Escaping The Asylum: A creative journey towards liberation by Siggy GalaenMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I found this short fictional story to be a compelling look at how life within a psychiatric institution would be perceived from the patient’s perspective throughout the journey from admission to discharge. I’ve spent some of my career in healthcare working on the opposite side, as a healthcare professional within similar systems, not as a psychiatrist though, and found this to be a very unique and creative way to experience the process.
There were some areas in the story that were a bit confusing to the reader. This maybe because I’ve worked within these facilities and know the terminology and way many work so I was trying to superimpose my own experience onto this story although I don’t think they are even in the same medical systems.
I found many of the insights to be spot on. Especially in the final few pages. Fantastic conclusions. This may have been my favorite part. I do think when dealing with mental health issues we can perceive them too simplistically and assume that the patient’s should have more control over their own outcome by taking on their own healing. Unfortunately, I think, from my experience, truly mentally ill patients often lack the judgment and insight to even begin to do the things this patient did towards healing. So, I agree with the premise that institutionalization isn’t the one-size-fits-all solution, it also shouldn’t be discarded for all patients. Some truly need this level of care. Incorporating many of the healing ideas the patient in this story came up with would still be useful and many facilities do this.
Overall, a worthwhile and interesting read for anyone who has an interest in mental health.
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