Having lived with a chronic mental illness for most of my life, I've always been acutely aware of the horrors my predecessors had to endure. Now that I am well, I try to smile twice as much each day, I try to take the rough moments with as much grace and gratitude for my freedom as I can, I try to be twice as grateful for the opportunity to be content, and well, and happy, that I have. Our NHS now is not far off Bedlam at its worst, frankly - if you are physically ill, it's brilliant, but if you have a mental illness, both the system *and* the people who work in it are callous beyond description.
I won’t pretend that the NHS does a great job for everyone, especially where it concerns mental illnesses. It’s very lacking. However, there are some genuinely nice staff who are incredibly supportive. I was fortunate enough to receive their help during my own struggle, but know that few are so lucky. Unfortunately, it’s often down to where you live and funding in that area. It is awful that you had to suffer, that anyone has had to suffer, because of the poor condition of mental healthcare, but I am glad that you have recovered. The main problem is that those people are stretched thin in underpaid (McDonald’s team members earn more than nurses) positions and the way to access help is long, because so many people need it and there is too little funding. To sum it up, the conservatives have failed to increase funding in line with the population and increase mental illness statistics. In short, I’m really thankful that Labour won.
I worked as a nursing assistant in a middle-tier nursing home for old folks with dementia. We'd often receive new residents from low-end nursing homes and often the state they'd be in would leave our nursing staff apoplectic. Malnourished, given the wrong meds, left to sit on their waste. Appalling
You can never view it with the eyes of someone who lived 600 years ago in different times. Try to think of what humans will think of this time 600 years from now, and how we treat the animals we want to eat.
It is actually nice to hear of the Doctors who genuinely cared and tried to help the patients (even though by today's standards the treatments may have been crude or useless) instead of just hearing about the horror stories we normally hear about Bedlam.
I think some staff members at other asylums generally cared about the patients, but how the system was structured, in addition to the lack of appropriate technology at the time, barbarism often resulted.
@@stevestannard6004 Well we won't be far away. The insect population is decimated. Take insects out of the food chain and we are doomed. Even the governments own web pages admit the massive decline in the insect population
Bedlam and mental health in the Middle Ages is one of my special interests because I think the concept of mental health is something we take for granted like it emerged fully formed in modern times when it has a very long and very complicated history in both medical and social terms. In terms of the Medieval the idea I find most interesting is that mental issues were treated either as physical ailment like the flu or a spiritual one in that madness being caused by a tormenting spirit; it's something elves/fairies are infamous for doing in many folklores around the world. Elf-shot, being struck by an elf's arrow is where the term 'stroke' comes from and in many a medical document the symptoms of a stroke are often attributed to a magical ailment. For me those kinds details just remind me how far back the idea of mental illness/health goes.
They still think like that in many parts of rural Africa where the majority of people will go to a traditional witch-doctor before considering even basic modern medical care. This attitude is responsible for much needless death and disability.
@@jodieg6318 Considering the ongoing struggle between actual and "alternative" reality here in the USA, it appears people who don't know anything remain as adept at making stuff up as ever.
I didn't know that about strokes, very interesting though. I'll have to remember to tell my best friend that, she had a stroke a couple years ago. She was very lucky that it happened when she was in a hospital getting something else checked out so they were able to immediately administer tPA to reverse it, like within minutes of it starting. I'll have to warn her to avoid elves!
As someone who's always been struggling with mental health my heart goes out to the people who were institutionalised in asylums like Bedlam, I can't imagine the suffering of those poor innocent souls, wonderful storytelling as always
Greenghoul....are you into the occult with your user name? If so, there lies your mental health probs. Look no further. Go to a Minister and get 'cleansed' and don't dabble in occult again. It's a killer. Satan is real but no match for the Lord Jesus Christ. If not....I'm surprised you've chosen a name of 'ghoul' which are evil spirits.
My father dealt with mental health issues mos t of his life. He was instituted back in the 1970s, and it wasn't great then. I can imagine centuries earlier! We may understand it better and with medication it can alleviate symptoms. But it is still a very,very difficult condition to treat.
It still isn't great and never will be. But to put it in "life as a whole" perspective: as long as peiple survive and take part in society, it's good enough!
I work in care now, although the history of Ayslums is grim, the positive outcomes that have stemmed from it continues to empower individuals today and well in to the future. The history is always ever present in my mind every single shift I clock into. It's important to remember those who have sadly suffered in a climate of very little understanding of mental health but it all bodes relevant today although even now there is still much progress to be made in improving the quality of life to all individuals in need of personalized care! Cheers for another informative video, Kev.
Thank you Kevin. I think this is one of your best, but disturbing and sometimes horrific. I remember my aunt having electric shock therapy and cold baths, it's a shocking indictment of human nature.
