within the asylums, none of the women were 'treated with any kindness, sympathy, or medical or spiritual expertise'. Each account here was written once the woman in question had been handed her freedom once more, and many were later published as warnings to others about the horrors which the asylum held, or as a process of self-healing. Some of the women took direct action afterwards, campaigning for change, and others faded into relative obscurity.
As one would expect, I'm sure, some incredibly shocking accounts are presented here; for instance, the way in which 'any sign of economic independence or simple human pride in a woman could be used against her, both legally and psychiatrically.' There was also the fear that an individual would be driven to become mad solely due to her incarceration, or that she would remain in an asylum indefinitely, with no hope of ever escaping.
Some incredibly interesting questions have been posed throughout - for instance, whether such firsthand accounts can be trusted due to the mental imbalance which their authors may be suffering from, or the possible delusional aspect of their condition. Each of these women, regardless of her circumstance or the amount of time in which she was locked away - and the periods vary drastically, from two months per year as a 'rest cure' of sorts, to the horrific stretch of twenty-eight years, such as Adriana P. Brinckle had to face - has legitimacy; each has her own story to tell.
In Women of the Asylum, Geller and Harris have presented a far-reaching and well-researched account, which has been introduced in a wise and lucid manner by Phyllis Chesler. The concluding message seems to be this: 'Whether they were rebels, social misfits, visionaries or madwomen is left for the reader to decide'. If you can get your hands on this important and invaluable piece of literary gold dust, I would urge you to read it.
December 20, 2016
This book, with its real life narratives, was very difficult to read. It’s frightening what women went through simply because of their gender.
The book gives really good detail at what was going on in the time period of the narrative. It details the political climate, what was going on in terms of medical treatment, and how women were treated and what was expected of them.
The mere fact that the medical society thought that simply having a uterus was enough to cause mental illness is astounding and sickening at the same time. Having a child was also a qualifier for having a mental illness.
Stepping outside the ridgid boundaries imposed on women and their conduct was enough to get a woman committed by her father, brother, or husband. If a marriage was in trouble, a husband could make a false accusation against his wife and have her locked up.
The book doesn’t tell you if any of these women were actually mentally ill. It just relays their stories in their own words. But frankly, even if they were, the horrors they suffered as “treatment” are beyond imagination. You think you’re reading a work of fiction when one woman tells about the near-drowning water therapy or the forced insulin therapy that put the patient into a coma to “reboot” her brain.
Unfortunately, you don’t find out what happened to most of these women after reading their horror stories. Some of them were released, others spent up to 24 years locked in asylums.
It was quite a shock to read. It definitely wasn’t easy.
The book gives really good detail at what was going on in the time period of the narrative. It details the political climate, what was going on in terms of medical treatment, and how women were treated and what was expected of them.
The mere fact that the medical society thought that simply having a uterus was enough to cause mental illness is astounding and sickening at the same time. Having a child was also a qualifier for having a mental illness.
Stepping outside the ridgid boundaries imposed on women and their conduct was enough to get a woman committed by her father, brother, or husband. If a marriage was in trouble, a husband could make a false accusation against his wife and have her locked up.
The book doesn’t tell you if any of these women were actually mentally ill. It just relays their stories in their own words. But frankly, even if they were, the horrors they suffered as “treatment” are beyond imagination. You think you’re reading a work of fiction when one woman tells about the near-drowning water therapy or the forced insulin therapy that put the patient into a coma to “reboot” her brain.
Unfortunately, you don’t find out what happened to most of these women after reading their horror stories. Some of them were released, others spent up to 24 years locked in asylums.
It was quite a shock to read. It definitely wasn’t easy.
July 31, 2008
(Hardcover) Read this while researching for a paper in History of Medicine class. It is true that the stories are about white women (women of color just weren't "put away" the way white women were during this time period). The narratives are believable, especially after further researching this topic and reading first-hand accounts (dusty diaries). Are things much different now? Well, sure - if you consider how hard it is to get anyone inpatient psych care anymore. Now we mostly medicate our women behaving badly. Pharmaceutical restraints. We still have a long way to go in understanding (and defining) mental illness, and in not confusing it with social dissent (don't get me started). It is good for us to know and to remember where we have been.
January 26, 2014
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I definitely enjoyed this book. I have been on a kick of books on the history of the asylum lately, and this is definitely one of the better books that I have read in that category.
