05 KATHY HADDRELL summary

BRIEF INTRODUCTION &  HISTORICAL NOTES
 
 
Horton Hospital is situated in the county of Surrey, formerly known as Horton Asylum, Horton Hospital admitted its first patients in 1902.
 
The hospital is set in the Horton Estate which had the largest cluster of mental health hospitals in the world. The original plan was for six hospitals with a total population of twelve thousand. In the end five were built in order of opening. They were The Manor 1899, Horton 1902, Ewell Colny (later changed to St Ebba’s), 1904, Long Grove 1907 and West Park 1924. These hospitals provided services for people with mental illness, learning disabilities and epilepsy.
 
Kathy spent some time in two of the above-mentioned hospitals.

 
PLEASE NOTE
This is a brief resume of the interview, not a summary of the contents in sequential order.
 
 
 
DVCPro Tapes 01 to 03 – VHS Tape 01 to 01
 
 
CHILDHOOD/FAMILY BACKGROUND
 
Kathy, age seventy (70) years, was born on 19th September 1928, in the London Borough Of Fulham, She is the fifth of ten children. Her parents are Evelyn and John Payne. She has six brothers Chris(now deceased), George , Ronnie, Bernie, Terry and Brian. Three sisters- Ivy, Evelyn and Winnie.
 
Kathy’s mother originally who came from Torquay, never worked outside the home because of her responsibility to care for her ten children. She died in December 1998. Her father who was a painter/decorator came from Dublin, Ireland and died in 1947.
 
She has two brothers, one living in Australia, and one in New Zealand. Also one sister living in Canada, one in London and Kings Lynn.
 
Kathy described her early years (1930’s) of her childhood as economically hard, as her mother had very little money due to the fact that her father was the only employed person in the family. Most of the time he was out of work and the family had to survive from week to week.
 
She described her family upbringing as one of “love and duty.” Kathy felt that although her mother never talked about her problems to her, she often observed the worried expressions on her face.
 
She quotes:
“One day the rent collector came to collect the rent, mother was very concerned and reluctant to open the door. She then told me to tell him that she was not in. So I opened the door and told the rent collector that mother said that she was not in”
 
She believes this example was part of her mother’s general anxieties which may have affected her indirectly as a child.
 
She also remembered how in spite of her parents financial difficulties, all her brothers and sisters were well cared for and were regularly given tonic which included cod liver oil. They were occasionally given laxative as a practise more than a necessity.
 
Their first home was bombed during the war in 1944.They were subsequently evacuated to different families. Kathy was evacuated to Eastbourne, Sussex at aged 11 years, in Sussex. She was cared for by a middle class family which Kathy described as lacking maternal feelings.
 
 
 
She returned to her family home where she shared her bedroom with one of her sisters in a four bedroom house situated in South Kensington. It was whilst still living with her parents that she first experienced mental distress.
 
 
EDUCATION
 
She attended St Thomas Catholic Primary School in Fulham at age five which she enjoyed very much. Two favourite teachers, Miss Conden and Miss Newton (who were nuns), have left many happy memories in Kathy’s mind. She described them as been very kind teachers.
 
She then went on to Notre Dame single -sex secondary school in Battersea in London, which had small classes of twelve. Her favourite subjects were English and Geography. She had many friends, one of whom kept in touch with her after many years during her hospitalisation.
 
During her educational period, Kathy having evacuated to Eastbourne at eleven years old during the Second World War in 1944; was cared for by a middle class family which according to Kathy lacked maternal feelings. She was subsequently sent to South Wales to live with a couple. She returned at fourteen years to live with her family until experience of mental distress.
 
 
FRIENDS
Had lots of friends at school and at the various hospitals. Now has only one very good friend who visits her occasionally.
 
 
MARRIAGE
Kathy was married at aged nineteen and had one child- a daughter. Kathy did not wish to elaborate on this period of her life. This was respected.
 
 
EXPERIENCES OF MENTAL DISTRESS AND ASYLUMS
 
First admission
 
Became depressed between the age of seventeen/eighteen whilst working in the city as a Chartered Accounts Clerk.
 
