".................. a bedlam within which I was securely tied." What does Zitkala Sa refer to as a bedlam? Why?

In "The Cutting of My Long Hair", Zitkala Sa describes her humiliations at school where she was forcefully extracted from her culture and Western values and customs were imposed upon her. The beginning of the day was marked by a plethora of harsh noises - the loud metallic clang of the bell, the irritating sound of shows on bare floor and an undercurrent of murmuring voices. They all combined to create a cacophony which the author refers to as a bedlam.