I really enjoyed that the majority of this book is by the women themselves. I found it incredibly interesting to read their stories in their own words. I couldn't believe that the majority of the women in the Asylum's (judging by the women's stories and history of the time) were just put there by their husbands/family for expressing views that were different from what was acceptable at the time or because they were believers in a different religion than their families. I also couldn't believe how awful the treatment was for these women. Many were forced to eat intolerable food and were abused by the people in charge, yet it seemed as if the majority of women were hopeful of a change in the future, of a time when women wouldn't be forced into the asylum by their husbands and would be treated with the dignity they deserved.
The authors did a really good job in this book of giving the reader a good, brief overview of the history of the time. The book is broken down into time periods and at the start of each new time period the authors give a history of events that were going on and what women were going through at that time period. I thought that the history of the time allowed the reader to better understand the stories that were in the book. Given a little history of the time, the stories that the women wrote were much more powerful.
I thought that the writing in this book was good. Obviously it's more of a challenge to judge the writing when the book is written by so many different authors. But the actual authors themselves did a really good job of picking out stories that were easy to read and well written.
Overall, I found this book to be extremely fascinating and enjoyable. While the subject matter is relatively grim, there is still a glimmer of hope for change throughout the entire book. I would definitely recommend this book for those interested in women's right or a history of the mental health system in america for women. Definitely worth the read.
I definitely enjoyed this book. I have been on a kick of books on the history of the asylum lately, and this is definitely one of the better books that I have read in that category.
I really enjoyed that the majority of this book is by the women themselves. I found it incredibly interesting to read their stories in their own words. I couldn't believe that the majority of the women in the Asylum's (judging by the women's stories and history of the time) were just put there by their husbands/family for expressing views that were different from what was acceptable at the time or because they were believers in a different religion than their families. I also couldn't believe how awful the treatment was for these women. Many were forced to eat intolerable food and were abused by the people in charge, yet it seemed as if the majority of women were hopeful of a change in the future, of a time when women wouldn't be forced into the asylum by their husbands and would be treated with the dignity they deserved.
The authors did a really good job in this book of giving the reader a good, brief overview of the history of the time. The book is broken down into time periods and at the start of each new time period the authors give a history of events that were going on and what women were going through at that time period. I thought that the history of the time allowed the reader to better understand the stories that were in the book. Given a little history of the time, the stories that the women wrote were much more powerful.
I thought that the writing in this book was good. Obviously it's more of a challenge to judge the writing when the book is written by so many different authors. But the actual authors themselves did a really good job of picking out stories that were easy to read and well written.
Overall, I found this book to be extremely fascinating and enjoyable. While the subject matter is relatively grim, there is still a glimmer of hope for change throughout the entire book. I would definitely recommend this book for those interested in women's right or a history of the mental health system in america for women. Definitely worth the read.
February 24, 2013
This one had been sitting on my wishlist for a long time, and I finally got around to hunting down a secondhand copy.
This book features excerpts from publications written by women who had been institutionalised in insane asylums over a hundred year period, with each time period preceded by a short introduction giving an overview of the general state of mental healthcare at the time.
All of the stories are brutal.
It's horribly fascinating watching the shape of the asylum changing. In the beginning of the time periods covered, the women were locked away not the reasons of insanity, but usually for disagreeing with their husbands (and it seems in almost every case it was a husband signing their life away) on domestic, or more usually, religious matters. The treatment the women underwent was abhorrent - no real medical or mental health care, revolting food, revolting conditions.
You'd almost hope that things would get better as time went on and medical knowledge progressed. In some respects, maybe. There are some latter cases where the treatment actually was said to work for the patient (one patient underwent fairly intensive insulin shock therapy, which broke a severe depression). However, the treatment never got much better - you can see the rise of insulin shock and electroshock therapy, as well as the use of hydrotherapy, which basically bordered on abuse. Mention of outright abuse increased as well (possibly because the women were more aware of it actually being abuse - it's difficult to tell, based on these brief accounts), with the very last account bluntly describing horrific physical abuse at the hands of her "carers" as well as rape and prostitution of patients.
These are only a handful of cases, written by the women who were well enough to tell their stories. Who knows how many perished and suffered in asylums over the years, many of which weren't even mentally ill?
