Padded Room

clasic, ive always heard of these places and looked for them in many but never actually seena room with padded walls before. excellent work

what was it used for?

Remindes me of 'Girl Interrupted', when
Angelina's character Lisa was in one of thoses
rooms.

Like Pedro stated, I've always heard of Padded rooms but never once saw one. Thanks Motts!

Padded rooms are awful, no where near as fun as they look onbce you are locked in and can't escape.

You sound as though you speak from experince? I have seen many pic's of asylums, but funny none of them i could see padded rooms in them. Mostly what I have seen is seclusion rooms.

What do they pad them with?

i think it would be alsome to be put in a padded room and a straight jacket..that has been my dream since i was 11 years old 6th grade

No windows, no lights, no seats, just one wall mounted speaker, blasting "Dominque" by The Singing Nun over and over and over again.

Do you still want to be locked in a padded room? (LOL)

ROFL! That's my favourite song! LoL! Just kidding... :0)

I guess emily would be thankful that it's padded if that's what was playing when she got put in there! LoL!

Oh yes!!! The padding would be over the speaker as well, creating a 'muffle' effect on the music. LOL

LoL! Oh geeze! :0)

Actually there is very little use of this type of room. Usually they are hard plastic walls (think countertop material) and if you try to throw yourself against the walls, etc. We come in and tie you down to a medical bed with leather restraints and put a needle in your butt.

Lynne, just out of curiousity, what exactly does it feel like being in a straight jacker (if you know). I've always wondered about it, to the point of almost buying one online for more money than I had available. I always thought they looked kind of comforting, warm, and safe, and I think it would work pretty quick to calm me down. How far off am I?

it is very comfortable. Like giving a big hug to yourself

I'll just have to take your word for that, ~Me.

I'd rather be hugged by ~Me than by me, if you catch my drift.....

That's kinda what I thought... Re-reading my comment, I sounded kinda insensitive, which isn't what I was going for. I just wanna check one out for myself... Maybe for Christmas? :D

~Me is right (as always). They are not uncomfortable if you are placed in one that is the right size and if it is secured the way it is supposed to be. Most of us would hate being in one just because we don't like not being able to get out and we tend to get claustrophobic. They ARE rather difficult to get out of (although there is always someone who manages somehow), but there are a number of folks who know when they have passed the point where they are no longer in control and seem to relax as soon as they are in one. Interestingly (to me, at least), many of the folks who relax when they are in one would sometimes get all worked up and upset when they saw the jacket was being taken off if they knew they weren't yet back in control of themselves.

Temple Grandin, a woman with Asperger syndrome, writes in her books that a number of years ago she made herself a "squeeze machine" and the consistent pressure on her from the machine helps her relax when she is upset or stressed. This is a similar concept to the straightjacket or being held in a physical restraint, and folks who respond positively such as this may have sensory integration issues.

Rather than using mechanical restraints, I used to use physical restraint if I had someone who was out of control, if a simple time out in the other side of the room didn't work. It was my experience with the vast majority of the folks I worked with that they relaxed as soon as they knew I had them in a crossover hold (cross their arms in front of them and stand or sit behind them while holding their arms). Since I am 5' 1" standing on my tiptoes and as wimpy as anyone can get, I obviously don't have the ability to hold anyone for very long "against their will," but I was always amazed at how many folks would just relax and sit back calmly as soon as I had my arms around them to keep them from hurting themselves or others. They knew I was never going to hurt them or let them get hurt, and they just needed to be able to get themselves together without anyone overstimulating them by talking to them or lecturing them or yelling at them - just basically letting them calm themselves down so they could learn to do it by themselves at some point, which most eventually learned.

The majority of facilities for folks with intellectual disabilities stopped using straightjackets 20 - 25 years ago, and that was actually my job at the first facility I worked at back in the mid-80s. 24 of the 45 folks I "inherited" on my caseload had behavior "treatment" programs that included mechanical restraints of some sort (straightjackets, wrist restraints, 4 point restraint, helmets, papoose boards, etc.) and we were able to get all 24 programs discontinued within a year at the same time we decreased their psychotropic medications. That was pretty swell. This was a group of heavy hitters with multiyear histories of restraint and excessive amounts of medication, so I myself was amazed we all made as much headway as we did that year.

