Life in the Victorian Asylum : The World of Nineteenth Century Mental Health Care

Have you ever wondered what life was like for the thousands of ordinary people who experienced Victorian mental health care? Life in the Victorian Asylum is the story of those ordinary people. It details their daily routine, the treatments they were offered and the rules to which they had to conform. Immerse yourself in the period detail of ward life. Meet the staff and other patients. Seek a diagnosis for your illness. Tour the hospital and take part in the activities on offer. In Life in the Victorian Asylum , Mark Stevens reconstructs the lost world of the nineteenth century public asylums. Why were they built? Who were they for? And what is the legacy of these remarkable institutions? You may be surprised at what you discover. Mark Stevens, the best-selling author of Broadmoor Revealed , is a professional archivist and expert on asylum records. In this book, he delves into Victorian mental health archives to recreate the experience of entering an asylum and being treated there, perhaps for a lifetime. A vivid portrait of the day-to-day experience in the public asylums of nineteenth-century England, by the bestselling author of Broadmoor Revealed. Life in the Victorian Asylum reconstructs the lost world of nineteenth-century public asylums. This fresh take on the history of mental health reveals why county asylums were built, the sort of people they housed, and the treatments they received, as well as the enduring legacy of these remarkable institutions. Mark Stevens, a professional archivist, and expert on asylum records, delves into Victorian mental health hospital documents to recreate the experience of entering an asylum and being treated there—perhaps for a lifetime. Praise for Broadmoor Revealed “Superb.” —Family Tree magazine “Detailed and thoughtful.” —Times Literary Supplement “Paints a fascinating picture.” —Who Do You Think You Are? magazine "Life in the Victorian Asylum reconstructs the lost world of the nineteenth century public asylums. This fresh take on the history of mental health reveals why county asylums were built, the sort of people they housed and the treatments they received, as well as the enduring legacy of these remarkable institutions. Mark Stevens, the best-selling author of Broadmoor Revealed, is a professional archivist and expert on asylum records. In this book, he delves into Victorian mental health archives to recreate the experience of entering an asylum and being treated there, perhaps for a lifetime."--Publisher description An original approach, combining a descriptive patient's view of life in the Victorian asylum with a historically accurate presentation of nineteenth century mental health.