TRAGICAL HISTORY OF PSYCHIATRY DURING COMUNISM

Dr.I.C.CUCU,MD

The paper refers to our Monograph PSYCHIATRY UNDER

DICTATORSHIP,edited in 2005

The book appeared after 14 years of waiting,strugle with

adversities and insurmountable obstacles and opposition
against the truth of our psychiatric nomenclature ,
including the Romanian authorities.

It was published on the Internet in many forums and

having a share of over 300,000 visitors.

Using psychiatry during communism as a political weapon

is part of the tragic history of the Romanian in psychiatry,
which generation today and especially the next generation
should take knowledge.

Using of psychiatry,communist political camp (Romania

represented only one of these crimes communist
metastaza) was done in a systematic way and had to
premize theoretical basis and a good practice to put the
point.

Based on the study did have sought to see these

mechanisms of a totalitarian state, became a real criminal
organization, a field in which only a fascist state realized
this successful performance.

Viewers in terms of theory, as in other communist

countries, in Romania, three structures have forced private
dictatorship limetele in psychiatry:
1. The character of the totalitarian state;
2. Place occupied by ideology in all fields;
3. Visceral fear of regimen of not keeping their power
and privileges.
Thus, on the one hand, not individual rights, and was the
only party which decidea, including one to consider the
individual bishop, and on the other hand science, in our
case psychiatry, was subject - not to say servitoarea -
ideology .
But the psychiatrist that an international political opozant
under pretext of schizophrenia or paranoia involvement in
a conscious policy of the totalitarian state from which
actually expect certain attitudes that will bring
advantages.
Apologets of "socialist psychiatry" explaned these
"features" of their acts that the existence of disparities
"essential" against "capitalist psychiatry", namely one
that is practised in the West. This was the basis of
rejection without discernment or scientific arguments
concepts of psychological and sociological Roumanian
psychiatry.
Fundation of ideological political abuse in our psihiatry was
based on several elements introduced by communist
totalitarianism:

1.So called "socialist morality" and relationships as in the

communist-totalitarian,
2. Theoretical postulats which was based on building
"socialist psychiatry", which then became a psychiatric
abuse and Allied of a totalitarian state.

For communism, socialism was supposed to mean but a

moral nine, namely Us principles that should be within the
future.
These principles were rezult after the communist ideology,
based on studying marxist philosophy , whose concepts
were over 150 years. "Moral principles" are not achieving
grace of interior transformation of the individual in contact
with "the most straight society", but conversely, the
individual, artificially, had "correspond to" the principles of
the philosopher now 150 years until the stage when he s
would be called "new man".
"Religion masses", as well as individual masificarea led to
aberrant principles of law, such as: main aderence of the
whole people to socialism, the superiority of socialism and
implacabil running of any society to socialism.
These aberrations called by the term "new principles" of
socialist society have put science right in front of problems
that mankind no longer knoun as psychiatric ethics had to
be subordoned this Us to consider moral and political or
religious opposition as part of psyhopatology.

Within this framework fall relations between psychiatry

and politics dizident and politizante of theories that have
served psychiatrists security and the communist party.
It is a reality that socialism could only conformist aspire to
normality.
The "new moral", the affirmation of socialism infailibil and
invincibil, made to implement the so-called repression
"aseptic", that is a purely medical repression to hidea
certain faces of the system of repression, thus succeeding
to the Romanian carry psychiatry in the way of the largest
mistification and violations of medical ethics.
Three problems in this area we seem more important,
psychiatry being deeply involved here:
a. Communist social engineering;
b. Instituţionalisation of lies and duble standard;
c. Psychiatry have to transform into a maid regime and
repressive communist system.
If you have an individual religious faith or a particular
political creed, this not only was not accepted by the
communist society, but for the communist psychiatry they
had become subjects of clinical diagnosis. Cohesion
human friendship, confidence in protective figures, as
would be the doctor for example, had to be systematically
destroyed. Nothing needed to support the communist
system.