Absolutely brilliant presentation on 'Bedlam' Hospital Kevin! It must have taken you quite some time to research the facts of the hospitals very long history
As a history buff, I rate this presentation as simply superlative! Very, very well done. A truly dark subject that we all hope is part of the long gone past! Thank you!
Man having been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder I'm glad I was born in a modern era of medicine. To think I could have been starved tied up tortured and gawked at seems unthinkable
That wouldnt have been done for GAD. You would have just been given chamomile tea..... which would probably have helped alot of you drank it regularly.
As an ex State Ward I now suffer from the results of their "Care" in the form of CPTSD, which actually contains what the powers that be, choose to call "Anxiety Disorder," as a separate entity. Have fallen through the cracks due to presenting as a "Depressive", I gave up on myself for many years. Two years ago, I was finally accurately diagnosed at the age of 72. It has been a giant lifting of a weight that was heavier than I might have imagined. So grateful that the importance of mental health has advanced in a more positive and caring way for all of us. All the best, mate.
You’ve took a very unusual subject with only a small amount of serious interest and turned it into a very enjoyable and fascinating watch! The professionalism of Hicks is always welcomed with the spark of curiosity he produces and the way you’ve gotten information out is captivating. You’ve taken a mediocre topic and made it very entertaining. Seriously, your last few posts have been 10s. Well done History Squad!
When you said "Rotational therapy" I thought you meant that they rotate several therapies instead of doing the same thing over and over, but then you showed the image of the person on the chair and I laughed out loud because you literally meant "rotational". Great video!
Love the expressions on the faces of your “patients “, particularly the one on the right. Based on that I must say you are an outstanding historian and story teller. Artist? 😊
Greetings once again from Nova Scotia, that was an amazing story. I knew some of the facts and figures, but I had no idea, how much history was involved. Thank you for how much work you clearly put into every story you share. Thank you for sharing your humanity, and the compassion,you so freely bring. Blessings. Arthur
If you haven't seen it, you should watch the 1946 Boris Karloff movie, Bedlam. It's based largely on Hogarth's A Rake's Progress, at least visually, and Hogarth is credited in the movie. Of course, Karloff plays the evil administrator of Bedlam, who is in fear of being exposed by a government investigation and reform of the mental health system.
@@malkomalkavian It's one of the well regarded Val Lewton movies (I Walked With a Zombie and The Cat People). In a similar vein is the Val Lewton/Karloff adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's The Body Snatcher (co starring Bela Lugosi). It's another historical drama about stealing bodies for medical research
@@davidnickels6015 Up the close and down the stair, In the house with Burke and Hare, Burke's the butcher, Hare's the thief, Knox the man who buys the beef.
I'm a Yank, and here in the United States, we use the term ' bedlam ', to signify a loud, unruly, situation. I can remember, us kids, being boisterous and someone walking into the room, exclaiming -' It's bedlam in here!!!'
That’s were the phrase came from, because that’s what it would have been like in those places. It’s interesting, so many words & phrases we use to this day & we don’t really know the origins.
Order is over rated. You often have the case where an individual is only doing all things within their rights, and no individual really doing anything egregious or wrong, and the onlooker feels overwhelmed seeing all of it happening. The person who proclaims it thinks their authority is not being respected. When in fact, authority has to be earned through consent, and not coercion. It is like what is happening now. People who presume god gave them authority are yelling and the least in order, and those who operate according to natural principles are fighting back. Spoiler alert: god doesn't give authority, and we won't be having a king any time soon or ever.
I used to teach some.of this history to my undergrad students in Psych 101 classes, who came in so very righteous about the evils of "medicalizing" mental illness and decrying the use of medications to treat severe chronic mental illness. Meds were the game changers that allowed people with psychotic disorders to live outside the walls for the first time in centuries.
I was born in Kings College Hospital, Camberwell opposite The Maudsley Hospital for mental health and training named after eminent psychiatrist Henry Maudsley in 1908, open for civilian use in 1923 and has the widest range of mental health services in the UK. My nan used to say Bedlam too when our house was full of children😊
Side note on the Hogarth picture: the 'mad geographer' is working on a fantastical solution to the longitude problem (it even shows the word 'Longitude'). This was a crucial navigation problem in the 18th c. (with a temptingly large prize for its solution), and encouraged many 'crackpot' theorists - and perhaps drove a few genuine scientists into insanity.
It's interesing you should mention crackpots in the historical sense, becaue TH-cam is full of crackpots in the current sense. And they are quite insane. Take the alt-physicists....who have a lot of word salad, and absolutely no mathematics to back up a single one of their claims. Big hint: you can't do physics without showing the maths.