Anyway, at some point we had a number of straightjackets that we discovered somewhere that we hadn't yet scrapped. One of them was "just my size", so one of my coworkers tried it on me, secured it, and walked me down the hall, laughing, and as we turned the corner we walked into a conference room full of important executives, so to get out of the embarrassing spot I had to drool and shuffle and make strange noises, and then everyone looked away in embarrassment to be "polite", so we were able to get the hell out of there before anyone actually looked up and saw that it was just us.

Bwahahahaha... I can see this happening too! Way to play it off!

Does anyone out there know an affordable place to get one? I'm claustrophobic, but for some reason it doesn't bother me as long as my face is uncovered. Besides, I think I'd rather face my fear head on than spend the rest of my life hiding from it...

It looks like they sell them on eBay, but they are a tad pricey in my eyes (the three or four that just came up on eBay were around $100.00 American). I don't know if a medical supplies company would sell them to the general public and if so, what they might cost. Looks like a lot of "kinky" folks like 'em from the few attempts I just made to check it out on the web.

By the way, Sketch darlin', you better be my alibi when my husband uses the computer over the next few days and all the ads start coming in for kinky stuff. 8`-)

Ha! Ye olde spousal unit came in the room as I was writing this and said that if you think about it, that would be a pretty good price, since a good straightjacket that is working as it should needs to be a well-crafted piece of equipment to do its job correctly. The ones we used to use back in the old days were canvas with leather straps to close in the back and then they had metal buckles. If you figure the stated reason for them is for containing a person who is out of control, they need to withstand some fairly terrific pressure and activity.

He said $100.00 is probably a deal.

Jesus, the things you get me into, Sketch! 8`-)

P.S. If my spouse now gets me a straightjacket for Christmas I'm coming to kick your ass, Sketch! >:-P

P.P.S. Guess I could give it to ~Me, though . . . . .

Grispop, I got your drift, will ya hold it against ~Me?

Sketch, That is the reason I dressed up as a clown for Halloween one year, to face that fear.

And my Dearest Lynne, I'd LOVE one! THanks for thinking of ~Me!

Mr. Lynne's Husband: It was my fault, really! Don't get Lynne a straight jacket, because I like my ass in its unkicked form! :D

Lynne: Ok, I think you're safe now... $100 US doesn't sound too bad for them. The one I saw was almost $500 US! I hadn't even thought to check with the S&M crowd. Now how will I explain it to Mrs. Sketch? "Ummm, yeah, I'm just looking for a straight jacket, nothing dirty here at all..." :D I'll say it's for ~Me...

Thanks again for looking this up!

~Me: Really? I dress up as a clown on random days to scare OTHER people... Hmmmm.... :D

I AM HOME!

padded rooms where did the steryertipical room from the crazy home disaperar

The trick to escaping them is to puff yourself up as much as possible without being noticeable. Anyway, that's what a brief internet search told me. Apparently it works with most restraints as well. Hence, how the escape artists do it, I guess. I suppose the theory behind it is that, once you deflate, you'll have a lot of slack to work with. Escape artists kind of interest me, so I actually wouldn't mind give it a try. Hmm...

I lived in a grouphome once where they used PMAB physical restraint. I can't count the number of times I was put in a "basket hold" or a "bent arm on shoulder" restraint. In the hospital I was in, I was also put in 5 point restraints, as well as seclusion. Oh, and I'll never forget that needle in the but. *shivers*

just come across this excellent site.Is lynne still using this site?
i have mayy REAL LIFE experiences i can share-----and did emily ever get to live out her lifetime ambition of being restrained?

What ever do you mean?

EVERYBODY~
I jsut re-read this whole thing and had some wonderful memeories, Thanks guys! and Thanks most to Lord Motts, I bow to you , kind sir.