Institutionalisation in current life of lies and double

standard.So, institutionalized system of lies in
communism, followed by asiduitatea's defeat of normal
repulsion and, as such, removing the main support of self-
respect, freedom of conscience and the dignity of the
person. Why not, it would have been the situation and
some psychiatrists who were put into service dictatorship.
The entire existence in communist society was subject, of
a double standard, and there is need to accept permanent
difference between perception and reality of what had to
say.
In organizing a psychiatric abuse, communist apologets of
psychiatry have used theoretical models overcome the
scientific point of view, they ideologized as examples of
applying dialectical matherialism in psychiatry:
a. A model purely biological - the medical model -
inherited from the classical German psychiatry from the
beginning of this century, but which will be processed in
marxist ideological manner.
b. A carceral model of institution with psychiatric
treatment rejection of psychological and sociological
concepts in the field of therapy institutions and treatment.
The model was taken, too, in the history of classical
psychiatry (psychiatric asylum as an institution specifies
the Middle Ages).

POLITICAL IN ROUMANIAN PSYCHIATRIC

Political psychiatric abuse is not so, because odios
existed and even by its high frequency, but for the fact
that in communist countries it was organized by state,
thereby, has become a real "criminal organisation"
involving civil officials (party activists, doctors as official
organs of the repressive state, including Magistratura).
Such organized crime by the state was not known in the
history of humanity.
1. The practice of political psychiatric abuse

a. Rol of psychiatrist in abuse

Following the study that I undertook to us that arose
following classification involving a specific gradation and
accountability:
1. Psychiatrists who were as oficial of psychiatry
(nomenclature) - in close collaboration with the
securitatea and party organs - themselves occupying high
positions in party leadership and in varying degrees and
Securitatea. They are those who consciously organized
repression in psychiatric theory and practice.
2. Disidents psychiatrist or opozants, very few (at least
those I know), understood, but witout sustenemantl. They
criticized sporadicly or systematic abuse or have started
their own movement dezideologisation, informally or
coverage, but all have criticized psychiatry official and
exponents.
3. The mass of honest psychiatrists , but without interes
and desinformated,adepts of "cage"psychology, paste
often in colonial manner "teachers" in their geographical
area, for small advantages for administrative or a quiet
life.
The first group are few individuals, maybe a dozen, that
communists they always assumed that "papuşniki" as
called by Lenin, or rather as "Temporaly camarad." What
was the motivation of this cooperation with the communist
political system? From this point of view we could not
disclose the following reasons:
1.Motivation ideological, honestical or opportunistic, faith
in communist ideal and loyalty to the party. For these
individuals to criticase the party or socialism can be a
phenomenon of social inadaptabilitaty or even mental
illness. For these reasons they will labeled the individuals
subjected to "treatment" as suffering from schizophrenia
or paranoia
2. Wish to promote business, which gives power and
influence, meet their ambitions, benefits for a better life
and often exceed the scope of their ambition in psychiatry,
wanting to become ministers, deputies and even members
of the Central Committee of communist party.
3. Qualification their policy has resulted in the naming
functions, while the qualification was psychiatric
subsidiary. For these reasons always had to renew their
attachment evidence against the party and ideology.
4. The Party will promote only devoted cadre of confidence
in the first line of psychiatry to facilitate its control and of
Securitatea. In the first stage, the university in Soviet
Union were absolutely necessary, because the
attachment against the party asked that was definitely
needed and proof of attachment against the Soviet Union.
As a result of collaboration, the psychiatrist
nomenclaturist received as a benefit to a maximum salary
dimension, departures abroad, holiday villas, access to
special shops, luxury goods and other payments made for
services. For these reasons, some of them have become
true apologets of communism and even international
level, by the attitude of various psychiatric Congress.
Disident psychiatrists were few as a number and have
openly criticised the regime or prudencios, especially the
use of psychiatry against disidents as political wepoint.
Some have been severely punished , others bushed to
emigrate, they have organized public processes and even
judiciar proceses. Especially those remaining in the
country have been marginalized, have not been promoted,
were taken right to publish. Other disidents were grouped
in small groups more or less oficialisated and managed to
have a certain activity in the press have published some
works in its own. He paid a high price, but disidents they
have assumed this risk.
The process of disidenta "passive" was, too, one of the
ways of fighting. Thus, many psychiatrists had an attitude
and even soft "fraternisation" with dizidents
hospitalisated, this being said many of the psychiatric
disidents interned.
The psychiatrists unactiv representing an absolute
majority. Compromise their behavior was motivated by
fear,using of denegation processes and rationalizing their
atitude to avoid ethical problems. But fear and
compromise caracterised in fact the entire population of
the country and therefore this was an excuse for
psychiatrists.
The confirmist psychiatrists aware of the rules and
convenients in communist Romanian society and knew
that one wrong step was full of risks. Therefore, their first
care was to avoid having to do with the dizidents, and if
this could not be avoided, they blame on the
"circumstances". Many have sought to respond to requests
nomenclature by a tacit understanding over what it
claimed. On the other hand, it was hard to believe that, as
psychiatrists, the total could avoid the risk of having to do
with the dizidents. Often, not avoid contact with them,
could play a sharada the following manner: "I know that
you are not sick psychological and that there must be
interned you, but you thinking about what you suffered if
you would give their hand and what harm you made me?”
I can not do more, I supervise heads, but to know that I
hate this imbroglio. Both are in the same boat. "