Another gripper, thank you! I don't know how you get together so many facts and weave everything together to make such memorable and attention-holding videos. They're so much appreciated!!
Great job awesome subject. I first learned about Bedlam when my father would read to me from the Golden Books of Knowledge. He use to read to me every night to me no matter what. Volume 5 had the history of circuses, and the image of the clowns always creeped me out.
Thanks for this brilliant video Kevin. Having worked in mental health all my life I have seen dramatic changes in conditions and treatment of the mentally ill. God forbid we go back to the old days again, and we definitely need to remember the travesties that were committed in order for them to never, ever, be repeated. I do think however that many people are being released into care in the community under the supervision of severely under qualified people which inevitably leads to dangerous and often tragic occurrences. I truly believe that reform policies should be made by those who have worked closely with the mentally/criminally insane as the politicians creating laws and dictating policy are useless as they have no experience or comprehension of what both patients and carers endure. Ps....Love the model...as always x
Thank you for covering this subject. It is so often overlooked and as usual you did a thorough job researching and excellent job presenting the information.
Bedlam gave us the basis for Arkham Asylum alongside that adjective so it will forever live on even if it has changed for the better regarding treatment the fire break story is genius: it wasn’t realized that it was smart to do what they did until two centuries later when it was done in Chicago(badly) and in Boston(correctly). it hit close to home as this was actually considered for when my hometown had a conflagration 50 years ago and the US Navy hospital was possibly in the way of the fire
Always love your storytelling, Mr. Hicks! I enjoyed your tour and exploration of Montezuma's Castle in Arizona. I'm from Phoenix, and I was inspired to purchase the weekly pass to try to explore and follow along your tour, so to speak. Thank you!!!
It makes me think of the opening scenes from the movie Amadeus, where they depict the asylum that Salieri had been put into. Also, I haven't gotten to the end yet, but I hope you mention the famous poem "Tom O' Bedlam"!
I have wondered what Bedlam was since I first heard (or read, I'm not sure anymore) Ebenezer Scrooge refer to it in A Christmas Carol with "well, I'll return to Bedlam" about 20 years ago. Now I know, Thank you.
@@thehistorysquad fantastic, I love your tours..been a little while since the last with the war museum one and before that the other one in the hot,.deserty place with your wife was it?? And before that the other castle one...see they are all memorable enough to stick in the mind. 😉👍 🙏
Thank you for another wonderful & educational video Mr. Hicks and Squad. I was particularly intrigued by the tie-in of the history of Bedlam to The Great Fire of London.
This is only one of a very few channels I've subscribed to, but the only one I have all the notifications turned on, and I watch a lot of you tube. Thank you for your service Kevin... great as always
Always get excited to learn about any historical information you are teaching. I love all things history and since discovering your channel, I’ve become particularly fascinated with English history(learning about English civil war now… gotta say it’s pretty confusing, lol). As always though, thanks a ton for the video, keep up the good work my friend!!😬
If you have bad luck it can still happen today. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest is built on things that really happened to US mental patients in the 1960s, and if you have seen the Swedish Millenium Trilogy or read the books, what happens to Lisbet Salander is also built on reality, sadly.
As a nurse, I have worked in both the mental health wards ( locked wards) and the skilled nursing homes. Many of the people who are in these places are there because families are either unable to cope with their family members or even unwilling to take care of them. The fear of them is very real. The person is unable to care for themselves and are sometimes mentally unstable. Mental health care has come a long way, but it still has not addressed the stigma of being diagnosed as mentally ill. If they are released to fend for themselves in a world that still does not understand nor accept the person who has mental health issues, they struggle to survive in a very fear ridden world. Working with patients who have complex mental health issues can be both challenging and rewarding. There seems to be no real middle ground between in-patient care and out-patient recovery. There is a missing link. There still is a lot of work still to be done to understand the human mind.
This video was amazing, I had always heard of bedlam but never had any idea of its history. Thank you so much for the hard work you must have put in to make this
Love all your videos Kevin, but this one helped me in an unintended way: Long ago I had what I thought was a stroke, although similar in nature the symptoms didn't quite add up, oh well. Now here I am several years later, in a youtube historical documentary finding out I had an episode of... Whatever Henry the Sixth had, I felt like an animal, living purely in the present and not being able to say anything because I wasn't able to form cohesive thoughts or even think in human words. It was at the peak of a severe depression which had me constantly overthinking, well, more than usual for a natural overthinker, I think my brain just disconnected from all the suffering, like 'enough is enough'? Never happened again, so, unlike Henry, mine is not chronical in nature, and although I don't have the worries of a king... I think I understand what the man went through.
