It’s not difficult to find people sharing horror stories about receiving treatment in a psychiatric ward. People mainly complain that they lack privacy and freedom, and they feel a loss of respect in the ward, which makes their conditions even worse. Someone told me that she wanted to erase the painful experience and would never want to return to the ward. I could see that she functions normally and participates in community activities like everyone else, but she simply is not able to hold a job. When we went out fundraising for a non-profit organization on a Saturday morning, she worked harder than we did and raised a good amount of money from people on the street.
A few days ago, I came across the movie “55 Steps,” but the opening scene was so disturbing to me that I found it painful and hurtful to continue watching. Instead, I did some research online to learn about the true story behind it.
The movie touches on an important topic: “patient-informed consent.” Do we ask for information about the pros and cons of a treatment or medication before deciding whether to proceed? A cancer patient can choose whether or not to undergo chemotherapy. Should psychiatric patients, if admitted voluntarily, have the right to informed consent and the choice of which medications they receive?
Eleanor Riese was diagnosed with schizophrenia in her 20s and was admitted to the hospital as a voluntary patient for her mental health issues. The opening scene depicts her struggle with healthcare workers attempting to restrain her and administer medication via injection, which she refused. Her body trembled under the effects of the powerful psychiatric drugs. The treatment demonstrated that the facility did not respect patients’ preferences, and the approach appeared to be forceful.
This incident occurred merely 30+ years ago. Psychiatric patients are not devoid of feelings; they are highly sensitive and particularly vulnerable to the negative impacts of their surroundings. Eleanor could hardly bear the treatment and reached out to a human rights lawyer, Colette Hughes. She decided to challenge the healthcare protocol by filing a lawsuit.
Thanks to Eleanor, she made dedicated efforts to fight for the basic right to informed consent and the ability to refuse psychiatric medication in the absence of an emergency. She managed to push the system to evolve based on her own experiences. Sadly, it was too late to reverse the damage caused by the side effects of the psychiatric medication, and she died at the age of 47 in 1991.
experience today 