4,224 Comments for Northampton State Hospital

OK, so tonight I was doing my monthly living area monitors to check out the different sections of campus - were staff interacting with all the clients, were there materials available, were gloves locked up so no one could eat any, were the bedrooms decorated in an individualized way, etc., etc. I go to one of my living areas where they are painting the bedrooms and some one has apparently handed the gentlemen who live there a large book with paint chips so they can select a color for their room, and whatever color their finger fell on (since none of them are verbal), that's the color they painted their bedrooms. =8-o

Motts, in 20 years you will come here and photograph this place, and people will be wondering why in God's name there were different bedrooms on a single living area that ranged from mauve to goldenrod to royal blue to fuschsia. =8-o I am still blind from the experience.

. . . mutter mutter mutter short leash and a large muzzle mutter mutter mutter . . .

And to add to what anna said, the majority of the people DID get out. There was a massive "mental health revolution" in the 70s. It's in all the history books, even. Almost everyone was "freed" - well, dumped on the streets without any resources, is what many of us would call it.

It helps to work in the field a few years before getting romantic Gothic ideas that everyone was trapped for a lifetime in a mental hospital and that every caretaker was a sociopath. Some of us who read this list HAVE worked in the field a long time or still do, and in many different places, and it hurts to get slapped by people with "ideas" they read or heard about and didn't experience first hand. Or maybe heard about it from a friend who heard it from a friend who SWEARS it was true.

Yes, it's true - life sucked for many people in institutions for many years in many places and still does for some, but some of us were actually trying to make things better and we're not thrilled with the knee-jerk reactions of "outsiders" after watching "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" one time. If someone hasn't personally done something to make life better for these people, we wish they would spare us their weird beliefs and ideas that aren't based on fact.

I am boring the same people again, but please, people, get out there and work in the field and/or ask for increased taxes for funding for people with MR/DD and MI and cut us some slack.

And to you-know-who - "I already done been called worse things by better people than you." :-)

Yeah, exploring abandoned hospitals needs to be on the first date requirements for me hah

To ragdolledwahine and anna:

WAWAWAWAWAWAWAWA!!!!!!!!!! 8`-)

Mariposa, no there weren't any signs. According to the Kirkbride plan, the most violent patients were kept in the outermost wings, farthest away from administration and visitors. Also, the entrance to this ward was covered in heavy grating unlike the others (see previous photo), and the construction of the rooms and doors was more reinforced and secure than in the other wings of the hospital. This led to my assumption of it being a violent ward, but I still could be wrong since I've never seen the place in use.

I gotta admit, that song makes me nuts after a while. 8`-)

Grace, this is what I know of so far... http://www.opacity.us/image3112.htm#comment_8773

~Me does need a short leash...

*whistles in awe* I just have one word to say.

"Wow."

Methinks it passed the test, don't you agree?
I quite like this shot. It's really...I don't know. It makes you feel so small...kind of like staring up into a sky full of stars.

Oh ym heck, Motts, I can see why this would be one of your favourite shots you've taken. It's just awesome. Totally amazing.

i like the cute little door waaaaaaaaaaaaay up near the ceiling.

ah romance..................i know i always wanted my first date to take place in a hundred year old basement .

yes yes, green glowing yummy candy