Hi Kevin, I didn't realize the hospital was that old. I especially enjoyed your Hogarth etching discussion. Great educational video yet again, Thankyou.
Another great video kevie! I still think you’d would have made a great history teacher. I love the longer videos. How about some more of your old stories of being in the military and a civilian police officer? Love those too.
Bedlam (short for Bethlehem) is now used as The Imperial War Museum, that's probably the right place for it, if you go inside and look up, you can see where the galleries are with the cells set back from the edge.
Having lived with a chronic mental illness for most of my life, I've always been acutely aware of the horrors my predecessors had to endure. Now that I am well, I try to smile twice as much each day, I try to take the rough moments with as much grace and gratitude for my freedom as I can, I try to be twice as grateful for the opportunity to be content, and well, and happy, that I have. Our NHS now is not far off Bedlam at its worst, frankly - if you are physically ill, it's brilliant, but if you have a mental illness, both the system *and* the people who work in it are callous beyond description.
Yes, I know this myself from first hand experience. I’m glad you’re doing well.
Best of luck to you Sir. We are all much more fragile than we generally realise, and life can deal as many bad cards as good ones. Much love x
That’s horrible! Completely unacceptable! Britons, stand up for those who are suffering from wounds unseen! They are YOU.
I won’t pretend that the NHS does a great job for everyone, especially where it concerns mental illnesses. It’s very lacking. However, there are some genuinely nice staff who are incredibly supportive. I was fortunate enough to receive their help during my own struggle, but know that few are so lucky. Unfortunately, it’s often down to where you live and funding in that area.
It is awful that you had to suffer, that anyone has had to suffer, because of the poor condition of mental healthcare, but I am glad that you have recovered.
The main problem is that those people are stretched thin in underpaid (McDonald’s team members earn more than nurses) positions and the way to access help is long, because so many people need it and there is too little funding. To sum it up, the conservatives have failed to increase funding in line with the population and increase mental illness statistics.
In short, I’m really thankful that Labour won.
Sort yourself out.
I worked as a nursing assistant in a middle-tier nursing home for old folks with dementia. We'd often receive new residents from low-end nursing homes and often the state they'd be in would leave our nursing staff apoplectic. Malnourished, given the wrong meds, left to sit on their waste. Appalling
Man is capable of such cruelty. Truly heartbreaking story .
You can never view it with the eyes of someone who lived 600 years ago in different times. Try to think of what humans will think of this time 600 years from now, and how we treat the animals we want to eat.
@@rinkydinkfretboard8737Comparing ? 600 years in the future hardly comparing 😀
You need your own show on the History Channel! You make every story so interesting you need to be made mainstream and broadcast to millions
There's nothing with actual fact or interest in teaching put on that channel anymore, unfortunately
Cheers Joseph 👍
I would prefer PBS or some other non-profit and non-prophet organization.
@@Fullmetalnyuu0not watched it for years just how bad is it? Been got at by the lefties?
@@OceanusHelios Non-prophet organisation? So no religious channels?
It is actually nice to hear of the Doctors who genuinely cared and tried to help the patients (even though by today's standards the treatments may have been crude or useless) instead of just hearing about the horror stories we normally hear about Bedlam.
I think some staff members at other asylums generally cared about the patients, but how the system was structured, in addition to the lack of appropriate technology at the time, barbarism often resulted.
Totally agree. Personally I became accustom to thinking of them as heartless. This video made me change my perspective.
You are right Kevin people don't change. 20 generations takes us back to the medieval period.
Or one generation forward takes us to the medieval period too what with our renegade governments.
@@stevestannard6004 Well we won't be far away. The insect population is decimated. Take insects out of the food chain and we are doomed. Even the governments own web pages admit the massive decline in the insect population
It's the same, but different.
I was talking to my pal the other day about the 30s being just as far back when we were born to the present. (If that makes sense?)
Bedlam and mental health in the Middle Ages is one of my special interests because I think the concept of mental health is something we take for granted like it emerged fully formed in modern times when it has a very long and very complicated history in both medical and social terms.
In terms of the Medieval the idea I find most interesting is that mental issues were treated either as physical ailment like the flu or a spiritual one in that madness being caused by a tormenting spirit; it's something elves/fairies are infamous for doing in many folklores around the world. Elf-shot, being struck by an elf's arrow is where the term 'stroke' comes from and in many a medical document the symptoms of a stroke are often attributed to a magical ailment. For me those kinds details just remind me how far back the idea of mental illness/health goes.
That's interesting.
Absolutely! Bedlam just scratches the surface 👍. Morning Jodie 😊
They still think like that in many parts of rural Africa where the majority of people will go to a traditional witch-doctor before considering even basic modern medical care.
This attitude is responsible for much needless death and disability.
