steveb leatherworks: the blather

I visited a disturbing place recently on a demo & destruction tour – a staff dorm on the grounds of an abandoned mental institution in my neck of the woods. This facility was open back in the day when workers at the hospital had no nursing or mental health training, were hired from the community and were not professional, in any sense… they may as well have been working in a factory for the amount of training they were given….one can imagine how they handled the stresses of working with the mentally ill….

I’ve dug into the history of this place as of late, and my gut instincts were right – this place was a freak show, that pretty much embodied the worst that mental health institutions had to offer during the last century.

“the Hills” had a fearsome reputation in its day, and from what I can see – it was well earned. Hydrotherapy, cold packs, electro shock therapy, lobotomies and chemical restraints – all blended together, made a horror movie look tame, I’d think.  This place brings the movie “one flew over the cuckoo’s nest” into clear focus, and brings me to the conclusion that peoples cruelty and ignorance knows no bounds…shame on us.

Could you imagine being here? Having a loved one here? The thought stops me cold.

To see more of this adventure, click here.