The Sleep Room by Jon Stock: Could an Irish version of this frightening scandal in British psychiatry yet emerge?
Author
:
Jon Stock
ISBN-13
:
978-0349128894
Publisher
:
Bridge Street Press
Guideline Price
:
£25
Day and night no longer held any meaning for the inhabitants of the Sleep Room at The Royal Waterloo Hospital in
London
in the 1960s.
They were all women, most being treated without their consent and spending weeks at a time in a state of deep sleep induced by a cocktail of antipsychotic and antidepressant medication, sedatives and electroconvulsive therapy.
They were roused every six hours by nurses and taken to the bathroom, had their vital signs checked, were administered enemas, drugs and ECT, and returned to their beds. These women had one thing in common: they were all under the care of the eminent
psychiatrist
Dr William Sargent.
Sargent was one of the most influential psychiatrists in postwar British society. He was appointed Physician in Charge of the Department of Psychological Medicine at St Thomas', one of the world's most prestigious teaching hospitals. He occupied other positions of considerable influence and impact. Sargent was lauded by many of his peers and he was a frequent contributor to the BBC and newspapers. He died in 1988.
READ MORE
It appears that Sargent's raison d'être was to treat mental health conditions by physical means. The brutal treatment regime at the Sleep Room was his brainchild and a manifestation of his near obsession to utilise physical interventions to treat mental distress.
It is also a chilling manifestation of his unfettered power and the acquiescence of the medical establishment around him.
Jon Stock in The Sleep Room captures this tyranny in a gripping manner. Stock has written several psychological thrillers; his writing here, however, is constrained in the best sense. There is a dignity and sensitivity embedded in Stock's accounts of the women's stories that make up this scandal.
Several chapters explicitly focus on individual women who were often involuntary inhabitants of the Sleep Room. Each of these chapters is titled using the woman's name. The actor Celia Imrie is one; she was just 14 when she began her de facto incarceration in the Sleep Room as a 'treatment' for anorexia.
Sargent offered the alluring promise of reprogramming the human mind, an offering that in the Cold War era was of immense interest to the CIA and M15. Stock goes into great detail concerning Sargent's somewhat tentative links to these organisations, describing a fascinating episode concerning a non-consensual trial of LSD as a potential 'truth drug'. However, at times I felt that this was almost a separate story and detracted somewhat from the brutal impact Sargent had on the lives of his patients.
Stock reveals a frightening scandal at the heart of the British medical establishment, a scandal that crossed class divides, had international reach, appears to have been facilitated by the establishment for decades and has had the most debilitating impact on the women involved.
While reading, I couldn't help wondering if Sargent's obsession with physical treatment of mental illness had reached Irish shores, and if there is a Sleep Room scandal yet to emerge here.
Paul D'Alton is a clinical psychologist and associate professor of psychology at UCD
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
4 days ago
- The Irish Sun
I bought £8 Spanx dupe from TikTok shop & they melted into my skin, I ended up in A&E with painful second degree burns
Plus, how to avoid being scammed on TikTok shop SHORTS SHOCK I bought £8 Spanx dupe from TikTok shop & they melted into my skin, I ended up in A&E with painful second degree burns A WOMAN has been left with second degree burns after shapewear she purchased on TikTok shop "melted" into her skin. Molly-May Watson, 27, bought the £8.57 "Spanx-like" shorts in May 2024 through a seller called MOONGIRL-UK on the social media app. 8 Molly-May Watson bought a pair of £8.57 'Spanx-like' shorts in May 2024 Credit: SWNS 8 She was left with second degree burns after shapewear she purchased on TikTok shop 'melted' into her skin Credit: SWNS 8 The shorts that Molly-May claims burned her Credit: SWNS She wore them for the first time under a dress while attending a baby shower, for her sister on July 27, 2024 and thought a bee had flown into her dress after she "felt this burning" on her upper right thigh. Rushing to the bathroom to see what had happened, Molly-May was forced to rip her shorts off after she says the elastane stretchy material had "melted" into her skin. She attended A&E at St Thomas' Hospital, London, the following day where she was told she could be "scarred for life". After complaining to TikTok Shop through the help function on the app, she says she was given just a £10 coupon as compensation. Molly-May, an executive assistant, from Kennington, south London, said: "I felt this burning on my upper bum cheek and side of my leg. "For some reason I thought a bee had got into my dress. "I went to the toilet to see what the hell was going on. "The shorts had melted into my leg. "So I've had to rip them off and I've been left with first and second degree burns. "I'm unable to walk properly at the moment. I tried 3 shapewear