Treatment

If you suffered from a psychological disorder (particularly the more severe forms, such as schizophrenia) during the early periods of the Middle Ages and were treated by a physician or priest you would likely be treated according to the variety of mystical beliefs or to theories related to an excess of certain bodily fluids. Most likely, if you sought treatment or were forced into treatment, you would see a priest and be given an exorcism.Exorcism during the Middle Ages may not correspond to the current perceptions of exorcism we have today. Exorcism would be viewed more like torture today and basically consisted of beatings, starvings, forced eating of substances (foul-tasting, blood, sheep dung) agitating the spirit and causing it to flee the body. Otherwise, you may have seen a physician and be subject to the variety of treatments recommended by Hippocrates such as bloodletting. You may have also been subject to a trephining procedure to “remove the stones. ”If you were seen as threatening or burdensome to the community, you may have been executed or ostracized from the community. You may have been left to wander the countryside seeking help from wherever you could find it, receiving much ridicule and derision.

IF YOU WERE MENTALLY ILL

*Prehistoric Period:*
	Had you been mentally ill at a time during the prehistoric period, a time believed to be dominated by mystical viewpoints, your symptoms may have been interpreted as signs of possession by a demon or other malevolent spirit. Displays of abnormal behavior may easily be seen as proof of the control the supernatural entity had over you. Frightened by you, society may have sent you to a shaman who would carry out an exorcism or perform other spells to remove the demon’s control over you.
*1800-1700 B.C. Mesopotamina*
	It seems likely that if you had a mental illness in Mesopotamina during the 1700’s B.C. you would have been sent to see a physician called an Ashipu (“sorceror”) or an Asu (“physician”).If you were seen by the Ashipu he would first attempt to diagnosis which spirit or sin you had committed to cause the illness.He would then perform and use a variety of spells to drive the spirit out of your body.The Asu may have more been more likely to use herbal remedies to treat you.In addition, it is possible that the Asu may haveused a knife to “scrape the skull of the patient,” based on two cuneiform tablets titled “Prescriptions for Diseases of the Head.”Payment for the services would most likely depend on your social status in the society, where the physician himself may be punished for failure to cure you if you were of high social status.
*800 B.C. -Greek and Roman Civilization*
	If you had a mental illness during the 800’s B.C., you may have been sent to relax and sleep in a serene and peaceful locations such as anatural, warm spring.You may have been given drugs to help you sleep.During your sleep, Asclepius would come into your dreams and cure you.In addition to this “sleep therapy,” you may be placed onto a diet and encouraged to exercise.
*400 B.C.* *-Greek and Roman Civilization*
	If you had a psychological disorder in Greek or Roman civilization during Hippocrates life, you would most likely undergo a variety of different treatments depending on the particular mental illness that you were suffering from.If you were found to be “melancholic” you may be given a laxative or emetic (nausea-producing substance) and also placed onto a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.Someone who was choleric may be encouraged to drink lots of fluids and may be given a diuretic as well as a proper diet.A person that was phlegmatic may be treated through purging and possibly bleeding.Finally, those individuals who were seen as having “sanguine” would likely receive bleeding as the preferred treatment.If you were particularly difficult to treat, you may have been incarcerated.There were humanitarian treatments as well as more spiritual treatments in Greek and Roman civilization, but the views of Hippocrates were dominant.

*The Middle (DARK) Ages*
	If you suffered from a psychological disorder (particularly the more severe forms, such as schizophrenia) during the early periods of the Middle Ages and were treated by a physician or priest you would likely be treated according to the variety of mystical beliefs or to theories related to an excess of certain bodily fluids. Most likely, if you sought treatment or were forced into treatment, you would see a priest and be given an exorcism.Exorcism during the Middle Ages may not correspond to the current perceptions of exorcism we have today. Exorcism would be viewed more like torture today and basically consisted of beatings, starvings, forced eating of substances (foul-tasting, blood, sheep dung) agitating the spirit and causing it to flee the body. Otherwise, you may have seen a physician and be subject to the variety of treatments recommended by Hippocrates such as bloodletting. You may have also been subject to a trephining procedure to “remove the stones. ”If you were seen as threatening or burdensome to the community, you may have been executed or ostracized from the community. You may have been left to wander the countryside seeking help from wherever you could find it, receiving much ridicule and derision. Hieronymous Bosh’s Removal of the Stone of Folly. Removing "stones" from the head was a fairly common medieval operation; however, Bosch has painted a flower as the object being removed. The flower is a tulip which, in the Netherlands is a metaphor for being mad.

*Treatment at the Bedlam*
	If you were to have a serious mental illness during the later half of the Middle Ages during the 1300-1600’s you may have been sent to an asylum, much like the Hospital of St. Mary of Bethlehem in London.In the asylum, especially after the 1400’s you would find yourself in the absolute worst conditions.You may have been referred to as an inmate and be placed into a cell, devoid of fresh air, light, and given very little nutrition.It is possible that you would have been chained to the wall or to your bed and had to lie in your own excrement and that of the other “inmates.”You may have shared a mattress on the floor with 5 or more “inmates,” some of whom were criminally ill, and others who were suffering from a variety of other mental disorders.Later in the asylums years, you may have become a tourist attraction where local citizens could come through and view you and all the other “lunatics.”If you became unruly you would be subject to beatings as a means of controlling your behavior.In many cases you would be all but forgotten by society and left in the asylum to die.However, there were those, such as the artist William Hogarth who spent time in the asylum and were able to leave.
	Hogarth's depiction of the bedlam

*14th and 15th Century*
	During the 14^th and 15 centuries in Europe, if you were suffering from a mental illness (especially more severe forms of mental illness) you may have been labeled a witch by the church.Once labeled as a witch, there was virtually no escape.There were a variety of “tests” to determine who was and was not a witch.However, often you proved you were not a witch by your death (e.g., drowning) during the test. Had you been a witch, it was believed your powers/demons would have protected you.If they determined that you were a witch, you may have been given an exorcism or burned at the stake.If you were lucky, you may have fallen under the care of more humanitarian beliefs which began to become more predominant in the 16^th and 17^th centuries.

*17th, 18th, and 19th Centuries*
	Mesmer conducted most of his work cloaked in mystery. In a group setting, many people would encircle a tub filled with chemicals that had iron rods protruding from the mysterious liquid. Mesmer would use one of the soaked rods and rub it on the patients afflicted area. In some cases, Mesmer could even have his subjects swallow iron tablets to increase the magnetism between himself and the afflicted.
	Rush used some crude devices to treat the mentally ill; none of which were very effective. The circulating swing (top left) was used to spin depressed patients at high speeds. The tranquilizer chair (top right) was used to calm people suffering from mania. The crib (bottom) was widely used to restrain violent patients. Rush also felt that frightening the patient was beneficial. Some subjects were told repeatedly of their impending death, and then placed in a casket with holes that was submerged in water for several minutes. Rush’s favorite treatment was bleeding. He felt that many mental disorders were caused by a buildup of blood in the brain.

	Freud used hypnosis occasionally, but found that it was not effective on all patients. He implemented a talking cure of free association in which the patient would lie on a couch and say whatever would come into their mind. Freud would interpret what was said and attempt to expose repressed memories and desires.