The Teatro del Mar hosts 'Mechanical Restraint', a play that denounces psychiatric violence

PalmThe Teatre del Mar will host Teatre dels Invisibles this coming Saturday, November 22nd, and Sunday, November 23rd, presenting 'Mechanical Restraint'. The play denounces psychiatric violence. Directed by Zaida Alonso, 'Mechanical Restraint' gathers real testimonies from people in psychiatric care who have suffered violations of their rights during their hospital stays, and focuses on a practice that, even today, remains common: mechanical restraint. This involves tying people to beds using straps. At the Teatre del Mar, two women from Mallorca, from the Obertament Balears program of 3 Salut Mental, will take to the stage to share their firsthand experiences with this practice, which was classified as torture by the UN in 2013. The piece, which blends performative and testimonial elements, aims to serve as a denunciation. "We want to make the invisible visible by showing a reality unknown to most: that of people in psychiatric care who have suffered some kind of mistreatment during their hospital stays and have wanted to share their truth with us. A truth that we bring to the stage using a convergence of artistic practices (theater, poetry, sound art, etc.) inspired by the collected testimonies and the contributions of the people involved," Alonso adds.

A torture that remains commonplace

Although banned in countries like the UK for over 10 years, mechanical restraint remains a common practice in psychiatric units and emergency departments in our country. Those subjected to it may remain restrained with straps at the waist, wrists, and ankles for hours, or even days, depending on the decision of the medical staff. This deprivation of liberty is usually carried out opaquely and without oversight, making it impossible to access records explaining who is restrained, by whom, why, for how long, or how.

The Andreas case as the driving force behind the work

The case that prompted the creation of 'Mechanical Restraint' is that of Andreas Fernández González, who died at age 26 in the psychiatric unit of the Central University Hospital of Asturias in 2017 after being tied to a bed for 75 hours. This case highlights the need to raise awareness about the pain this practice causes to victims and their families. "Mental health professionals and the violence they inflict on us have made me terrified of hospitals. In a crisis, we need care and support; there, they offer control and surveillance, and those are radically different things," says Marta Plaza, a mentally ill activist who collaborates on 'Mechanical Restraint'.

The play presented by Teatro de los Invisibles aims to create a space for reflection and debate in which we ask ourselves why this type of violence occurs in psychiatric wards in our country and what our relationship as a society is with mental illness.