Sorry about that i i was saying something but accidently clicked somewhere and pressed enter.. Anyways.. I WANT TO SEE INSIDE THE ROOM!

in this picture dont it just creep you out ,just looking and wondering what could be inside that room and what happened.

it just creeps me out man!

Motts have you ever came across a straight jacket?

I've got Asperger syndrome & was interested to see a programme about Temple Grandin a while back. She nearly ended up being certified at a young age, which is fairly worring.

From Urbex & other British abandoned building sites the use of padded cells in the UK was mainly phased out in the 1960s due to the development of new medical treatment. There are one or two places that still had them when they closed.

padded rooms are made of rubber..sad to say they are necessary dute to the fact that their is a lot of people out their that do try to hurt them self.. even though the rubber is a little hard it does help..

I wondered what a padded room looked like. This is a wonderful find. Thank you Motts.

Padded rooms are very expensive but if used wisely can prevent having to put a patient into four point restraints.
Many psychiatric hospitals across the nation are working to lower their use of restraints. These rooms can help.

i always wanted to be in a straightjacket as ~me was saying, it sounds comfortable. ive had some experience myself but at the place i was at, they didnt use much restraints, just seclusion and pills.

In the asylum in the town next to mine they used to strap patients down in a bathtub and let them bath for as long as it would take for them to calm down, instead of padded cells. It did happen that it would take like a day or two before they finally would settle down, and could be released back into their cells. There would be someone that continiously monitored the watertemp. The tub didnt have a tap on it, instead there was a waterpipe going straight into the tub which had controls on the wall a few feet away, regulating waterflow and temp.

Just wanted to point out if you google "Malone Psychiatric Center"

This gallery is the 2nd result, with this picture as a sub result.

Reading how many comments there are, I understand why!

And Marcus, I'm assuming they were strapped in with their head above water!

The rooms I was put in were more like seclusion rooms...the walls were of a hard plasticy stuff, but softer than concrete. That plus a dose of adavan was usually enough to calm me down. Even at the time I was thankful that the hospital had such places, though, because I never really wanted to hurt anyone and even though I would have more than willingly hurt myself at the time, I would have regretted it later. I felt safer in one of these rooms than I did out in the dayroom with so many distractions to irritate me, like sandpaper on my soul...in there it was quiet and I could calm.

Wow-Imagine being inside those room, it will definition drive someone more insane

i've been put in two mental hospitals and looking forward to the next. as soon as i get my sh*t straightened out i will eventually work in one. i'm obsessed w/ addisons disease and skitsaphrenia or however you spell it. i've always wanted to be able to feel what goes on in their heads. i've been restrained many times my grandmother was skitsaphrenic and she was put in a asylum and eventually went crazy and died. can you imagine going so crazy your mind can't handle it anylonger so your body shuts down and you die! thats my dream. my goal for my life. and then to rot in hell! trust me i'm already started rotting away.

you'll all eventually realize you need it worse than me

you must be such a good neighbor.

i think it would be fun to be put in a padded room. even if the walls r hard e would still run myself in the walls. lol

i still think it would be fun to be in one of those rooms. it would be fun.

People who say they want mental distresses are obviously 16 or below. It isn't "fun", you don't "enjoy" it. That's what drugs are for, a temporary psychoses.

Real madness and illness is fucking awful.

Recreational drugs* to clarify

Those are the fun ones

woww that sounds like fun. if i could go in there i'd be able to let out ALOT of anger & rage.

lynne, thanks for your sensitive and informative comments. What you said about the straight jacket and confining people with your arms proves that the best therapy for anyone with mental illnesses or emotional problems is physical contact with other human beings, much like being hugged ;)

Ive Been In A Room Like This And Ill Tell You something... once that door closes and your alone with your thoughts you will actually turn insane

As in comments above...yup, methinks whoever hangs out at these places to smoke and "go trippin" on stuff-should do so in one of THESE rooms ;) hahahaa.