@@jodieg6318 Considering the ongoing struggle between actual and "alternative" reality here in the USA, it appears people who don't know anything remain as adept at making stuff up as ever.
I didn't know that about strokes, very interesting though. I'll have to remember to tell my best friend that, she had a stroke a couple years ago. She was very lucky that it happened when she was in a hospital getting something else checked out so they were able to immediately administer tPA to reverse it, like within minutes of it starting. I'll have to warn her to avoid elves!
As someone who's always been struggling with mental health my heart goes out to the people who were institutionalised in asylums like Bedlam, I can't imagine the suffering of those poor innocent souls, wonderful storytelling as always
Greenghoul....are you into the occult with your user name? If so, there lies your mental health probs.
Look no further. Go to a Minister and get 'cleansed' and don't dabble in occult again. It's a killer. Satan is real but no match for the Lord Jesus Christ.
If not....I'm surprised you've chosen a name of 'ghoul' which are evil spirits.
My father dealt with mental health issues mos t of his life. He was instituted back in the 1970s, and it wasn't great then. I can imagine centuries earlier! We may understand it better and with medication it can alleviate symptoms. But it is still a very,very difficult condition to treat.
It still isn't great and never will be. But to put it in "life as a whole" perspective: as long as peiple survive and take part in society, it's good enough!
I have to say thank you Kevin for the history lesson. I can only imagine the horrors that occurred in the name of "treatment".
Cheers David 👍
I’m from the USA and I visited the imperial war museum and had no idea of the history behind the actual building itself. That’s super cool!
I work in care now, although the history of Ayslums is grim, the positive outcomes that have stemmed from it continues to empower individuals today and well in to the future. The history is always ever present in my mind every single shift I clock into. It's important to remember those who have sadly suffered in a climate of very little understanding of mental health but it all bodes relevant today although even now there is still much progress to be made in improving the quality of life to all individuals in need of personalized care! Cheers for another informative video, Kev.
Thank you Kevin. I think this is one of your best, but disturbing and sometimes horrific. I remember my aunt having electric shock therapy and cold baths, it's a shocking indictment of human nature.
@@jeningle8288 they still do est in canada
So glad I found this channel. What an excellent lecturer!
Thank you & welcome 👍
Absolutely brilliant presentation on 'Bedlam' Hospital Kevin! It must have taken you quite some time to research the facts of the hospitals very long history
It did, glad you enjoyed it 👍
I have also heard the phrase "it's bedlam in there", and not knowing what it meant. thanks for shining a light!
I worked all weekend and I look forward to a few things, but one of them being a quiet sit down with Kevin Hicks
Cheers John!
As a history buff, I rate this presentation as simply superlative! Very, very well done. A truly dark subject that we all hope is part of the long gone past! Thank you!
That’s very kind, thank you.
This tail is very heart-wrenching for people cruelly mishandled for no other reason than they didn't fit societal norms of the day
Poor lot, we’re in a bad state mentally and treated terribly 😮
Man having been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder I'm glad I was born in a modern era of medicine. To think I could have been starved tied up tortured and gawked at seems unthinkable
That wouldnt have been done for GAD. You would have just been given chamomile tea..... which would probably have helped alot of you drank it regularly.
Seriously?
@@mrzip3206 seems pretty serious yeah lol
@@OGdirty1Kanobinah fam you'd have just been an odd duck. Bedlam was for the dudes out here yelling at trees lol
As an ex State Ward I now suffer from the results of their "Care" in the form of CPTSD, which actually contains what the powers that be, choose to call "Anxiety Disorder," as a separate entity. Have fallen through the cracks due to presenting as a "Depressive", I gave up on myself for many years. Two years ago, I was finally accurately diagnosed at the age of 72.
It has been a giant lifting of a weight that was heavier than I might have imagined. So grateful that the importance of mental health has advanced in a more positive and caring way for all of us. All the best, mate.
You’ve took a very unusual subject with only a small amount of serious interest and turned it into a very enjoyable and fascinating watch!
The professionalism of Hicks is always welcomed with the spark of curiosity he produces and the way you’ve gotten information out is captivating. You’ve taken a mediocre topic and made it very entertaining.
Seriously, your last few posts have been 10s. Well done History Squad!
Wow, thank you!
Such horrific conditions and attitudes. 😢 Thought provoking. Thanks!
When you said "Rotational therapy" I thought you meant that they rotate several therapies instead of doing the same thing over and over, but then you showed the image of the person on the chair and I laughed out loud because you literally meant "rotational". Great video!
😂
I live about half a mile from the original bedlam. I'm going to go and look for that plaque tomorrow. Thanks for all the info! I love the uploads 😊
Good luck!