bodysuits under my outfit, there was a clear winner, I'm 155 lbs and an Amazon buy gave me back fat "The hospital where I went said I could be scarred for life at this point." Molly-May had only worn the shorts once before briefly, to try them on and make sure they fit, before her sister's baby shower. After taking them off and getting through the rest of the event in pain Molly-May attended hospital the following day to get checked over. 8 She wore them for the first time under a dress while attending a baby shower, for her sister on July 27, 2024 Credit: SWNS 8 Molly-May's second degree burns Credit: SWNS "I thought 'I'll just leave it' but it was agonising and had gotten worse," she said. "I had to go to A&E on the Monday and had to be treated in the urgent treatment centre for burns. "I've been bandaged up ever since. "They confirmed it's definitely a burn and that's what happened. "They said 'it's strange, we don't really know if it's a heat burn or a chemical reaction'." DODGY SELLER 8 Molly-May says the elastane stretchy material had 'melted' into her skin Credit: SWNS Molly-May added: "I now can't find the seller on Google - which makes me think it wasn't legit in the first place. "I sent TikTok Shop a message with pics of all the burns and the melted shorts and said 'this is what happened'. "I spoke to an agent and said they'd need to pass it on to a specialist team. They said 'it's strange, we don't really know if it's a heat burn or a chemical reaction' Molly-May Watson "I sent another chaser message. "They came back to me and said, 'We can refund you and give you a £10 coupon'. "I said 'I don't feel comfortable accepting a coupon from you to be honest'. 8 She attended A&E at St Thomas' Hospital, London, where she was told she could be 'scarred for life' Credit: SWNS "I'll never be shopping from that shop again. "It's insulting. "They said, 'Unfortunately nothing we can do'. "When I've been talking to friends and people at work and stuff, they've told me they've bought similar things and said 'we felt really irritated'. "It's just made me overly aware now. "You think 'that's a nice little bargain' but it could leave you like me scarred for life. "Any sort of budget or third party sellers I won't ever order from them again. 8 After complaining to TikTok Shop, she says she was given just a £10 coupon as compensation Credit: SWNS "I'm starting to scar already from some bits of the burn". Molly-May has had to work from home whilst she recovers, and has been advised to attend the doctors if she sees any changes. TikTok confirmed the listing and seller page was removed from the platform in June last year. A spokesperson said TikTok has already responded and given compensation to the buyer after the complaint.
Irish Examiner
4 days ago
- Irish Examiner
Closure of private midwife service may lead to rise in free births, group warns
A private midwifery service for Ireland which offered homebirth supports has suddenly closed for financial reasons, saying fewer families than ever can afford their help. The closure of Private Midwives Ireland means homebirths with midwives are now only available through HSE services, which are not in every county yet. The Association for Improvements in the Maternity Services (AIMS) Ireland warned it could lead women trying for free births without medical assistance. Private Midwives Ireland is part of UK-based Private Midwives, which is also closing. 'Unfortunately, the current financial and political climate has made trading conditions exceedingly tough, and it has become increasingly costly to provide the service; whilst at the same time, fewer families can afford our service,' the group said. Births and pregnancy support costs from €6,000, with add-ons available, such as €260 for use of a birthing pool. Other packages included single appointments for €250. The company is contacting all clients, and pledged to reach everyone within 48 hours. We will also aim to bring the business to a close with dignity, fairness and respect for our loyal staff who have been on this journey with us over the past decade. Alternative arrangements will be made for births, it said. Women shared their sadness online as the news spread. 'What a big loss to the birth world. Eternally grateful to Gail from Private Midwives Ireland, who helped to facilitate a magical experience for me and contributed to a fantastic start to life for my homebirth baby six years ago,' one woman said. Maternity advocacy group AIMS Ireland reacted with 'great shock and disappointment' on Wednesday. In a country lacking options and choices for the majority, this is a further blow and will leave many with no alternative but to pursue wild pregnancy and free birth. 'This is a valid choice, however it is not a decision a pregnant woman should ever feel forced to pursue because of a lack of viable alternatives. With our current escalating intervention rates in hospitals, this may be the safer choice now for many hoping to pursue a physiological birth and avoid policy-driven pregnancies, labours, and birth.' AIMS is offering support to women affected. 'A radical overhaul of our hyper-medicalised birth culture is required,' AIMS said, and also called for alternative insurance pathways for midwives.