This book features excerpts from publications written by women who had been institutionalised in insane asylums over a hundred year period, with each time period preceded by a short introduction giving an overview of the general state of mental healthcare at the time.
All of the stories are brutal.
It's horribly fascinating watching the shape of the asylum changing. In the beginning of the time periods covered, the women were locked away not the reasons of insanity, but usually for disagreeing with their husbands (and it seems in almost every case it was a husband signing their life away) on domestic, or more usually, religious matters. The treatment the women underwent was abhorrent - no real medical or mental health care, revolting food, revolting conditions.
You'd almost hope that things would get better as time went on and medical knowledge progressed. In some respects, maybe. There are some latter cases where the treatment actually was said to work for the patient (one patient underwent fairly intensive insulin shock therapy, which broke a severe depression). However, the treatment never got much better - you can see the rise of insulin shock and electroshock therapy, as well as the use of hydrotherapy, which basically bordered on abuse. Mention of outright abuse increased as well (possibly because the women were more aware of it actually being abuse - it's difficult to tell, based on these brief accounts), with the very last account bluntly describing horrific physical abuse at the hands of her "carers" as well as rape and prostitution of patients.
These are only a handful of cases, written by the women who were well enough to tell their stories. Who knows how many perished and suffered in asylums over the years, many of which weren't even mentally ill?
August 29, 2017
I had a hard time rating this book as a "like" because of the heart-rending material in its pages. First-person written narratives from women committed to insane asylums does not make for easy reading.
Geller does an excellent job of introducing the various periods of time covered by the narratives and in providing an overview of the contemporary psychological practices and beliefs.
The women tell their stories in deep, emotional words that depict the despair and utter devastation they suffered in asylums. Committed by their families for unbelievable reasons (not agreeing with a husband's beliefs, daring to speak up at a public meeting, being a spiritualist), the women do not have any recourse to fight the incarceration process and to obtain their releases.
Sobering.
Geller does an excellent job of introducing the various periods of time covered by the narratives and in providing an overview of the contemporary psychological practices and beliefs.
The women tell their stories in deep, emotional words that depict the despair and utter devastation they suffered in asylums. Committed by their families for unbelievable reasons (not agreeing with a husband's beliefs, daring to speak up at a public meeting, being a spiritualist), the women do not have any recourse to fight the incarceration process and to obtain their releases.
Sobering.
January 6, 2023
This book consists of short testaments narrated by women who had been admitted to a mental institution for one reason or another. It is pretty evident from reading the stories that the poor women were most certainly not insane, simply either a nuisance or disobedient to the man or sometimes mother-in-law in their household. It was that easy in those days to commit a family member, most often a woman, simply on the say-so of the head of the family, there was no set release date and the family could simply walk away and throw away the key leaving their problem in the asylum.
What these poor souls went through in the name of treatment or cure was both physical and mental cruelty and although the ladies who wrote their accounts in this book managed to get back their lives after varying lengths of time, for some it was a life sentence and some actually were driven mad by the incarceration.
This same atrocious treatment continued to be carried out not just in the USA but in many other countries including the UK well into the 20th century.
A heartbreaking but fascinating read.
What these poor souls went through in the name of treatment or cure was both physical and mental cruelty and although the ladies who wrote their accounts in this book managed to get back their lives after varying lengths of time, for some it was a life sentence and some actually were driven mad by the incarceration.
This same atrocious treatment continued to be carried out not just in the USA but in many other countries including the UK well into the 20th century.
A heartbreaking but fascinating read.
April 3, 2009
I feel good reading this for an interesting reason - these women often seem to have little hope in anything other than that someone, someday, would read their words and know what they endured. The other comments on here are correct - the editors are definitely focused on affluent (and very literate) white women. I'd love to read an accompanying book of collected experiences of black, Native American, or other minority women. But the editors seem to have simply been looking to collect certain kinds of stories - not because of racism, just because that's what they were looking at. Very interesting, and some of the writings are really moving.
November 4, 2009
Reading essays from women about time spent in asylums is not nearly as interesting as spending time in asylums yourself.
Read
March 20, 2011I love first hand accounts of true events, especially if those events were somewhat tragic, and I especially love stories of women who have been considered insane, or been institutionalized in one form another, and this book was no exception. The book features 26 first hand accounts of different women considered mad or insane, spanning two centuries, from 1840-1945. (If there is a more modern account, covering the last half of the 20th century into the 21st, I need to find it.)
