Summary:
The book uncovers the personal stories of patients from the Willard Psychiatric Center in New York through the examination of suitcases found in the hospital's attic after its closure. It reveals the rich, complex lives of these individuals and critiques the institutionalization of mental health patients, offering a poignant look at the history of psychiatric care in the United States.
Key points:
1. Dehumanization in Mental Health: The book discusses the mistreatment of mental health patients in state hospitals during the 19th and 20th centuries.
Books similar to "The Lives They Left Behind":
![](/books/84/84f5a37689.jpg)
Weekends at Bellevue
Julie Holland
![](/books/9c/9c55390f68.jpg)
The Great Pretender
Susannah Cahalan
![](/books/e3/e37fb7810a.jpg)
No One Cares About Crazy People
Ron Powers
![](/books/c7/c7ee4ecf42.jpg)
The Sad Son
Claire Josephine
![](/books/ae/ae0f949d3f.jpg)
Girl, Interrupted
Susanna Kaysen
![](/books/c0/c074104c81.jpg)
Anatomy of an Epidemic
Robert Whitaker
![](/books/ee/eed5e203b9.jpg)
Detour from Normal
Ken Dickson
![](/books/f6/f65b6a1c94.jpg)
Shrinks
Jeffrey A. Lieberman
![](/books/66/66078fd0f6.jpg)
Ten Days in a Mad-House
Nellie Bly
![](/books/74/7472046f78.jpg)
An Unquiet Mind
Kay Redfield Jamison