In some disorders of the psyche, patients behave inadequately, are prone to aggression and are able to unknowingly harm themselves, surrounding people and objects. The answer to the question of what to do with such patients appeared in the time of the birth of medicine as a science - to limit movement and self-relocation. Somewhat later, a straitjacket appeared as a kind of special hospital uniform for patients. What is it in our days and are there any non-standard ways of using this clothing?
Historical facts and myths
Today, the first association with the definition of "straitjacket" is a psychiatric hospital. However, initially the movement-restraining clothes were invented to hold prison inmates. Such shirts are in the exposition of the Peter and Paul Fortress Museum. Later this type of clothing was borrowed into medical institutions as an alternative to the fetters in which the patients were held earlier. It is interesting that there are no generally accepted standards for the manufacture of strict shirts and their classification. Straining shirts can be with or without sleeves, have a different number of belts, additional clips for fastening to the bed or other objects. Models without sleeves have internal cavities for placing hands. Some shirts can have belts passing between the legs, this is a means of protection against removal over the head.
How are straitjacks used in hospitals?
Since only the most dangerous and violent patients are restricted in their movements, strict clothing should be used by qualified personnel. More often one patient is dressed by two or more orderlies, who have sufficient physical strength. To date, few institutions continue to use this tool. In Russia, often enough bandages or ropes ("knitting") to fix the patient to bed. In the west, they increasingly prefer to regularly administer strong sedatives to patients to reduce nervous and physical activity. In medical circles, you can often hear arguments - what is more humane in relation to patients - a strait jacket, drugs or ropes? The only true answer to this question is not, but in fairness it should be noted that some modern shirts do provide a reliable fixation, leaving the patient as free as possible.
A straitjacket: buy and wear?
Today, shirts that limit movement can be seen not only behind closed doors of hospitals. This accessory is often used in movies and theatrical productions to create an image of a mentally ill person. Where to go in search of such a shirt, if you, for example, wanted to turn into a mentally unbalanced on the occasion of the costume ball for Halloween? It is unlikely that in Russia you will be able to find this accessory even in a clothing store or theatrical attributes. But if a straitjacket is needed very much, you can try to order it from abroad through one of the online stores of fetish clothing and paraphernalia. You can also try to sew similar clothes to order in the atelier or with their own hands.