Beyond the lunatic asylum of the 19th century its legacy, my family, and the madness within

Do you ever feel that something in your heritage might be holding you back, or wonder if an event in your family’s past might explain a psychological block that you’re keen to overcome? From the very

This World Mental Health Day (10 October), take a moment to reflect on the experiences of our ancestors who were mentally ill. How were they looked after, and where? Before the mid-18th century, the U

Sebastian Faulks was a student when a terrifying episode “severed” his link with reality – an experience that has fuelled his mission to understand psychosis and schizophrenia

I remember, many years ago, a potential client making a very specific request. They wanted me to research their family but they were only interested in the direct male line. ‘I don’t want to know abou

First Nan, then Mum… would this cruel condition come for me too?

Just where did all the weird ghosts go is a question that has been posed in Fortean Times. One answer might be Wales. Ghost hunter John Harries declared, “In order to meet a Welsh ghost one really nee