What the stories these women present is really an account of the strength of human endurance, and a test of faith, strength, and survival. Many women were suppressed, oppressed, and otherwise swept under the rug or “gotten rid of” for various reasons for by shipping them off to inanse asylums for periods of “rest” which more often than not were anything but restful. In a patriarchal society, the reasons a woman could be carted off to the asylum ranged from her “delicate mental condition”, to refusal to follow family or Church rules, or simple defiance or disaobedience. Consequently, these women were often abused in horrible ways in order to “cure” them of their willful ways, ranging from rape, beatings, torture, confinement in straightjackets or small cells, or used as labor in laundries. It’s fairly well known from a 21st century perspective that these are all methods used to break a person’s will, but many of these women struggling and fighting valiantly, managed to hold onto their minds and personalities, although each and every one was invariably changed by their experiences. Some of the women, upon being released once they were “cured”, worked outside the system for mental health care reform.
What the stories these women present is really an account of the strength of human endurance, and a test of faith, strength, and survival. Many women were suppressed, oppressed, and otherwise swept under the rug or “gotten rid of” for various reasons for by shipping them off to inanse asylums for periods of “rest” which more often than not were anything but restful. In a patriarchal society, the reasons a woman could be carted off to the asylum ranged from her “delicate mental condition”, to refusal to follow family or Church rules, or simple defiance or disaobedience. Consequently, these women were often abused in horrible ways in order to “cure” them of their willful ways, ranging from rape, beatings, torture, confinement in straightjackets or small cells, or used as labor in laundries. It’s fairly well known from a 21st century perspective that these are all methods used to break a person’s will, but many of these women struggling and fighting valiantly, managed to hold onto their minds and personalities, although each and every one was invariably changed by their experiences. Some of the women, upon being released once they were “cured”, worked outside the system for mental health care reform.
May 30, 2024
I really wanted to like this more because I have been going down a rabbit hole of thinking about how women could have been thrown into asylums against their will if they had any kind of scientific thought or rational idea. That's what lead me to read this but it felt like a lot of information, but nothing really stuck with me. I loved that it was first-hand accounts, but it would sometimes be hard to fully comprehend what each woman was saying because of the time period and the writing. I think it's still a good book, but I truly believe that it needed something more to make it memorable.
August 13, 2009
wow..fascinating read. It was definitely a little difficult to get; I finally had to buy it through BN used booksellers, but I think it was worth it. In my undergrad work in Psychology we only had one class that discussed the treatment of women by the mental health profession. For most of us, the class was definitely an eye opener, and years, later the book is a great companion to the course material. I definitely recommend it for history fans, as well as pyschology students.
May 26, 2014
Completely worth reading, full of information- the content demands to be read. But what a dull book.
July 26, 2017
A little dry and disjointed but left me with a lot to think about.
January 28, 2025
"INSANE ASYLUM. A place where insanity is made." - Adeline Lunt
This is not an easy book to read, yet it is an important one. Women Of The Asylum consists of twenty-six first-hand accounts of women put into asylums ("legally kidnapped" as many of them write) from 1840-1945.
I felt a deep sense of sadness, infuriation, and disgust while reading this. Yet, it made me appreciate these women for having the courage to document their horrific accounts, not giving up on themselves, and fighting for women's rights, which we are STILL fighting for today.
Most of these women were sent to an asylum by their husbands, fathers, or brothers for various reasons, none of them being they were "insane." Some husbands wanted to marry another, while others thought their daughters or wives had too much of an opinion, and their strong behavior caused shame to their families.
And the women that did need help-most often from postpartum depression (like Charlotte Perkins Gilman who wrote The Yellow Wallpaper) were told they were lazy and needed to spend more time at home with their babies, which in Charlotte's case, only caused her condition to worsen.
These women faced inhuman treatment: they were beaten, restrained, and even faced surgeries to remove their ovaries (because being a woman was thought to be the main cause of their "madness").
I am barely touching the surface here, but I feel it's important that we know our history. I saw an interview of a girl in her twenties who said she would rather vote to have lower gas prices than to vote for women's rights. If she knew what our sister's before us faced, and fought so hard for, would she feel the same? I think not.
This is not an easy book to read, yet it is an important one. Women Of The Asylum consists of twenty-six first-hand accounts of women put into asylums ("legally kidnapped" as many of them write) from 1840-1945.