Irish Times
4 days ago
- Irish Times
ADHD medication can reduce risk of suicide, substance misuse and criminality for newly diagnosed, study finds
Prescribing medication to people newly diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ) is associated with significantly reduced risks of suicidal behaviours, substance misuse, transport accidents and criminality, a new study has found. ADHD is a developmental impairment of the brain's executive functions, affecting around 5 per cent of the population in Ireland. Many people diagnosed with ADHD have trouble with impulse-control, focusing and organisation, according to ADHD Ireland. In a study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), researchers in Sweden drew on data from its national registers from 2007 to 2020 to examine the effects of ADHD drug treatment in 148,581 individuals aged between 6 and 64 years, with a new diagnosis of the disorder. Using a technique called target trial emulation, they assessed first and recurrent events for five outcomes over two years after diagnosis. The average age of those in the study were 17 years old, and 41 per cent were female. READ MORE Adult diagnosis of ADHD: 'It was the missing puzzle piece' Listen | 22:00 Of the 148,581 individuals with ADHD, 84,282 (57 per cent) started drug treatment for the disorder. After accounting for factors including age, sex, education level, psychiatric diagnoses and medical history, ADHD medication was associated with reduced rates of a first occurrence of four of the five outcomes, the study found. According to the researchers, there was a 17 per cent reduction for suicidal behaviour, 15 per cent for substance misuse, 12 per cent for transport accidents and 13 per cent for criminality. The reduction was not statistically significant for a first-time accidental injury, but there was a reduction for people with recurrent events where accidental injuries reduced by 4 per cent. The authors suggested a number of possible explanations for the reduction. These include reduced impulsivity, which might lower criminality by curbing aggressive behaviour, and enhanced attention, which might decrease the risk of transport accidents by minimising distractions. The researchers acknowledge a number of limitations to the study, including not being able to assess data on non-drug treatment methods or the impact of other factors, such as severity, lifestyle or genetic predispositions. Ken Kilbride, chief executive of ADHD Ireland, said not everybody with ADHD is going to need medication but for those who do, it is important to ensure there are no barriers in place. [ 'My son's teacher thinks he might have ADHD but my husband does not want to have him assessed' Opens in new window ] 'The challenge at the minute can be to get diagnosis and get that medication. There is a big logjam in this area,' he said. 'We have known there is a socio-economic cost to ADHD. It costs €2 billion in Ireland every year due to lower life expectancy, higher rates in prison, unemployment etc. There is always a stigma around medication, particularly among children. So it is great to have this research to prove just how beneficial it can be for some people.' In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of people seeking diagnosis and treatment for ADHD in Ireland – particularly among women. In February, The Irish Times published data which found the number of prescriptions for ADHD medications increased by 87 per cent over the past five years. The rise among women and girls was much more acute, with prescriptions increasing by almost 180 per cent between 2020 and 2024, from 19,827 to 55,452 last year. The surge among women is being partly attributed to increasing awareness and prevalence of the condition on social media platforms, particularly TikTok. Women have also typically been underdiagnosed. Those working in the sector have raised concerns about online content on the topic, after a number of academic studies showed many of these posts contained inaccurate or misleading information.
