On Calls to "Reopen the Asylums" w/ Liat Ben-Moshe, Leah Harris and Vesper Moore (10/11/23)
Oct 13, 2023
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Liat Ben-Moshe, Leah Harris, and Vesper Moore discuss the increasing calls to "reopen the asylums" and the dark history of psychiatric incarceration. They challenge the nostalgic portrayal of asylums, highlighting the horrific conditions and abuse that occurred. They also explore the racialized and gendered construction of danger and the connection to issues like eugenics and the war on terror. They analyze political statements advocating for reopening asylums and discuss the dangerous generalization of individuals. The chapter also delves into the complexities of homelessness, mental health, and institutionalization, emphasizing the need for community care. Overall, they caution against reopening asylums and stress the importance of centering the perspectives of individuals with mental health conditions.
Calls to reopen asylums perpetuate harmful stereotypes and stigmatization of mentally ill individuals, reinforcing stigma and discrimination.
Reopening asylums overlooks the complex societal factors contributing to mental health issues and disproportionately impacts marginalized communities.
Linking closure of mental health institutions to a spike in violent crime is unsubstantiated and perpetuates harmful stereotypes of mentally ill individuals.
The expansion of psychiatric institutions and the use of coercive treatment pose dangers to individual autonomy and should be resisted.
Deep dives
Politicians calling for the reopening of mental health institutions
Several politicians, including Donald Trump and Vivek Ramaswami, have advocated for the reopening of mental health institutions, citing a supposed mental health crisis and a rise in violent crime. They argue that reopening asylums would address these issues and remove individuals deemed severely mentally ill from the streets. They claim that communities didn't want these institutions closed and that there is a need for the spine to bring them back.
Dangerousness and disposability of mentally ill individuals
The rhetoric used by politicians to support reopening asylums often perpetuates harmful stereotypes and stigmatization of mentally ill individuals. They portray them as dangerous, emphasizing the need to remove them from communities and suggesting that they don't have a right to wander the streets. This framing overlooks the complex societal factors that contribute to mental health issues and ignores the disproportionate impact on marginalized communities, reinforcing stigma and discrimination.
Intersection of criminalization and medicalization
Calls to reopen asylums are rooted in the convergence of criminalization and medicalization of mentally ill populations. Politicians argue that mentally ill individuals pose a risk to society and should be detained for their perceived dangerousness, framing it as a solution to homelessness and violence. However, these calls often disregard the historical context of institutionalization, the harms caused by total institutions, and the need to address underlying social, economic, and political issues.
Misconceptions about mental illness and violence
Politicians' claims linking the closure of mental health institutions to a spike in violent crime are not supported by empirical evidence. Research indicates that mentally ill individuals are more likely to be victims than perpetrators of violence. Framing mental illness as inherently dangerous perpetuates harmful stereotypes and contributes to the stigmatization of already marginalized populations. It is crucial to challenge these misconceptions and address mental health issues with compassion, support, and community resources, rather than resorting to outdated and discriminatory models of institutionalization.
The erosion of due process and the expansion of psychiatric institutions
The podcast discusses the erosion of due process and the expansion of psychiatric institutions. The speaker highlights the importance of understanding that these institutions are under attack and there is a concerted effort to make it easier to funnel more people into inpatient and outpatient forms of commitment. They emphasize the need to recognize the dangers of this trend and to resist the expansion of psychiatric institutions that perpetuate coercion and harm.
The role of rhetoric and narratives in justifying coercive treatment
The podcast delves into the use of rhetoric and narratives to justify coercive treatment. It points out how certain terms and diagnoses, like 'Anosognosia', have been appropriated and used to label individuals as 'unaware' of their own condition, justifying forced treatment. The speakers emphasize that such labeling is pseudoscience and a form of gaslighting aimed at silencing resistance to pathologizing experiences. They caution against falling into the trap of 'carceral humanism' by supporting the expansion of psychiatric institutions and urging a broader critique of psychiatry.
The dangerous implications of the call to bring back asylums
The podcast highlights the dangerous implications of the call to bring back asylums. It underscores the underlying rhetoric that portrays prisons and jails as the 'new asylums', perpetuating the stigma and control of mad and disabled individuals. The speakers dismantle the notion that resurrecting asylums would be a compassionate or viable solution, citing the traumatic histories associated with psychiatric institutions and the harmful surveillance and control they entail. They urge listeners to critically question and reject the push for asylums.
Beatrice speaks with Liat Ben-Moshe, Leah Harris and Vesper Moore about increasing calls to "reopen the asylums" and why the dark history and enduring legacy of psychiatric incarceration mean we should never go back. We look at recent statements by politicians Eric Adams, Donald Trump, Matt Gaetz, and Vivek Ramaswamy and discuss how carceral sanism is not exclusively the domain of the right.
Transcript:
https://www.deathpanel.net/transcripts/reopen-asylum
This episode stands alone, but also functions as an extension of "Resisting Carceral Sanism," posted September 28th in the public Death Panel podcast feed, or available here: https://www.deathpanel.net/transcripts/s23-resisting-carceral-sanism
To sign up for resources on psychiatric abolition (collected by Leah Harris) go here:
https://bit.ly/psychiatricabolition
Find our book Health Communism here: www.versobooks.com/books/4081-health-communism
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https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/733966/a-short-history-of-trans-misogyny-by-jules-gill-peterson/
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