A look back at DAYS characters who were institutionalized
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PATIENT ID: MICKEY HORTON CASE FILE: In January 1976, an amnesiac Mickey had a psychotic break after recovering some of his missing memories and discovering that he wasn’t the father of ex-wife Laura’s son, Mike — his brother, Bill, was! In a heated confrontation with Bill, Mickey shot his brother in the arm. Their father, Tom, burst in and discovered Mickey nearly catatonic, so he summoned an ambulance to take Mickey to Bayview Sanitarium on an involuntary 72-hour hold. Before the vehicle arrived, Mickey nearly strangled his ex-lover, Linda, who he mistook for Laura. At Bayview, Dr. Powell diagnosed Mickey as paranoid, and possibly schizophrenic, so a heavy-hearted Tom asked his lawyer, Don, to draw up the papers to have him committed long-term, very much against Mickey’s wishes. Mickey was a difficult patient (just ask Mrs. Carr, a nurse he almost strangled after confusing her with his former wife, or Powell, who he also physically attacked). In February, Mickey represented himself in court to determine his future, doing his best to hide his hallucinations and the murderous impulses he was still harboring toward Bill and Laura. The judge ordered him remanded back to Bayview, and Laura, of all people, was granted special permission to serve as Mickey’s therapist; that didn’t go so great, and he cycled through a number of other psychiatrists before he agreed to work with Dr. Marlena Evans, who Dr. Powell brought to Salem in June specifically to treat him. In September, Mickey began campaigning hard for his release, playing on his family’s guilty consciences and sympathies to get them on his side, but Marlena suspected he might still pose a danger not only to Laura and Bill, but to their baby girl, Jennifer. In November, Mickey finally got his wish, and bid Bayview good-bye.
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Photo credit: JPI
PATIENT ID: ABIGAIL DEVERAUX CASE FILE: In April 2016, after Abigail nearly burned Ben alive, Marlena diagnosed her with PTSD, and Abigail agreed to go to a clinic, Shady Hills, for treatment. There, her mental health continued to decline as she was plagued by nightmares and visions of Ben. Dr. Robinson prescribed antipsychotics, and Abigail decided to refuse visits from her family. In June, Abigail was badly burned in a fire she deliberately started (to stave off a hallucinated version of Ben), and she became panicked when she found out there was talk of transferring her to a more secure psychiatric facility (or as she put it, “a place with, like, padded walls and stuff”). She escaped from Shady Hills and went on the run. She returned to Salem in November, but in January 2018, Abigail killed Andre, and the trauma triggered dissociative identity disorder, introducing two new personalities, Gabby and Dr. Laura. After Abigail recovered her memory of Andre’s demise, she was able to reintegrate her personalities, and in May, she accepted a plea bargain that mandated continued therapy and departed for Boston, where her grandmother, Laura, treated her. She returned in June, but a vengeful Gabi drugged Abigail and convinced her loved ones that “Gabby” was back, so in October, Chad and Jennifer decided to have Abby committed. She married Stefan to foil them. In November, though, Chad strong-armed Stefan into signing Abigail’s commitment papers and she was sent to Bayview, but Abigail got Stefan to arrange for her release the following month.
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Photo credit: JPI
PATIENT ID: CLAIRE BRADY CASE FILE: In late June/early July 2019, the crimes of a mentally unstable Claire (including setting fire to the Horton cabin while Tripp and Haley were inside) caught up to her after she tried to burn Ciara alive and was exposed for starting the 2018 cabin fire for which Ben had been blamed. Marlena got her unspooling granddaughter to the hospital, where she was sedated and restrained to a bed, as Marlena feared she might try to harm herself. Belle and Shawn hurried to their daughter’s side and were relieved when a judge agreed to send Claire to Bayview for treatment (the alternative was her standing trial for attempted murder). By June of the following year, Claire had made considerable mental-health strides, found a friend in Gwen and got Marlena to advocate for her trial release; she was freed and moved in with John and Marlena.
