Seeing The Unseen - Dorothea Dix

1802–87

The history of asylums for the mentally ill in the United States hasn’t always been pretty, but those institutions largely originated from one woman’s desire to provide compassionate and respectful treatment.

In the mid-1800s, America had few, if any, asylums. Those who were mentally ill and had no one to care for them were often imprisoned. Dorothea Dix discovered that imprisoned women had been abused, beaten, chained, kept naked, and housed in small, unclean spaces. When she challenged this treatment, she was told it was okay to treat the women this way because the “insane” didn’t realize what conditions they were kept in. Dorothea didn’t believe that.

She heard God tell her that she needed to do something about this. For many years of her very full life—she had been a teacher before her crusade for the mentally ill and a nurse afterward—she visited the places where people with mental illnesses were kept and recorded what she found. With this information, she lobbied state governments to set up humane homes and hospitals for the mentally ill instead of sending them to prison.

This required a radical shift in public thinking. “Insanity” was often considered criminal; some considered it punishment from God. True, some of the mistreated mentally ill people did engage in criminal activity. But Dorothea believed that the mentally ill could be helped and that better living conditions could go a long way in achieving that goal.

“Man is not made better by being degraded,” she said. “He is seldom restrained from crime by harsh measures, except the principle of fear predominates in his character; and then he is never made radically better for its influence.”

Her efforts paid off. This dedicated woman helped establish some of the first asylums and schools for the mentally ill in the United States.

Throughout his ministry, Jesus saw the invisible people, those forgotten by the rest of society, left by the side of the road. He challenged his followers to see and help those sick and imprisoned. These are our neighbors too.

I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.

Matthew 25:35-36