At twenty two years old, Kathy gradually developed suicidal feelings. Although she talked to friends, family and her doctor; no one took much notice of the seriousness of her feelings. She subsequently took an overdose of one hundred aspirins and was admitted voluntarily to a private hospital “Holloway Sanitorium” in Virginia Water around 1945. She was nursed in a single sexed five bed dormitory and was given a diagnosis of Neurosis. She and spent approximately two years in this private hospital and left aged twenty four (24) years old.
 
The medication given was that of ECT (Electroconvulsive Therapy) which was an electrical treatment to the brain. Kathy felt that this type of treatment was effective for her, as she came out of her deep depression. She was treated with ECT and Modified Insulin. She
 
remembered having had to take a bottle of glucose with her where ever she went; should she experience any side effects such as drowsiness- which may have led to her going into a coma.
 
Her lasting impression was that the nurses and doctors were very kind. She was visited by her mother and a friend once. The nurses wore Victorian designed uniforms. Patients were allowed to eat in the staff dining room- more often than not you could not tell who were patients as they wore their own clothes. Generally, male and female patients mixed socially for recreational purposes. One of her friends actually married one of the doctors. Another married a patient who was a Member of Parliament.
 
She made a lot of friends, one of whom was Edward Stone, a professional singer, who she still keeps in touch with from time to time. She was also able to socialise by getting involved in ballroom dancing, quickstep, etc.
 
Kathy was sent to the YMCA hostel where she lived during which she gained employment as a wages clerk. She gradually became depressed again after a short period in the position which resulted in her post being terminated. Kathy described the stigma and the prejudice which existed at that time for people with mental health problems as being horrid and sad.
She subsequently returned to her family home at age twenty-seven (27) years. She was told by her doctor that she was emotionally immature for her age. Kathy recovered and eventually got a job in a Catholic bookshop. She then returned to Eastbourne where she worked as a bookkeeper and wages clerk.
 
 
Second Admission
 
Kathy became unwell again at aged thirty two (32) years and was admitted voluntarily to Long Grove Asylum, Epsom, Surrey. It was the tenth London County Asylum built between 1903 and 1907, North West of Horton. There was a complex of two-storey villas accommodation for four hundred patients. Kathy was given a diagnosis of Schizophrenia. She described her experience at Long Grove as being dreadful. The harsh treatment and dis-respectful attitude by both nurses and doctors was sometimes hard to bear.
 
She had very little confidence in the doctors and nurses and, therefore, felt unable to question the doctors or seek advice .One example given was about a Polish doctor who advised her that “she should give up her religion” as he felt that Kathy was using it as a substitute for sex. She felt very hurt about the remarks. She did not complain to any of the nurses as they were “fearsome”.
 
She also remembered how patients had to get up at 6am (six) in the morning to wash and polish the floor without having a cup of tea. She described this type of treatment as being “horrible”.
 
Kathy did not make any friends, and was visited by family and friends. She did nonetheless had one friend who became very possessive and seemed to “take me over”. The reason given was that both of them were from similar “middle class” background. The majority of the patients were from the East End of London. They were viewed by Kathy to be very abrupt with little manners- they often teased Kathy because of her “middle class accent”. Her friend once asked the nurse-in- charge to treat Kathy differently because “Kathy was
 
different”. Kathy was nonetheless told by a nurse that she had to be treated the same as everyone in the ward.
 
She was given a diagnosis of Schizophrenia and was treated with Largactil and Stelazine. She subsequently became suicidal and the medication was discontinued.
 
It was during her stay at Long Grove that her mother died- which she expressed as one of her most horrible experiences.
 
Kathy now aged thirty-five (35) years old, and having spent many unhappy days at Long Grove decided to leave Long Grove and went to live with her sister.
 
Long Grove Asylum closed in 1992
 
Kathy stayed a short period with her sister who was going through marital problems. Kathy  thought she would have been able to help her sister, but felt unable to adjust living outside institution. So instead of helping her sister, Kathy sat in the chair day after day staring into space. It was generally agreed between Kathy and her sister that Kathy should leave and find alternative accommodation.
 
