Administrations of Lunacy

As a psychology major this book held my interest. So much of what was discussed in this book had never made it to our classes, which is a good thing. I wanted to learn new things, and this book pretty much gives you really interesting facts and and little bits of knowledge. A must-read for psych and non-psych readers!

Mab Segrest, a feminist and anti-racist author, painstakingly traces the racist origins of psychiatry in the United States through the lens of the patients and doctors who walked the corridors of Milledgeville Asylum in Georgia. These origins begin with the purchase of the land on which the Milledgeville asylum was built in 1841 -- lands that were stolen from native American. In subsequent years, those who practiced in the field of psychiatry would develop pseudo-medical theories that helped consolidate the racism that Georgia and other states in this country would use to justify segregation and white violence against African Americans. For example, lower rates of insanity among African Americans were attributed to the "healthy restraints" of slavery. Unlike white Americans, the "negro brain" was not bothered by the stresses of modern life. Thus "freedom" in the minds of Southern psychiatrists became a "disease factor." Such racist explanations of mental illness did not disappear with the onset of the twentieth century, rather they took new forms, as physicians became to place less emphasis on trauma and more emphasis on heredity as cause for mental disorders. These new theories would provide the justification for the sterilization of those with mental disorders -- a policy that disproportionately affected women and persons of color. For example in North Carolina of the 7797 sterilizations that took place between the 1930s and 1970s, 5000 of them were of African American women. Sadly, as the author shows racism and misogyny continue to inform policies of incarceration at both mental institutions and prisons. In short, the author has provided a thought-provoking history of the entangled relationship between psychiatry, racism, and misogyny. I only wish that in the early pages of this volume that the author had refrained from making quite so many speculative remarks about the feelings and thoughts of the asylum's early occupants. These speculations, at least for me, added little to what was otherwise a powerful and informative history of psychiatry's dark side.

This book was intense and mind opening. I couldn't put it down. It was so interesting and heartbreaking.

Administrations of Lunacy is an eye-opening book on the racism in psychiatry. The author does the research to inform readers of an asylum in Georgia. She details reports and facts from her findings to show how racism shaped the world of psychiatry.

Mab begins the book and starts with details about the Milledgeville Asylum. There are many facts presented that show the conditions that patients, in particular, African Americans were put through. It is heartbreaking to know how poorly they were treated because of their race. She even shows how it impacted future theories like eugenics.

I learned a lot from this book. I really appreciated the detail and findings because the author was able to back up statements and opinions.

I give Administrations of Lunacy 4 stars. This book is a history lesson that needs to be talked about more. If you have ever wanted to know more about the world of psychiatry and the origin of some of its beliefs, then you will want to read this one.