Dorothea Dix: The Legacy Of Mental Illness

Skylar Dishman Mrs. Stout/Dr. Shadden-Cobb ELA/Social Studies 8 May 2017 Dorothea Lynde Dix Dorothea Lynde Dix was a woman who had accomplished much in her life. Not only did her achievements help people with mental illnesses during that time, but also significantly changed the treatment of mentally-ill patients today. Dorothea Dix was born on April 4, 1802 in the hometown of Hampen in Maine. She was the first child of three born to Joseph Dix and Mary Bigelow Dix. Her mother was unhealthy and her father was an abusive alcoholic.

Dorothea Lynde Dix was born on April 4, 1802 in Hampden, Maine. She was a pioneer in the treatment of the mentally ill. “She was instrumental in founding 32 mental hospitals, 15 schools for the feeble minded, a school for the blind, and numerous training facilities for nurses. Her efforts were an indirect inspiration for the building of many additional institutions for the mentally ill. She also helped establish libraries in prisons, mental hospitals and other institutions.”

Dorothea Dix began teaching at a women 's prison in 1841, She noticed they didn 't have any heat in the asylum, so she went to court and not only asked for heat but other things she thought was needed as well. In 1848, she asked the Congress for more than 12 million acres of land, for the mentally ill, and blind and deaf. The bill was approved. After that complication, she went to Europe and stumbled upon many new things. In 1856, she returned to the U.S and was named superintendent of nurses.

In one of her speeches called “I Tell What I Have seen”, Dix told of the many things she saw: “I may here remark that severe measures, in enforcing rule, have in many places been openly revealed. I have not seen chastisement administered by stripes, and in but few instances have I seen the rods and whips, but I have seen blows inflicted, both passionately and repeatedly.” Before Dix started digging into the issue, almost all people believed the mentally insane were untreatable and did not feel distress in the same way as others (para. 13). Dix was one of the first people to

One can not research social work without coming across the name Jane Addams. Jane’s work within the world of social reform, had a great deal of lasting power. She was at the time of her death, best known for establishing the Hull house and advocating for fair treatment of immigrant communities. Her work may have started in Chicago, but reached worldwide with her reform. Jane Addams influences had a wide reach with lasting results, the greatest being the Hull house.

Dorothea quickly realized the horrible treatment the prisoners received especially those with mental illness whose cells had no heat. She quickly went to court and soon assured to provide heat for the prisoners along with other improvements. Dorothea founded more than 30 hospitals for the mentally ill.(Bio.com.) She changed the idea that mentally ill people cannot be helped or cured to that with treatment their mental state will become normal. She also was a committed critic of cruel and neglectful practices toward the mentally ill such as caging, incarceration without clothing, physical and sexual abuse from their keepers, and painful physical restraint such as chains.(Biography

The Reform of mentally ill was led by Dorthea Dix, a teacher and activist for the treatment of

She asked her students about the harsh conditions they lived under; their answer is what led to her desire to reform mental institutions. Dorothea Dix traveled over 60,000 miles in 8 years gathering information for her reports. These reports brought about changes in treatment. They also revealed that insanity was a disease, not a choice. With her detailed observations, she approached dozens of state legislatures such as: New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, Arkansas, Indiana, Illinois, Mississippi, Louisiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Maryland,

There are thousands of distinguished social workers who have obtained a series of accomplishments to be recognized for. One of the most influential in history, was Jane Addams. Jane Addams was an International President, she was a part of The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, and she was a sociologist, pioneer social worker in America, feminist, and internationalist (Nobel Media, 2013). She was valedictorian of her graduating class of seventeen in college (Brown, 2005). Her field of practice was being a part of the Peace movement.

Although mental illness has not always been a subject of social importance, it has always been an issue in America. In the early years of this country, mentally disabled people were considered morally unclean and were social outcasts. At this time in history there were not places for these people to go to any sort of treatment so they were cared for by their families. Since it was socially unacceptable to have a mental illness at the time, there were some cases where people lived in poorhouses or were sent to jail (Ozarin). The necessity to treat the mentally ill increased as America continued to grow and advance.

When my cousin was born with a genetic disorder, her family looked forward to a hopeful future. If she had been born nearly 50 years before, she would’ve been segregated from the public because she was different. My hero, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, spent her whole life to create that inclusive world. Eunice had an older sister who had an intellectual disability, but the Kennedy's didn't seclude her from their daily adventures. She fought for everything her sister didn't have, even when it seemed like her current world would never see past society's labels.

The mass incarceration of the mentally ill can be reduced by reverting to institutionalization Researchers and activists alike are concerned about the rate at which individuals with mental illness are incarcerated in the United States. Many consider that the increase in incarceration is a direct result of deinstitutionalization. In this essay, I will discuss how the solutions to the prevention of the incarceration of the mentally ill but ultimately lead to the common goal of improving the care of the mentally ill. This will be done by comparing and contrasting the key points of Knoll, Etter et al and Kincaid.

Her individualism paved the way for a better life for many

In the book Girl, Interrupted, by Susanna Kaysen, one of the biggest focal points is mental illness. Mental illness can be tough to talk about, simply because the phrase “mental illness” encompasses such a wide range of conditions and conjures up images of deranged people, but it is very important, especially in this book. There is a certain stigma that people who are put into mental hospitals because they have medical problems or are insane and a possible danger to society. While this is sometimes true, it is far more common for patients to need help for a disorder, but just don’t know where to go or what to do, and can end up putting themselves or someone else in danger.

The mentally disabled were treated as animals and experimental guinea pigs. They were forced to live in horrible conditions, no room, shown no love or care. They were separated from their families, and weren’t able to contact them in any way. Thesis Statement: The manner in which people with mental illnesses were treated in the early to mid 20th-century was inhumane and brutal, and is a dark stain on the history of mental illness health and treatment in America.