Kathy then went to live in a hostel for working women in Hammersmith which was run by The Irish Sisters Of Charity. She got a job at the local cinema which she kept for five years which helped her to supplement her invalidity benefit of £4.00). She suffered from Pre-Menstrual Tension (PMT) and became depressed and attended Charing Cross Hospital as an outpatient once per month.
 
She was employed as a clerk in South Kensington for six years. Her colleagues were aware that she had suffered from mental health problems and were more sensitive than previous work colleagues.
 
The hostel was subsequently closed and Kathy was sent to the Cheshire hostel in Wimbledon, paying a rent of £5.65. Kathy described her experience as been dreadful. The floors were always dirty, the furniture was old with paint peeling off most of them. Kathy became unwell again.
 
 
Third admission
 
Attempted suicide again, during which she took a bottle of Stelazine and sent to St George’s Hospital in Tooting. Kathy was later admitted to Maple Ward, at the Horton (Asylum) Hospital in a voluntary capacity. This Hospital (which was a replica of Bexley Health Asylum was one of a cluster Asylum Hospitals specifically built and was the seventh London County Asylum completed in 1902,situated in Epsom, Surrey.
 
Kathy’s assessment was carried out by Dr Lopier, but she was not sectioned. She was given medication of Largactil and Mogadon.
 
Horton Asylum closed in 1993 and all long stay patients had the option to move out of her accommodation outside of the grounds of Horton. Kathy spent approximately seventeen (17) years before she moved on to Westfield House.
 
The Haven is one of a complex of houses built in the grounds of Horton Hospital. Patients including Kathy were interviewed to see if they would be suitable for the type of accommodation. Kathy said, at first, she became very fearful in a new place.
 
Her reaction was to run around the hospital until she was tired and then after much reassurance from members of staff, she decided to move into the shared two-bedroomed flat in Haven. She now has her own bedroom which provided her with some privacy, shared sitting room, kitchen and bathroom. This type of accommodation requires less supervision and encourages patients to become more independent.
 
Socially, Kathy (along with other patients/residents) attends the Social Centre, otherwise known as “Hapen”.
 
She described the new flat as part of the new accommodation which is being created for long term mental health patients, some of who came from Banstead. All patients are given a copy of the Haven Charter which sets out the guidelines to patient rights.
 
She is quite happy to be living in her new flat, with modern facilities, kind and caring staff. This was a much better accommodation in comparison to the dreadful experiences she had whilst being a patient at Long Grove. She attends the patient committee once every two weeks, where issues are discussed and patients are encouraged to make recommendations. Many of which are monitored and put into practice.
 
Kathy’s current diagnosis is “ Neurosis” and remains on medication of anti depressants, but still sometimes feel suicidal and sometimes wish she was dead. Dr Robertson remains Kathy’s Consultant Psychiatrist.
 
Kathy is interested in Current affairs, in particular documentaries, and remarked about the views expressed by Oliver James, a clinical psychiatrist  who was on a television programme. According to Kathy Oliver stated that “ there are thousands of people on anti- depressants and many more who ought to be”.
 
She is also pleased that prominent people such as Virginia Ironside who writes in The Daily Mirror is able to talk about her own depression, which in turn helps to reduce the stigma which exists around mental health problems.
 
She expressed her concern for other patients at Horton, especially those patients from foreign countries who had fought in the war. She wondered how they happen to be in this type of institution as many don’t talk much English and if they do, its very few words can be  repetitive.
 
 
CURRENT POSITION (1999)
 
With the current closure of Horton Hospital, Kathy although never having had the experience of being sectioned, agreed to remain and live in a staffed home “Westfield House”. The Haven- purpose-built homes in the grounds of Horton Hospital since 1993.
 
The home is now managed by committed and conscientious staff from The Riverside Mental Health Trust. Kathy expressed wish is to remain in this type of sheltered accommodation
 
which provides a sanctuary away from the pressures of the world which she describes as being “Sick”.
 
 
 
INTERVIEW ENDS