Love the expressions on the faces of your “patients “, particularly the one on the right. Based on that I must say you are an outstanding historian and story teller. Artist? 😊
😂 I do like to play I must admit. Thank you.
Greetings once again from Nova Scotia, that was an amazing story. I knew some of the facts and figures, but I had no idea, how much history was involved. Thank you for how much work you clearly put into every story you share. Thank you for sharing your humanity, and the compassion,you so freely bring. Blessings. Arthur
I appreciate that Arthur, thank you.
If you haven't seen it, you should watch the 1946 Boris Karloff movie, Bedlam. It's based largely on Hogarth's A Rake's Progress, at least visually, and Hogarth is credited in the movie. Of course, Karloff plays the evil administrator of Bedlam, who is in fear of being exposed by a government investigation and reform of the mental health system.
Sounds fascinating. I'll look it up. Thank you
@@malkomalkavian It's one of the well regarded Val Lewton movies (I Walked With a Zombie and The Cat People). In a similar vein is the Val Lewton/Karloff adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's The Body Snatcher (co starring Bela Lugosi). It's another historical drama about stealing bodies for medical research
@@davidnickels6015
Up the close and down the stair,
In the house with Burke and Hare,
Burke's the butcher, Hare's the thief,
Knox the man who buys the beef.
I'm a Yank, and here in the United States, we use the term ' bedlam ', to signify a loud, unruly, situation. I can remember, us kids, being boisterous and someone walking into the room, exclaiming -' It's bedlam in here!!!'
Same here in New Zealand. That saying was exported with migrants. 😊
That’s were the phrase came from, because that’s what it would have been like in those places. It’s interesting, so many words & phrases we use to this day & we don’t really know the origins.
It's almost like the English founded these places.
@@kingjoe3rd 🤣🤣
Order is over rated. You often have the case where an individual is only doing all things within their rights, and no individual really doing anything egregious or wrong, and the onlooker feels overwhelmed seeing all of it happening. The person who proclaims it thinks their authority is not being respected. When in fact, authority has to be earned through consent, and not coercion. It is like what is happening now. People who presume god gave them authority are yelling and the least in order, and those who operate according to natural principles are fighting back. Spoiler alert: god doesn't give authority, and we won't be having a king any time soon or ever.
I used to teach some.of this history to my undergrad students in Psych 101 classes, who came in so very righteous about the evils of "medicalizing" mental illness and decrying the use of medications to treat severe chronic mental illness.
Meds were the game changers that allowed people with psychotic disorders to live outside the walls for the first time in centuries.
I was born in Kings College Hospital, Camberwell opposite The Maudsley Hospital for mental health and training named after eminent psychiatrist Henry Maudsley in 1908, open for civilian use in 1923 and has the widest range of mental health services in the UK. My nan used to say Bedlam too when our house was full of children😊
Side note on the Hogarth picture: the 'mad geographer' is working on a fantastical solution to the longitude problem (it even shows the word 'Longitude'). This was a crucial navigation problem in the 18th c. (with a temptingly large prize for its solution), and encouraged many 'crackpot' theorists - and perhaps drove a few genuine scientists into insanity.
Fascinating 👍
It's interesing you should mention crackpots in the historical sense, becaue TH-cam is full of crackpots in the current sense. And they are quite insane. Take the alt-physicists....who have a lot of word salad, and absolutely no mathematics to back up a single one of their claims. Big hint: you can't do physics without showing the maths.
Another gripper, thank you! I don't know how you get together so many facts and weave everything together to make such memorable and attention-holding videos. They're so much appreciated!!
I wonder the same sometimes when my head feels like it’s overloading 😜
My favorite part is at the very end, when you’ve made your closing statement, and a lady says, “lovely”. That’s sweet. :)
😂 just making sure you’re listening to the end. That’s my lovely wife, camerawoman & director etc
Great job awesome subject. I first learned about Bedlam when my father would read to me from the Golden Books of Knowledge. He use to read to me every night to me no matter what. Volume 5 had the history of circuses, and the image of the clowns always creeped me out.
Clowns are an ancient mystery religion
Extremely interesting, you have put a lot of time into researching this.
Thanks for this brilliant video Kevin. Having worked in mental health all my life I have seen dramatic changes in conditions and treatment of the mentally ill. God forbid we go back to the old days again, and we definitely need to remember the travesties that were committed in order for them to never, ever, be repeated.
I do think however that many people are being released into care in the community under the supervision of severely under qualified people which inevitably leads to dangerous and often tragic occurrences. I truly believe that reform policies should be made by those who have worked closely with the mentally/criminally insane as the politicians creating laws and dictating policy are useless as they have no experience or comprehension of what both patients and carers endure. Ps....Love the model...as always x
Cheers Elle 👍
a old 1946 Val Lewton film called bedlam is a good watch starring Boris Karloff. I have it on dvd.
