3. Restraints and Straitjackets
Physical restraints were a grim hallmark of 19th-century asylum life. Straitjackets, handcuffs, and chains were routinely used to subdue and control patients, regardless of the underlying cause of their distress. These methods often caused immense psychological trauma and severe physical discomfort, sometimes leading to permanent injury. Rather than therapeutic intervention, restraint became a method of convenience for overwhelmed staff, further stripping patients of dignity and autonomy within already oppressive environments.