I felt a deep sense of sadness, infuriation, and disgust while reading this. Yet, it made me appreciate these women for having the courage to document their horrific accounts, not giving up on themselves, and fighting for women's rights, which we are STILL fighting for today.
Most of these women were sent to an asylum by their husbands, fathers, or brothers for various reasons, none of them being they were "insane." Some husbands wanted to marry another, while others thought their daughters or wives had too much of an opinion, and their strong behavior caused shame to their families.
And the women that did need help-most often from postpartum depression (like Charlotte Perkins Gilman who wrote The Yellow Wallpaper) were told they were lazy and needed to spend more time at home with their babies, which in Charlotte's case, only caused her condition to worsen.
These women faced inhuman treatment: they were beaten, restrained, and even faced surgeries to remove their ovaries (because being a woman was thought to be the main cause of their "madness").
I am barely touching the surface here, but I feel it's important that we know our history. I saw an interview of a girl in her twenties who said she would rather vote to have lower gas prices than to vote for women's rights. If she knew what our sister's before us faced, and fought so hard for, would she feel the same? I think not.
April 30, 2025
"We've come a long way, baby".. whoever made that statement has gotten it right. Disgusting, heartbreak, despicable, deplorable, cruel, & atrocious and to believe that it was husbands, fathers, brothers & yes, even mothers, that sent women to asylums. The author did a good job with research in the fact that the book was divided into 4 eras. In each, he explained the status of womanhood and their rights, or lack thereof. I was surprised how religion beliefs played a roll into having women committed. It was apparent that some of these women did not belong in this situation. The stories written by inmates that were released shows some were intelligent. But if they weren't crazy before they went in, the staff and administrators made sure they made them crazy starting with day 1 of their incarceration. Still in a not so perfect world, I do understand that there are women who do suffer from abuse, mental issues, trafficking, etc. So sad the bondages of a woman that are made at the hand of someone else.
January 11, 2026
An appalling and haunting account of how many women were treated in asylums between 1840-1945. One of them being Charlotte Perkins Gilman! I liked that it was split into 4 eras, each of which start with a bit about what life was like for women at the time, as well as asylums and "psychiatric care" in general.
July 8, 2018
The stories of these women are sad but there is no connection to the stories - no flow. They are just a collection and it would have been nice if we knew how the women made out after the institutionalization occurred.
January 17, 2020
Take a look into the minds and lives of women behind bars... some with good cause... others with none at all other than a disgruntled husband. It's dark, insightful, sad, and a "thinker." We've come a long way!
June 21, 2023
I thought this was a mediocre book. Looking for more info about day to day life of a woman in an asylum. Although it does go into describing some of the horrible things they did to the female patients. It was disturbing reading the reasons the women were admitted to the asylum.
September 18, 2018
What an insight. I loved it!!
March 5, 2022
Shocking at times. Overwhelmingly sad at others. The ways that they came up with reasons for institutionalizing women with opinions are just horrible.
July 12, 2024
An absolutely chilling book about a century of abuse and neglect, written by the women who suffered.
April 10, 2025
Harrowing stuff, an important reference for those researching/interested in the history of women's mental health.
March 21, 2017
I heard good things about this book but was unfortunately disappointed. The content was good, but I was unable to finish this one. I felt like I was reading the same story over and over, just the grammar changed because the storyteller changed. It was way too repetitive to hold my attention.
February 15, 2017
I had been wanting to read Women of the Asylum for a long while but as others have said it is a difficult book to find. The copy I ended up with had to be shipped from England and had a few unprinted pages. I'm glad I took the time to read it anyway as it was one of the most fascinating books I've read on the subject of Asylums. Though it's pages are filled with heartbreak from many view points I found the more detailed stories from 1921-1945 the hardest to read as those women did not feel society hushing them as much as the women from 1840-1920. If you're looking to read an honest book on the subject then this is it. Knowing that I could have been locked away for an indefinite period of time just for reading this book, not agreeing with someone on religion, or just having a fast pulse somewhat blows my mind. Many interesting and horrible stories from so many women asking "Why am I here?". Researcher in 1870 assumed that unfeminine activities caused uterine derangement, which in turn caused mental illness. Just another reason I'd be locked away. Learning just what women went through in this time period makes me appreciate that it has gotten better in some regards. A very intriguing read.
