Suitcases from a State Hospital Attic - The Lives They Left Behind

It was very interesting especially since I worked with the mentally ill in the area. It was worth reading
because it was based on true facts. You get to see how far the treatment of mental illness has progressed.

It was thought provoking, emotionally difficult to read. Willard is close to our hometown. We have an institutionally placed severely mentally challenged daughter, however, not at Willard. This book, however, true, made me upset for all who endured the unjust treatment of the mentally ill.

Very interesting view into the history of America's state mental hospitals. I was fascinated learning about the lives these individuals lead prior to entering the institution and how their lives progressed (or didn't progress) after being admitted.

I was really interested to learn more about how people were treated in mental health facilities in years past. Today is not much better. Very well written and easy to read, many insights into people's every day problems and it was really easy to relate to their struggles. We have improved our care of people who need help in this way but we still have a long way to go. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to grow mentally, professionally, and Spiritually in order to help your fellow man on the road of life.

As a 32 year Human Service worker I enjoy reading books about historical mental health hospitals. I love the stories in this book! I found it to be well written and I loved the pictures. I have recommended this book to several friends. I hope that they write a series of books from this hospital records.

Having a mentally ill family member I found the way they treated them interesting Now days it is very hard to get help for ill people. Until they harm themselves or someone else. Back in the good old days there was no treatment and now days there's till no treatment.

"The Lives They Left Behind: Suitcases from a State Hospital Attic" is a book any sympathetic and understanding person should read who has a genuine interest in people less fortunate than themselves. No person is immune from psychological despair resulting in some form of mental complication resulting in some form of a personality change. This book examines the lives of 10 ordinary people prior to entering the psychiatric arena, and once they have been committed to a psychiatric institution. This is achieved through the contents of their suitcases, supposedly to accompany them in the institution, but rather, being stored in an attic, where the owners will never have the opportunity to receive them.
The book is well written and we, the reader, and sympathetic person, can "feel" for these unfortunate people. We feel their psychological terror, and we cry inside of ourselves, the injustices which these people and the countless thousands of other mentally ill people, feel. We see, but can not understand, a psychiatric system who, instead of trying to help these people, decided to lock them up in mental institution zoos, and basically throw away the keys, letting these poor souls sink further, and further into their psychosis and despair, with the thoughts of escape from this system an imposibility.
"The Lives They Left Behind: Suitcases from a State Hospital Attic" is an important book which we need to read, understand and prevent from happening ever again. Thousands of people are still incarcerated in mental institutions today, and although drugs are the method of treatment, our understanding and actions to help people with mental despair has NOT really changed for hundreds of years. We, society, would rather lock up these kinds of people,and forget about them, lose the keys, let them worsen in these institutions, than understand and try to honestly help them. "Out of sight, out of mind" is the attitude society takes today.
The unfortunate plight of the mentally ill person, locked away, condemed to a life of misery, is the norm in society. "The Lives They Left Behind: Suitcases from a State Hospital Attic" tries to show, and achieves, that these people, locked up and forgotten, are not forgotten and they are people, with certain problems, that, had they been given understanding, could've been happier people in life.
In conclusion, we can safely say, and assume, that their are countless other "suitcases" in countless other state hospitals, throughout the United States and other countries of the world, today, which tells stories of people, like us, who have fallen on bad times, and ended up in worlds they can not control, in worlds where society, due to its own ignorance, has put them, thrown them, and forgotten them. "The Lives They Left Behind: Suitcases from a State Hospital Attic" tells these people, of yesterday and today, alive and gone, that they are not forgotten, and their lives do and did mean something for all of humanity to learn from.

Heart wrenching stories of patients' pre-commitment lives enhanced by descriptions of their belongings from suitcases warehoused by the mental hospital they stayed in for what, in most cases, was the rest of their lives after committal. Case files notes augment the narratives bringing up therapies and the lack thereof that make the reader wonder at those entrusted with the responsibility for their care. How did they sleep at night?
Linda Donaldson

Ten stories, representative of thousands, who fell into the abyss of state-run asylums from the late 19th to late 20th centuries. The setting here is Willard State Hospital, in upstate NY, but I'm certain it was reflected nationwide as various diagnoses and treatment modalities for mental problems came into fashion then waned.

The cases explored are really quite sad, mostly because so few positive things, or even chart updates were done for them. Chilling too was the fact that most ended up in (now) unmarked graves, and their records still locked by the state.

Good reading. Good research.

Great book, and very personal. The stories of the patients were sad and intriguing.

I would have liked to have seen more pictures, and in colour. Both of the items found in the suitcase and how they looked when found.

This book was very moving and poignant, it detailed the lives of people who got caught up in a system that never let them go. Makes you think about the ways that our mentally ill are treated. The situations today may not be as extreme but it is still plausible to think this continues today...

I have enjoyed reading this story. It definately gives you a perspective on how the mental health institutions operated years ago. I was very impressed on how thoroughly the writers did their research on the different individuals they profiled. At some points it seems to go off on a tangent with great detail but they do a good job of bringing it back in and relating it to the time period they are discussing. I would recommend this book.

I was gravely disappointed by this book. What could have been a unique, enlightening, and fascinating piece of work was simplified beyond belief, full of opinions instead of research, and really did far less justice to the individuals profiled than the author appeared to believe.

And...ok, this is an extreme pet peeve of mine...the editing was terrible. What it is lately about editing that has become so difficult? And we're not even talking about true editing, just simply making certain there are no typos and that form and grammar are correct. This was so poorly done it was painful to read.

I had looked forward to this book for some time, so I was very disappointed when I got through the first ten or so pages and realized it really wasn't for the thoughtful reader who wants solid research behind a story. No, it was a quick read for a non-critical thinker that likes to be hand-fed polemics.

Sorry.