b. The breadth and forms of abuse

After studying the cases that we received, investigations
conducted and documents reviewed, we could build the
next grading psychiatric abuse that practiced in our
contry:
1. Political hospitalisation had the highest frequency and
were the most harmful because this intimidated masses,
hundred people healthy or at limit, including patients in
remision for the years. Thus, in the psychiatric hospital,
healthy individuals or marginal were interned , but in all
cases, the common element was that to manq the
possibility of using ocasion as political event for a
demonstration against the hostile regime.
2. Actions illegal for political purposes from persons who
had a mental illness. From this point of view, our research
has identified the following categories:
a. Diagnostics handled political reasons related to need
hospitalization, such as schizophrenia, paranoia, etc.. The
symptoms were more negative, the more it was clear that
the patient "has no awareness of his disease."
b.Neuroleptical treatment or electroshoc without medical
reason. From time to time, prisoners of communist prisons
or psychiatric hospitals reacive electroshocs or
neuroleptic treatment, although this was not necessary.
c. Psichiatric Units well-guarded, which exist at most of
the county hospitals, but there were sections secured,
completely isolated wards in which only the medical staff
and officials with special arrangements had access.
d. Specialized institutions, for "treatment" of some
disidents. In Romania had this sad notoriety Hospital in
Gataia especially in the 50s, hospitals Poiana Mare, P.
Groza, Răducăneni, Bălăceanca.
e. Abuse of diagnosis in pacients favour . A number of
doctors argue that during communism have practiced
false diagnostics to save patients from a bad situation that
would be expected. It is a situation uncleared yet in terms
of medical ethics and morality, especially that in all these
cases the psychiatrist itself would be very much at risk.
3. The legislation as a factor encouraging the abuse was,
too, an important thing. Legal structures of the years of
dictatorship in Romania were designed in such a way that
could facilitate psychiatric abuse.
Indeed, abusive way are encouraged by laws relating to
mental incapacity declaration of an individual. This is
particularly evident in the Law no. 3 / 1978 which allows
the seizure in case of medical emergency. Thus, the so-
called medical emergencies were transformed into
emergency order on the political and under detention on
grounds of illness.
The law,Decret 12/1965 provide for the placement
"hazard" on the basis of statements taken from neighbors
or from family members, without an individual can appeal
against these charges. Court judge in closed session
without defense or provide evidence. Acusation could be
made by relatives, friends, but also by the authorities.
Similarly, Decret 313/1980 provides for the possibility of
compulsory treatment at a single indication psychiatrist,
who could easily be subjected to pressure authorities.
Furthermore, if this decret, the entire action or deprivation
of liberty of the individual body was delegated to health,
while driving Securitatea shadow as a result of this
criticism made of Decret 12/1965.