February 12, 2025
It seems weird saying this was a "great" book - due to the sad subject material inside, however I highly recommend this book.
Years ago I rented it from the library, went on vacation & it was stolen out of my room!! I was so sad snice the library was not able to obtain another book in print at that time. Thankfully, a few weeks ago I asked at the library again if they could get an inn-library loan from somewhere else & luckily they were to get it from DuPage University. It is a hard-to-find book... but well worth the read.
Although some of the earlier stories/letters from the women who once resided in an asylum were hard to read due to the time period & writing-style they were written in, they told of many of the horrors endured while living in an institution.
Some of the women were put in the asylum because their husband had found a new love & it was convenient for him to "get rid of her" this way; some women had strong opinions about different subjects & this made fathers, husbands, brothers etc. angry; some had postpartum depression; some were probably actually mentally ill... but whatever the reason, it seems women were easily disposed of this way. It only took a doctor or two (who may or may not have even had a consultation with the patient) and the word of a male family member.
The rape, torture, and "head games" that some of these women encountered were just sickening. It does mention that men were put into asylums also - but the majority were women.
Whether you just like psychology like I do, or you are interested in asylums of the past, I recommend this book.
Years ago I rented it from the library, went on vacation & it was stolen out of my room!! I was so sad snice the library was not able to obtain another book in print at that time. Thankfully, a few weeks ago I asked at the library again if they could get an inn-library loan from somewhere else & luckily they were to get it from DuPage University. It is a hard-to-find book... but well worth the read.
Although some of the earlier stories/letters from the women who once resided in an asylum were hard to read due to the time period & writing-style they were written in, they told of many of the horrors endured while living in an institution.
Some of the women were put in the asylum because their husband had found a new love & it was convenient for him to "get rid of her" this way; some women had strong opinions about different subjects & this made fathers, husbands, brothers etc. angry; some had postpartum depression; some were probably actually mentally ill... but whatever the reason, it seems women were easily disposed of this way. It only took a doctor or two (who may or may not have even had a consultation with the patient) and the word of a male family member.
The rape, torture, and "head games" that some of these women encountered were just sickening. It does mention that men were put into asylums also - but the majority were women.
Whether you just like psychology like I do, or you are interested in asylums of the past, I recommend this book.
October 31, 2014
FINALLY! I have been waiting to read a captivating book about asylums. I've read a few duds over the past few years. This book was amazing. It covered 100 years of women in asylums and the way the book was organized was fantastic. Each time period had a historical introduction of women's lives and the psychiatric establishment. Then there was a small introduction before diving into excerpts from asylum patients' journals and publications. Without the historical context, it would have been difficult to understand the setting of the journal entries.
Out of the 26 women in this book, I would say that only 4 of them needed psychiatric help. I found that I had a few things in common with Sophie Olsen...trying to stay optimistic in an awful situation:
"August 6th was the fatal day in which the formidable doors of that institution, the world calls as "Asylum," were locked upon me, and I found myself indeed a prisoner. Finding it inevitable, I submitted with cheerfulness. This submission however was given under a very mistaken idea of the gloom impending over me."
Kate Lee's story was probably the most descriptive. I definitely bookmarked her account of the asylum life.
This book is going to remain on my bookshelves!
Out of the 26 women in this book, I would say that only 4 of them needed psychiatric help. I found that I had a few things in common with Sophie Olsen...trying to stay optimistic in an awful situation:
"August 6th was the fatal day in which the formidable doors of that institution, the world calls as "Asylum," were locked upon me, and I found myself indeed a prisoner. Finding it inevitable, I submitted with cheerfulness. This submission however was given under a very mistaken idea of the gloom impending over me."
Kate Lee's story was probably the most descriptive. I definitely bookmarked her account of the asylum life.
This book is going to remain on my bookshelves!
October 28, 2007
This is ok. Gripping descriptions of what it meant for a woman to be mad in the US before the end of asylums. But by "woman" Geller and Harris mean "white woman," and they also arrange the narratives between neat, historical synopses which seem dishonest. If narrative can be honest, I know. But the historical sections kind of limit the possible meanings of the stories. Something REALLY GOOD that we read along these lines was "In Our Own Voices" by Vanessa Jackson, but they don't have that here because it's an essay.
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