My mind likes to shut down thought on this issue for, I think, obvious reasons. I'm at least aware of it. But you're right. The solution to terrible mental institutions wasn't to essentially eliminate them—just like the solution to terrible psychiatric practices wasn't to ditch the field. I don't think these were unforeseeable consequences either. Women have always taken on the burden of caregiving.
It's like we reached a point where women had enough legal rights to not be thrown into an asylum based on nothing but the word of a male relative, and decided that we shouldn't bother with mental institutions at all anymore. (Semi-ahistorical hyperbole, but I couldn't help it.)
This is such a tricky issue to take on; one where I think least wrong is the best we can do because there is no right, and we've sort of responded by more or less trying not to think about it.
There are definitely some people with more mild conditions who are better off due to efforts to integrate them into society more and the way we won't talk about what to do makes it more likely that institutions will be heinous.
But my sister used to work at the county psych ward and there ard people that just cycle between jail, the psych ward and the street and the nurses and cops are in agreement that it's fucked and awful, but don't have anything else they can do.
This is a perfect example of the way that when markets and governments don't have a solution that women have to step in and figure it out.
Why you gotta make me so uncomfortable?
My mind likes to shut down thought on this issue for, I think, obvious reasons. I'm at least aware of it. But you're right. The solution to terrible mental institutions wasn't to essentially eliminate them—just like the solution to terrible psychiatric practices wasn't to ditch the field. I don't think these were unforeseeable consequences either. Women have always taken on the burden of caregiving.
It's like we reached a point where women had enough legal rights to not be thrown into an asylum based on nothing but the word of a male relative, and decided that we shouldn't bother with mental institutions at all anymore. (Semi-ahistorical hyperbole, but I couldn't help it.)
Only semi-hyperbolic. And a connection I never made before. Thank you.
The ladies getting thrown into Bedlam in Harlots was too real.
This is such a tricky issue to take on; one where I think least wrong is the best we can do because there is no right, and we've sort of responded by more or less trying not to think about it.
There are definitely some people with more mild conditions who are better off due to efforts to integrate them into society more and the way we won't talk about what to do makes it more likely that institutions will be heinous.
But my sister used to work at the county psych ward and there ard people that just cycle between jail, the psych ward and the street and the nurses and cops are in agreement that it's fucked and awful, but don't have anything else they can do.
This is a perfect example of the way that when markets and governments don't have a solution that women have to step in and figure it out.
Yep