Thank you for covering this subject. It is so often overlooked and as usual you did a thorough job researching and excellent job presenting the information.
Thanks so much.
And I thought my therapy was bad... ;)
Bedlam gave us the basis for Arkham Asylum alongside that adjective so it will forever live on even if it has changed for the better regarding treatment
the fire break story is genius: it wasn’t realized that it was smart to do what they did until two centuries later when it was done in Chicago(badly) and in Boston(correctly). it hit close to home as this was actually considered for when my hometown had a conflagration 50 years ago and the US Navy hospital was possibly in the way of the fire
Always love your storytelling, Mr. Hicks! I enjoyed your tour and exploration of Montezuma's Castle in Arizona. I'm from Phoenix, and I was inspired to purchase the weekly pass to try to explore and follow along your tour, so to speak.
Thank you!!!
Fantastic! I’d love to go back 👍
It's sad that the compassion towards those with mental health issues scarcely improved in all this time.
An inability to feel empathy is, ironically, in and of itself a mental health issue.
@@nickaschenbecker9882 one from which the vast majority appear to suffer.
It makes me think of the opening scenes from the movie Amadeus, where they depict the asylum that Salieri had been put into. Also, I haven't gotten to the end yet, but I hope you mention the famous poem "Tom O' Bedlam"!
Sorry, I couldn’t fit it in 🙁
thehistorysquad has posted a new video, it's a great day
Excellent work. Thank you.
Your videos are so informing and educational, enjoy every one!
Orlando, Florida USA🏝️😎
Thanks so much!
Another fabulous video, thankyou
This is soooo sad. How we can treat fellow people like this is beyond my understanding
I have wondered what Bedlam was since I first heard (or read, I'm not sure anymore) Ebenezer Scrooge refer to it in A Christmas Carol with "well, I'll return to Bedlam" about 20 years ago. Now I know, Thank you.
I can't remember Ebenezer Scrooge saying that, in which scene is this?
@@LittleKitty22 I think it was when Fred wished him a merry Christmas and a happy new year as he was leaving, but I am not sure.
@@fredmarsy5876 Thank you - I'm already looking forward to watching A Christmas Carol again around Christmas time.
@@LittleKitty22 me too. It has been my absolute favourite book and film since I was a boy.
@@fredmarsy5876 I love the Muppets version too, lol. It's very well done.
excellent video kevin, always interesting and informative, thank you
Glad you enjoyed it
Wow. I watched the whole video.
You never disappoint. Fascinating history od Bethlam.
Glad you enjoyed it
Hey 10 days, i came for my dose of the squad..hope new one dropping soon..i look forward to these superb videos..🙏🙏🙏
Thanks Sol, we have another coming up this Friday. A castle tour 👍
@@thehistorysquad fantastic, I love your tours..been a little while since the last with the war museum one and before that the other one in the hot,.deserty place with your wife was it?? And before that the other castle one...see they are all memorable enough to stick in the mind.
😉👍
🙏
I lived in Shirley not far from the Bromley , Bethlam Hospital , l have found this very interesting the history of its beginning . Thank you, Kevin ❤
I did not so much enjoy your presentation, but I did find it enlightening.
Thank you for another wonderful & educational video Mr. Hicks and Squad. I was particularly intrigued by the tie-in of the history of Bedlam to The Great Fire of London.
Glad you enjoyed it!
This is only one of a very few channels I've subscribed to, but the only one I have all the notifications turned on, and I watch a lot of you tube. Thank you for your service Kevin... great as always
Wow, thanks Anthony, it’s very much appreciated
Another brilliant video Kevin!
Thanks again!
Kevin, another interesting topic, you are a Master of your craft....sorry...crafts. Thank you😊
Thanks again!
Always get excited to learn about any historical information you are teaching. I love all things history and since discovering your channel, I’ve become particularly fascinated with English history(learning about English civil war now… gotta say it’s pretty confusing, lol). As always though, thanks a ton for the video, keep up the good work my friend!!😬
Thanks so much. I’ve yet to get into the English Civil War, but I will get there eventually 👍
@@thehistorysquad Sounds great and thank YOU!!
Even if you weren't crazy, you might be after being imprisoned there! Sheesh!
If you have bad luck it can still happen today. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest is built on things that really happened to US mental patients in the 1960s, and if you have seen the Swedish Millenium Trilogy or read the books, what happens to Lisbet Salander is also built on reality, sadly.
Totally amazing points! Great memory! I had to look these up! thanks!
Your delivery and research is superb.Thank you so much.
