The Invisible Asylums cry to get out

“My teeth chattered and my limbs were goose-fleshed and blue with cold. Suddenly I got, one after the other, three buckets of water over my head—ice-cold water, too—into my eyes, my ears, my nose and my mouth." told Nellie Boyle as she choked in the asylum on Blackwells Island. Nellie Byle the one who faked her own insanity to go undercover to know the treatment that mentally disoriented people receive in asylums. Confined in chains throughout most part of their lives shunned and ridiculed by the society, exorcised for demonic possession, denied human rights and a life they desire. Most of the mentally disoriented people live terrible lives. The main reason being the lack of knowledge and stigma associated with the society. Good morning fellow toastmasters and my dear guests, This asylums are not just unreal horror stories. But most of them exist amongst us with and without our knowledge both at the same time because we choose to ignore.

We were childhood friends, Swapna and me. She was the topper of the class, a sports champion, a debate master what not there was not a field in which she always bagged the first prize. I somehow used to manage to get the second prize. That too due to impact of fellowship. But one day when we were playing with a dog in a neighbor’s house and we heard someone’s footsteps and noise of chains. The sounds became more and more loud as if someone were approaching. But we ignored as we are busy playing. It was then I was grabbed by my foot. I was shocked and screamed out aloud. It was a kid of the same age as ours crawling with four limbs and restricted with chains. Then someone came with a stick and started beating and cursing that kid to get away. I didn’t sleep that night owing to fear. I met Swapna in the morning. She had the same sleepless face. When asked if she was scared like I was she told "No, I was worried, what ill did that kid do to deserve such treatment. Imagine her own parents shut down in shame and with tears in their eyes still say “ Pagal hai .Could do." How much would it have hurt that kid?.”

That was the last conversation we had before we moved on to our busy lives meeting never, initial one fateful day at the same place after 7 years, I met Swapna. But she is not the same person I knew. With her face covered in charcoal. Her arms and legs restricted with chains. Her beautiful curly hair now so tangled that it resembled ascetics. When I inquired what would have happened. A common friend of ours told Swapna was all fine until one day when she started hearing voices of people. Those she couldn't see. The voices as she called them abused her, tortured her and destroyed her life. They asked her to talk come out to meet, but whenever she went nobody was there. She always believed they truly existed and never suspected that they were her own figment of imagination. Her parents took her to Tantric, that scene was totally gruesome. As she was dragged by her own two brothers, one with her head and the other with feet to the exorcist. Still nothing changed. Finally, they took her to a psychologist. No news about her after that.

Then one day I was waiting for a bus and suddenly I looked at a lady with a lot of books in her hand crossing me on board the bus. She felt like a person I knew. I followed her and sat beside her in the bus. She looked at me and smiled. Awe how can I forget that smile n strikingly unique face of hers. She is indeed Swapna. I asked about how she is. She told like currently she is doing an LLB and aspiring to be a human rights lawyer and she is about to get married soon just after a year of courtship. When I asked if her to be spouse know about her past. She told “yes, now it’s the time for him to know”. She kept it this long a secret not just afraid of judgement that he would leave her. But instead of her desire to be known for something other than her psychiatric history. For her to be loved truly she is now going to reveal the truth. Come what may. She is always ready. I am not surprised she used to be brave then, but now she is braver. She taught me a lesson that mentally challenged n disoriented people are still people like us. And they need to be treated like one. They deserve that. This could happen to anyone. The society has changed. A lot of medieval treatments are replaced. But still, with the current stigma in our society, there are many people suffering in their invisible silent asylums just to avoid being pointed out .I am proud that my best friend was such a bold person to stand out. When a person admits their psychiatric history, all they need is neither our concern nor sympathy, but a right to be treated equal. It's what they are and what they deserve.