Mental Hospitals

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28530, 8 March 1958, Page 3

Mental Hospitals

Sir,—As a child I witnessed my dearest one whisked away to a mental hospital because there was no other place for her to go. There were no modern drugs or shock therapy* to alleviate her illness; and for 11 years I watched her drift farther away from reality until death released her. tortured mind. In less than 30 years, I nearly submitted myself as a voluntary patient to the same hospital. Years of intense fear, had impaired my health, until I finally collapsed. This mental breakdown was alleviated, but not cured, by shock therapy, at Queen Mary Hospital. In less than two I was worse than in the first instance; and it was only the tireless effort on the part of my doctor, caused me to seek treatment at the Christchurch clinic for medical psychology. After four one-hour treatments, I brought my children home from an orphanage. Imagine their joy, after three months of needless separation. The vicious circle has been broken; my young children will not in later years, become candidates for mental hospitals, voluntary or otherwise. —Yours, etc. BOUNDLESSLY GRATEFUL. March 6. 1958.