Behind the Walls of the World’s Psychiatric Hospitals

Send us Fan Mail Episode 27 discusses the life of Margaret Dunleavy, a Scottish immigrant to the United States and nurse, who later became a long-time patient at Willard State Hospital. Find out why Margaret was committed to Willard and what remained in her suitcases. Sources included in the episode transcript. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Episode 26 discusses the treasure found in the attic after Willard Psychiatric Center closed in 1995. Find out what researchers discovered that led them to learn more about the life of former patient Lawrence Marek. All sources cited in the transcript. Main source used is "The Lives They Left Behind" by Penney Darby and Peter Stastny. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail This episode outlines the history of Willard State Hospital, from approximately 1905 until its closure in 1995. Learn about the treatments offered at Willard, as well as the rise and decline of the patient population, including what led the once-largest asylum in the U.S. to close for good. All sources are cited at the end of the transcript, available on the Buzzfeed page. Support...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 24 begins the history of Willard State Hospital, originally The Willard Asylum for the Chronically Insane. Learn about the treatment of the mentally ill in New York state prior to the opening of the asylum. We'll discuss the steep rise in the patient population just in the first 20 years that the asylum was open and the various types of treatments that were offered th...

Send us Fan Mail This final episode on Ionia State Hospital traces the history of mental health treatment for Black folx in the U.S., starting around 1850. Learn about the prejudices that Black activists faced during the Civil Rights Movement and how some ended up being hospitalized for schizophrenia as a result. Information and photos drawn from  The Protest Psychosis by Jonathan M. Metzl. Suppor...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 22 discusses the life, incarceration, and hospitalization of "Caesar Williams," a Black man originally from California who ended up in the Michigan penal system. Learn about Caesar's symptoms of mental illness and why his diagnosis changed over the years. Source material: _The Protest Psychosis_ by Jonathan M. Metzl Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Episode 21 discusses the life and mental health of "Alice Wilson," a woman who was hospitalized three times at Ionia State Hospital during her lifetime. Originally diagnosed with schizophrenia, Alice would go on to benefit from the revisions in the DSM that changed her diagnosis to depression. Learn why Alice was originally sent to the hospital and what treatment finally...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 20 kicks off a new series on Ionia State Hospital (originally the Michigan Asylum for Insane Criminals). Learn about the early history of the hospital, Metrazol shock therapy, the drastic effects of deinstitutionalization, and the transition from hospital to prison. All sources are cited in the episode transcript. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Episode 19 discusses the crimes of serial killer Nathan Trupp, who killed three people in New Mexico and two people in California in the span of two days. Find out why he did it and why he was not sent to prison for these murders. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Episode 18 discusses the story of the first mass murder in U.S. history - the story of Howard Unruh and his "Walk of Death" that would leave 13 people dead and 3 more injured. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Episode 17 features the life, career, and hospitalizations of mathematician John Forbes Nash. This episode will briefly discuss the representaiton of his life in the film A Beautiful Mind but will focus primarily on the true story of his life. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Episode 16 explores the life of one asylum resident, Dr. Henry T. Helmbold, who was committed to (and escaped from) the hospital many times. Learn what he was famous for and why he was so intent on escaping. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail This episode was supposed to be completed today, but...I found some perfect source material that I could not exclude! As a result, the planned episode on the People of the New Jersey State Lunatic Asylum, Part 2, will come out next week and will feature the story of two doctors (one real doctor, one self-proclaimed doctor) who were patients at Trenton. You will NOT want to miss it...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 14 discusses the life, career, and legacy of Dr. Phyllis Greenacre, who was the first person to investigate the controversial "treatments" promoted by Henry Cotton. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Episode 13 discusses the investigation into Dr. Cotton's controversial "treatments," his own subsequent descent into madness, and the end of a terrible legacy. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail This episode discusses the rise of Dr. Henry Cotton, the "Mad Doctor" of the NJ State Hospital at Trenton, from approximately 1916-1924. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail This episode covers the early history of the New Jersey State Lunatic Asylum (1848-1920), including the early days of Dr. Henry A. Cotton. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Dorothea Dix (1802-1887) was a fierce advocate for the humane treatment of the mentally ill. Her dedication to visiting jails, prisons, and madhouses to document their deplorable conditions led to some of the most dramatic asylum reforms around the world. Learn about how this seemingly-fearless woman took on the patriarchical government to start the first Kirkbride style hospital...

Send us Fan Mail 18-year-old Janie Landers disappeared from Fairview Training Center on March 9, 1979, and her body was found five days later in a field. Her killer's identity remained unknown for 38 years until her sister's persistence succeeded in getting her case reopened and solved. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Episode 8 tells the story of Fairview Training Center (originally the State Institution for the Feeble-Minded) in Salem, Oregon. Listen to stories of the abusive practices that residents endured and learn about the long fight for individuals with disabilities to gain equal civil rights. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Sarah answers listeners' questions about Oregon State Hospital and about working as a psychologist at a state hospital. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Episode 6 explores the sudden deaths of 47 patients during dinner in 1942, the mysterious tunnels underneath the hospital, and the reason Oregon State Hospital was at the center of a series of Pulitzer-award winning articles. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Episode 5 discusses four of the most notable escapes from Oregon State Hospital: the escape of Oliver Marshall and four other patients in 1903, the escape of Attie Bray in 1904, the escape of William Bowen and five others in 1933, and the escape of Michael McCormack in 1991. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Episode 4 covers the second part of the patients and staff of Oregon State Hospital. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Learn about the Applegate family, who pioneered a southern trail to Oregon in the 1840s, and the eight family members who were committed to Oregon State Hospital. Support the show