Haunted Psychiatric Institutions

There are many reasons why people may go see a psychiatrist: stress, anxiety, depression, seeing ghosts. Sadly for people that suffer from that last reason may not want to go to certain psychiatric institutions since they are haunted, it probably will escalate their current condition. Here are the top 4 haunted psychiatric facilities in the United States.

1) Athens Mental Health Center, Athens County Ohio. The mental health center is an old building on Ohio University's campus. This facility was home to the criminally insane and it is believed that the patients were tortured and beating by the hospital staff. In 1979 a female patient, Margaret Schilling disappeared, and the facility closed a year later. After the closing of the facility, her body was found in the attic of the hospital by a maintenance man. After removing the body and cleaning the area several times, there was a dark outline of her body with full details of her hair style and clothing. People can still see Schilling's outline, and have reported hearing her and other patients of the facility walking the halls.

2) Northern State Mental Hospital in Seattle Washington. The hospital was opened in 1912 and patients were able to participate to in the daily upkeep of the farms that were located on the property. There were several incidents of patients who died, or even killed each other while on the grounds, and there are at least 1,000 bodies that were buried on the premises. Many have seen a ghost that throws objects, experienced cold spots, and also a man who seems to be searching for a little girl.

3) The Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Louisville, Kentucky. The Sanatorium opened its doors in 1910 for tuberculosis patients, and could accommodate 40-50 patients, but the epidemic cause the facility to be inhabited by 140 people. For many, the only cure for their ailments was death itself. It has been believed over 6,000 people had died in the sanatorium, and then the facility was closed in 1962. There are rumors that in room 502 a female nurse hung herself because she had contracted tuberculosis and was also pregnant out of wedlock. There have been reports of people seeing orbs, electrical disturbances, full body apparitions, and disembodied voices. The hospital is considered to be the most haunted location with the most paranormal activity.

4) Danvers State Hospital in Danvers, Massachusetts. The construction of the building was completed in 1878 and was more than just a place for the mentally ill; it also had a program for training nurses. The facility was only supposed to house about 600 patients, but of course would become over crowded with more than 2,300 patients, which were supposed to be taken care of by about 9 people. Treatment for the mentally ill at the hospital included shock-therapy, lobotomies, and hydrotherapy. Due to decaying and unstable structure, most of the hospital was eventually torn down and replaced with luxury condos in 2007. Footsteps and apparitions have been sighted or heard on the property.