You’re most welcome
Kevin keep up with your work, every episode is packed with interesting information and insight!
Thanks, will do!
As a nurse, I have worked in both the mental health wards ( locked wards) and the skilled nursing homes. Many of the people who are in these places are there because families are either unable to cope with their family members or even unwilling to take care of them. The fear of them is very real. The person is unable to care for themselves and are sometimes mentally unstable. Mental health care has come a long way, but it still has not addressed the stigma of being diagnosed as mentally ill. If they are released to fend for themselves in a world that still does not understand nor accept the person who has mental health issues, they struggle to survive in a very fear ridden world. Working with patients who have complex mental health issues can be both challenging and rewarding. There seems to be no real middle ground between in-patient care and out-patient recovery. There is a missing link. There still is a lot of work still to be done to understand the human mind.
Excellent work as always
happy weekend Kevin and friends!
Kevin - This was amazing and very entertaining!! GREAT work!!
Thanks so much!
This popped up for me today. I was glued to this video. Fantastic. I am now subscribed and a fan!
Excellent, thanks & welcome aboard!
Thank you Kevin and The History Squad. Truly. Have a good day 😊
Yet another informative and educated video. Hope alls well Stateside 👍
Hi Kevin! Your videos are always highly informative and entertaining! How about a special on Samuel Pepys?
Great suggestion! Thanks I’ll keep that in mind 👍
Always happy to enjoy another production by my favorite storyteller on the net. Keep up the good work Kevin!
Thanks, will do!
This video was amazing, I had always heard of bedlam but never had any idea of its history. Thank you so much for the hard work you must have put in to make this
Glad you enjoyed it!
Very entertaining video. Thank you for your service my friend
Good to see you Kevin ye old Mercian warrior.
Fabulous video. I love your style of storytelling.
Thanks so much!
Fantastic bit of history again thanks Kevin🤙🏻
Glad you enjoyed it
Hi from Australia Kev ✌🏼
G'day cobber!
Fascinating stuff from the best history video presenter!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Brilliant video of a very interesting subject. Not quite your usual subject but well done. Very well researched and fascinating.
Cheers Kim, glad you found it interesting 👍🏻
That was very informative! Thank you!
This was an interesting look at how people treated mental illness back then. I always enjoy watching historical videos.
Cheers, much appreciated
That was quite the video. Sobering to see that in all this time, we really haven't come as far as we like to think.
Also: Hi, Julie! 😊
Indeed! Thanks, Julie says Hi 👋
Brilliant orator so interesting too thankyou
Thanks Diane 👍
Love all your videos Kevin, but this one helped me in an unintended way:
Long ago I had what I thought was a stroke, although similar in nature the symptoms didn't quite add up, oh well. Now here I am several years later, in a youtube historical documentary finding out I had an episode of... Whatever Henry the Sixth had, I felt like an animal, living purely in the present and not being able to say anything because I wasn't able to form cohesive thoughts or even think in human words.
It was at the peak of a severe depression which had me constantly overthinking, well, more than usual for a natural overthinker, I think my brain just disconnected from all the suffering, like 'enough is enough'? Never happened again, so, unlike Henry, mine is not chronical in nature, and although I don't have the worries of a king... I think I understand what the man went through.
Gosh, thanks for sharing 👍
Great narration,Thanks , greetings from Thailand
Many thanks!
A great video Kevin I thoroughly enjoyed it 😊
I am very impressed by the far seeing and caring staff.
SO MUCH BRILLIANT DETAIL VERY RARE.
Thanks 👍
Crazy to see where the word “bedlam” came from. I always learn something new with your videos, Kevin!
Glad to hear it! Thanks for watching
Hi Kevin, I didn't realize the hospital was that old. I especially enjoyed your Hogarth etching discussion. Great educational video yet again, Thankyou.
A pleasure. Chat soon!
really enjoyed watching that very informative thank you
Glad you enjoyed it
Always wonderful and interesting Kevin!
Many thanks!
Most informative thank you Kevin.
Excellent story telling!
Another fantastic video Kevin.
Glad you enjoyed it
Another great video kevie! I still think you’d would have made a great history teacher. I love the longer videos. How about some more of your old stories of being in the military and a civilian police officer? Love those too.
Cheers Paul, I’m glad you’re enjoying the longer videos, and yes I do have some more stories which I’ll try to get to when I can. 👍
@@thehistorysquad cool brother!
Excellent video Mr. Kev, this made my day.
Glad to hear it 👍
Really interesting! Thank you
Glad you enjoyed it!
Bedlam (short for Bethlehem) is now used as The Imperial War Museum, that's probably the right place for it, if you go inside and look up, you can see where the galleries are with the cells set back from the edge.