4. Statements sperjure politically motivated. A difficult

problem is raised when the diagnosis is established on the
basis of "evidence" that is involving different officials and
who are present with their own version of the facts.

2. The processing of material studied

Study detailed batch of cases that we held the record set

in the following important issues, which will continue this:

a. Admission abuse
The first step in the political psychiatric abuse in the
placement constituted abuse. Admission abuse occurred
when dizidentul came into conflict with the communist
political system and when securistul call on a psychiatrist
to decide whether this behavior could be considered as
abnormally. Since this opinion was given the status
dizidentului change, it became a mentally ill who could
apply the measures as forced admission, electroshocs,
neuroleptics, contention measures.
Normally, cases were brought to a psychiatrist in several
ways:
1. Civil procedure with the placement direct "clean" to act
of disident which the psychiatrist it turn into a
phenomenon psihopatologic. In these situations could
occur following categories:
-- Dizidentul was given a deed, it was proved, arrested and
interned in the hospital and then undergo a psychiatric
expert to confirm "mental disease". For this security could
make a formal request, but most often brought to hospital
dizident was sufficient to the psychiatrist conformist who
understand to be done;
-- Dizidentul was claimed by neighbours, relatives and
even wife. It was called policy, dizident was led to the
ward where the officer exposed his opinion and the person
was carried to hospital against his will.;
-- Kidnappings on the street, at work or home without
arrest warrant. The person was carried psychiatric hospital
without explanation and without a medical consultation
beforehand.
2. Criminal procedure - when dizidentul was arrested for
an alleged common law deed and transferred to
psychiatric purposes "medical".
3. The procedure through which dizident was tried and
convicted for acts alleged to be common law, but
subsequently transferred from prison to hospital for
mental diseases.

b. The events which led to the placement

What unites these abusive internations was that
concerned citizens wished to exercise their rights
guaranteed by the Constitution in peacefully (right to
manifest, the right to faith, political creed, the petition),
but organs of repression, serving purposes totalitarianism,
have opposed free and peaceful exercise of these rights.
Based on the study were able to systematise the main
types of documents these internations.
# Activities with a political nature. Communist
Constitution does not formally opused exercise of the
political activities of citizens. However, in practice any
political activity, except those conducted by the party,
were prohibited. Here are some examples of political
motivation internărilor activities to defend human rights,
the formation of trade union organizations or some hybrid
parties from 3 to 4 members; critics verbal or written
policy to address the Communist Party or leaders of party
and state; criticarea violations of workers rights (wages,
working hours, volunteer activities, etc.; showing slogans,
printing show in which expresed critical opinions, read
some books or magazines banned by the authorities.
# Insistent requests for emigration. Very many dizidents
were interned for repeated attempts to pass the border
and even for special insistence to emigrate. Too, the
insistence to enter the embassies could be considered a
mental illness.
# Religious activities - the practice of religions other than
in silence and worship premises was condemned as crime
(religious propaganda), was regarded as a phenomenon
psihopatologic - paranoia. Here we have entered, in
particular, members of cults baptiste, adventiste,
penticostale. Sometimes the placement could comprise an
entire family.
# The wording of petitions or memoranda may be
considered as a mental illness. Although rarely answering
system at memories and petitions, the nature poliltic were
immediately sent to the Securitatea often is used and the
gun in psychiatry. Lack of cooperation with security could
be another reason for using in psychiatry. Often citizens
who were interned were memories from a few days with
psychiatric justification that they are making a short
medical psychiatric, this being done to intimidate.

c. The length of the internation

In the cases studied by us length as in-pacient
experienced highs and lows of the some day to a few
years. There is a link between political reason and length.
Most of dizidenţi were interned especially in short, on the
occasion of events.

