The term "total institution" was introduced into sociological usage by Erving Goffman (1961). It refers to any social institution that places physical barriers (locks, walls, etc.) between those within and the outside world. The psychological effect of the total institution is to destroy the autonomic self and reduce mental energy to the minimum necessary for basic survival behaviors. Independent growth and development cease. The women's accounts of their experiences in their own homes under the influence of their abusive husbands parallel those of residents of "total institutions." Physical barriers are imposed on them, and they experience a process of the mortification of the self that begins soon after the marriage. Compulsory confinement to the house undermines the woman's sense of independence, freedom, and power and diminishes the ability to cope with the abuse. Additionally, such confinement cuts the woman off from sources of help and moral support. This understanding of the battered woman's experience of being in a "total institution" is important for the development of rehabilitative strategies. 1 table and 49 references