I really think they shouldn't be doing that to people that can mentally mess them up and make them an unstable citizen in our society i really think that is a torture method that should be looked at. :(

We build these rooms and use is increasing, not decreasing. Our rooms are soft and tough to avoid damage. They shuod only be used as a last resort - we don't want them used for minor situations - but for times when the patient is uncontrolable. There are times when they are needed - all health and police professionals will admit to this. Oh - and every home should have one!

Does anyone know who installs or builds these type of rooms?

Would love to have one built into one of my spare rooms...

please contact me at: leatheryng@hotmail.com if anyone has any info...

"Just trying to help", i see you seem to work for company that does this type of work. Can you please get in touch or if anyone has his/her details then please contact me...

Many thanks

ive been on this site for weeks and this is the first padded room ive seen,

i have actually worked in a room like this. it was in a jail, and i was there to repair some broken lights. the officer told me this is where they would put their violent drunk offenders until they either passed out or sobered up. not a very big room and not very soft either.

are there any seclusion/padded rooms still in use in psychiatric care in the US? If not when did they go out of use?

almost every psych hospital has seclusion rooms. Hospitals which are better managed and aren't overcrowded use them less. Hospitals where the staff are well trained in conflict management and trauma use them less. Hospitals that involve the patients in their treatment plan use them infrequently. A few including a few forensic hospitals don';t use them at all. On the other hand, on the extreme some hospitals use them as punishment for not following rules or talking back. Both staff and patients are sometimes injured, Patients are sometimes stripped of their clothes and traumatized. Seclusion and restraint are horrible. Many mental health professionals and patients view S&R as treatment failure. African American and Hispanic patients are restrained and injured significantly more than whites. Today patients are still killed. More often they are not used anymore as punishment. They are used when a person is agitated or angry or is hurting theirself. Some places are trained to teaching patients skills to deal with their emotions effectively instead of acting them out, Those are they hospitals where they are seldom used. they are used in special education, and sometimes children suffocate. Very sad. Their is a movement to change seclusion rooms into comfort rooms. There may be stuffed animals to hold, murals on the walls or soft colors and a comfortable chair or two. The client has the freedom to go in the room and deescalate if they are frustrated, or ground themselves if they are frightened or feel like hurting themselves. I go through difficult periods when i am in the hospital, but i have never seen a comfort room. It would be nice,

One more thing. It is important we all have different experiences. While a few people may like being restrained, some feel trapped. For many it reenacts trauma from past abuse. This is true for people with mental illness, DD, children, whoever.

I have the disorder cataplexy, a symptom of the more familiar sleep disorder Narcoplepsy. Cataplexy is very similiar to being in a straght jacket- in a padded room left with nothing, other than your thoughts. Any strong emotion (laughing, anger, sadness) results in a complete loss of muscle control. Physically I am paralyzed, mentally I am wide awake. So basically it's like being trapped in a room with your thoughts. This is not as horrible as one may think. In the episodes in which I could not move, lasting minutes at times, once I dismissed movement as an option I could move again. One difference is that I was still aware of my surroundings- which in a padded room you are not- but like this method of punishment, as much as I'd like to tell people I'm fine, I cannot deliver the message. I regain control the instant I stop reacting emotionally. Placing someone in a straight jacket in certain situations may serve the same purpose.Depriving someone of all physical control might possibly be the only way tor them to prevent emotion from controlling them.

Kay-r, what you say is interesting. You are right that to compare cataplexy with mental illness is comparing apples to oranges.

Ha my friends in one cause hes scuicidal im scared for him

Some hispitals still have padded rooms, the last two hospitals I have been to for treatment of schizphrenia had a padded room in each of there four "pods" a pod being a bank of rooms with a sitting area. Seeing this even this from the side shot of a padded room made me remember the fear I had about ever being locked in one my self if I was having one of my worse episodes, not being able to determine if what you are experiencing is real or not and being stuck in a room where it is just you and your thoughts is kind of frightening to me. It's weird to think that if I were born half a centry earlier I would be living in one of these places has be a little troubling

They have these rooms in the public grade schools in Oregon. They lock children they are too stupid to be able to engage with in them and say they were being dangerous to themselves.