Also, interned in psychiatric asilums the disidents were

taken in secret places for the family, to hundreds of
kilometers and thrated with neuroleptics and a so-called
"psihoterapies" trying to wash the brainpower of these
individuals.

d. Place and the conditions of detention

If psychiatric hospitals and special maintained their official
appearance all the time in prison, psychiatric hospitals
were normal aspect of an asilum, which in practice was
almost identical.
Super-aglomeration and lack basic hygiene.
The restrictions and censorship is in a drastic regime of
correspondence, visits, receiving the package, the lack of
permission to have some personal objects. Often,
hospitals, the doctors agreed or not entitled to mail .
Violence against the sick, care staff having virtually
authorization to link patients, to make them electroşoc.
Dizidenţii have complained especially despotism
personnel, lack of skilled and harvesting it from among
persons bran, common law prisoners, alcoolics,
psychopats, former psychiatric pacients. Sometimes
applied sadical phisical treatment. Often "detainees" had
the feeling that the staff have the right of life and death
upon them. If medical staff waching at least among
patients, orderlies waching practically all the time, forming
true clans, making it among them.
Moral pressure and attempts to change political beliefs are
exercied kept in special hospitals. Often such actions were
as cover psychotherapy session. Among the main actions
psychological note:
-- Aberrant isolation in hospitals or in special exhibitions
shake the key. At this add the prohibition of visits,
animozităţile between psychiatrists and patients families.;
-- The absence of any way of appeal or legal protection,
censorship, permanent control over detened control its
relations with other patients. In the psychiatric hospital
staff does not officially have no legal obligation to make
complaints to reach a prosecutor to patients, families and
complaints were not taken into account;
-- Hospitalization was indefinite duration, nor a dissident
could not know how much will remain in hospital, only to
surrender dizidenta was an argument to obtain the
release. Not even those engaged in 12 or 313 decrets are
not respect the right to review at 6 months.
Promiscuitatea linked to the mixture of people age,
degrees of special culture, mixing with real patients
psihici. After discharge the patient was "dispensarizat, now
under surveillance not only Security, but health bodies
and territorial neuroleptizat ambulatory. For this reason,
dizidentul declared "sick psychological" could be
kidnapped at any home or on the street, without any
formalities "the background".
e. Diagnosis
The psychiatrists Romanian did not have access to
Western literature and were trained only after psychiatric
textbooks in the country, all edited by tartorii in psychiatry
totalitarian and after indications "programming" of the
directors or teachers. For these reasons, the psychiatric
diagnosis in practice became a true farce simplistic and
easily achieved.

f. abuse of electro-therapy
Dictatorships around the world have adopted this
technique for torturing thr disidents. Within electroshok
(ES) individual is put in a vital state of stress, a situation
that simulates the imminent threat to life.

g. Misuse of neuroleptice
All dizidenţii of our lot did not have the right to
choose the doctor who, in turn, does not have any duty to
decline and identity. Neither the patient nor the family had
no influence on the type of treatment applied. Usually, are
very strong medicines used (haldol, clorpromazina,
trifluoperazina, majeptilul) ..

3. Violation of the rights of patients

Although dizidents were interned in psychiatric in

different circumstances, they represent the common sens
to exercise those freedoms known as basic human rights.
He was talking mainly to written or oral expression, critical
views on government practices, petitions against the
authorities, participation in events neagreate officially
belong to informal groups, participation in religious
events, repeated attempts to emigrate, attempts to pass
the border illegally .
In many cases, dizidenţii always had been warned before,
and that dizidentul not recognised it was sick because of
"his lack of conscience of the disease."

4. The abuse as a form of torture

Makes electroshoks as torture or syringe under the

communists was an action directed by the state. There are
several criteria to determine if an act can be defined as
torture (by Amnisty International):
-- Severity of physical and psychological abuse;
-- The fact that the act is premeditatedly;
-- The formal involvement of the state;
-- Ruling the act.
Thus, the excessive use of ES is a form of torture that was
used frequently. In this context enter and unjustified use of
neuroleptics.
None of the rights of a patient really has not been
observed: hygiene standards, the right to refuse treatment
or the person you administrază ensure security. Dizidents
were mixed with real psychiatric patients and discipline to
ensure being beaten, ES, overdose of neuroleptice,
contention, restricting visits.