PATIENT ID: MICKEY HORTON CASE FILE: In January 1976, an amnesiac Mickey had a psychotic break after recovering some of his missing memories and discovering that he wasn’t the father of ex-wife Laura’s son, Mike — his brother, Bill, was! In a heated confrontation with Bill, Mickey shot his brother in the arm. Their father, Tom, burst in and discovered Mickey nearly catatonic, so he summoned an ambulance to take Mickey to Bayview Sanitarium on an involuntary 72-hour hold. Before the vehicle arrived, Mickey nearly strangled his ex-lover, Linda, who he mistook for Laura. At Bayview, Dr. Powell diagnosed Mickey as paranoid, and possibly schizophrenic, so a heavy-hearted Tom asked his lawyer, Don, to draw up the papers to have him committed long-term, very much against Mickey’s wishes. Mickey was a difficult patient (just ask Mrs. Carr, a nurse he almost strangled after confusing her with his former wife, or Powell, who he also physically attacked). In February, Mickey represented himself in court to determine his future, doing his best to hide his hallucinations and the murderous impulses he was still harboring toward Bill and Laura. The judge ordered him remanded back to Bayview, and Laura, of all people, was granted special permission to serve as Mickey’s therapist; that didn’t go so great, and he cycled through a number of other psychiatrists before he agreed to work with Dr. Marlena Evans, who Dr. Powell brought to Salem in June specifically to treat him. In September, Mickey began campaigning hard for his release, playing on his family’s guilty consciences and sympathies to get them on his side, but Marlena suspected he might still pose a danger not only to Laura and Bill, but to their baby girl, Jennifer. In November, Mickey finally got his wish, and bid Bayview good-bye.
PATIENT ID: ABIGAIL DEVERAUX CASE FILE: In April 2016, after Abigail nearly burned Ben alive, Marlena diagnosed her with PTSD, and Abigail agreed to go to a clinic, Shady Hills, for treatment. There, her mental health continued to decline as she was plagued by nightmares and visions of Ben. Dr. Robinson prescribed antipsychotics, and Abigail decided to refuse visits from her family. In June, Abigail was badly burned in a fire she deliberately started (to stave off a hallucinated version of Ben), and she became panicked when she found out there was talk of transferring her to a more secure psychiatric facility (or as she put it, “a place with, like, padded walls and stuff”). She escaped from Shady Hills and went on the run. She returned to Salem in November, but in January 2018, Abigail killed Andre, and the trauma triggered dissociative identity disorder, introducing two new personalities, Gabby and Dr. Laura. After Abigail recovered her memory of Andre’s demise, she was able to reintegrate her personalities, and in May, she accepted a plea bargain that mandated continued therapy and departed for Boston, where her grandmother, Laura, treated her. She returned in June, but a vengeful Gabi drugged Abigail and convinced her loved ones that “Gabby” was back, so in October, Chad and Jennifer decided to have Abby committed. She married Stefan to foil them. In November, though, Chad strong-armed Stefan into signing Abigail’s commitment papers and she was sent to Bayview, but Abigail got Stefan to arrange for her release the following month.
Photo credit: JPI
PATIENT ID: CLAIRE BRADY CASE FILE: In late June/early July 2019, the crimes of a mentally unstable Claire (including setting fire to the Horton cabin while Tripp and Haley were inside) caught up to her after she tried to burn Ciara alive and was exposed for starting the 2018 cabin fire for which Ben had been blamed. Marlena got her unspooling granddaughter to the hospital, where she was sedated and restrained to a bed, as Marlena feared she might try to harm herself. Belle and Shawn hurried to their daughter’s side and were relieved when a judge agreed to send Claire to Bayview for treatment (the alternative was her standing trial for attempted murder). By June of the following year, Claire had made considerable mental-health strides, found a friend in Gwen and got Marlena to advocate for her trial release; she was freed and moved in with John and Marlena.
Photo credit: JPI
