The N.P. Patient (U.S. Navy, 1944)

[@johnstuartsmith]

Some of this film deals with the problems of suicidal urges in depressed service members. The stylized building in the opening credits is the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda Maryland. In 1949, former Secretary of the Navy and recent Secretary of Defense James Forrestal was being treated for depression and stress from the pressures of his responsibilities when he went out of a 16th floor window. It can happen to any one of us.

[@cmmc3400]

My father was a ships photographer on the Forrestal. I was quite shocked to learn Mr. Forrestals history. Dad died a year after leaving the Navy from what I was told my whole life, accidental death due to exhaust fumes. I never believed it. My mom went into depression, prescriptions and booze after she found his body. He died after a night playing cards and drinking. Mom had told him not to come home if he was going to do it, he came home but he parked the car in the garage and left the doors open but the car was running. The floorboards had holes and the fumes killed him. He was doing police photography along with his studio work, I think the chief had it written up as accidental so my mom could get the insurance. She had it rough and so did my brother and I. We suffered from many things humankind do to each other. I was only 13 months old when he died and that left us to be victims to horrible people. I watched this video a while back and it brought up some feelings I had supressed. I wish people were kinder.

[@robertharrison4967]

I received ECT many years ago, I am not in a position to comment about the rights or wrongs of it as I don't know today's alternatives but it worked for me and I also saw the transformation of others on the ward.

[@benitaoakley2177]

So sorry this happened to you and your family. And some of us people are kinder. Knowledge is key. Talk about it.

[@PeterH-be1xe]

The attitude of this film is quite remarkable for its time, that these are your fellow servicemen, they have served, they are sick, and we will treat them with kindness and dignity as they recover.

[@D.N..]

This is training film with actors.. Filmed in Hollywood. @2:24, is Ronald Reagan. He worked on military training films during the war.

[@coralreefer98]

No one should have ever had to endure electro shock therapy, I'dbe scared into trying to look happy again. I'm so glad there were atleast compassionate people around them to care for them. God bless their hearts 💝 Such heavy burdens many of us will never understand, thank you for your service 💕

[@violetmurphy5177]

I agree about the shock therapy; however, I have bipolar disorder, primarily depression. I chose to have ECT and it actually helped me.

[@coralreefer98]

@@violetmurphy5177 I've never actually heard of ECT, I just googled it and you are so brave!!! I have BPD as well as other diagnosis, I used to work at a place where we had a TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) machine that seemed to be very effective and helpful as well. That is so wonderful that this resource was available to you, thank you so much for teaching me about this today! I am so happy your depression has improved, that is so amazing!!!! Stay strong! 🎀

[@QbutNotTheQ]

Just fyi, ECT is done every day in virtually every hospital. You get anesthesia and it’s effective. It’s better than catatonic suicidal depression.

[@mariekatherine5238]

It’s still in use for cases of depression or bipolar that haven’t been helped by medication. A huge difference is that it’s done under anesthesia,so there’s no screaming and flailing around. My aunt took several treatments for depression and it worked, along with psychotherapy.

[@KMx108]

I can't help but wonder if all that's needed is methylfolate. My grandfather was in the military and was found to have bipolar disorder in his 40s. He suffered for decades. In his late 80s he found out he had a type of MTHFR mutation that meant he body didn't methylate folate well at all, which can cause all sorts of problems. There were times that he was so depressed, my grandmother would have him admitted. I'm in my 40s now and while I don't have BPD, I do have access to genetic testing and the internet, which has made things a lot easier for me.

[@brianarbenz1329]

This hits surprisingly close to home. My father was in a Navy submarine during World War II. He was hospitalized for Battle Neuroses because of trauma from the war -- which followed a childhood where he saw his stepfather murdered when he was age 3. That was just months after his father died of pneumonia. All this combined to mess him up, though he masked himself as a glib, successful person to the outside world.

[@SMGAPR8]

Saddens me how we forget the breath of our fire father's, medical care was not a he same as today, that many take for granted, many soldiers were left in institutes or silence 🙏

[@54321-p]

I AM sorry to hear about your father. Today, they would call it Complex PTSD...a build up of trauma over time-as opposed to a single traumatic event. God Bless you.

[@brianarbenz1329]

@@54321-p Thank you for your supportive statement. I've also got C-PTSD, though it does not run in our family, as it were. My experiences were unrelated. And I'm doing quite well in many aspects of life, not so well in others. I'm basically ok.

[@serenity3489]

I do hope and pray that that level of care and beyond is still a must when it comes to caring for our servicemen in all branches of the military, who risk their lives for our freedom and those that are less fortunate than us. Thank you so very much for your service 🥰🥰🥰

[@spicystapler58]

That corpsman helping Miller eat warmed my heart.

[@DubzCo]

Lies and propaganda

[@spicystapler58]

@@DubzCo Nah, you’d be surprised at the camaraderie in the military. But I wouldn’t expect someone who probably hasn’t served to see it how I do.

[@kayliesosa281]

As a army veteran who suffers from ptsd it’s nice to see that even back then military service members are taking care of each other some things never change

[@learningbuddies915]

This is so Sad. Humans are not meant to see such horror seen and experienced in war. Today in 2020, up to 20 veterans a day are committing suicide.

[@SOULRELIEF22]

GOD'S Army is where men can BE ALL THAT THEY CAN BE! GLORY!

[@mikezylstra7514]

And today, about 80 civilians.

[@brianarbenz1329]

@@SOULRELIEF22 That is not much help. You have demonstrated how many religions promote sloganeering, rather than genuine concern.

[@barbaramatthews4735]

I'm a former Hospital Corpsman. I've never put my hands on a patient's plate and took a taste. I do have depression and anxiety though. I was treated inpatient at the VA. Wasn't quite like that.

[@dewilew2137]

What year was that?

[@DouglasUrantia]

War will make a normal person crazy.

[@buckiesilas5284]

I wonder if you take a crazy person to war it will make them normal 🤔

[@MarioMastar]

@@buckiesilas5284Hehe well some armies in the world DO send the insane to war in hopes they'll be shot or killed. Even the US did that once as an experiment, but found it caused more trouble for genuine soldiers and was a huge national security threat.

[@dereksmith6693]

Omg i feel so bad for roberts 🥺 i wish i could give him a hug

[@shimmer8289]

The reality of how service people were treated is much different than shown here. The stigma was huge. Every single treatment was ineffective. Sodium pentothal ....the truth serum was banned since then as a treatment. The idea that each person snapped out of rather serious disorders and was grateful and functioning in a few weeks or months is very far from reality.

[@jasonb7812]

To be shown to authorized personnel only. And now it’s on KZbin.

[@gabe-po9yi]

So, PTSD (although it wasn’t called that) was recognized as a bona fide medical condition in WWII. I wonder when and why (maybe command thought too many soldiers, too much money being spent on it?) it stopped being recognized and soldiers in the most recent conflicts had to fight tooth and nail to have it reinstated. It’s interesting that apparently a significant number of command acted like they’d never heard of such a thing.

[@mariekatherine5238]

Battle fatigue it was called, but not really talked about. My grandfather definitely suffered from it. He had nightmares in which he wandered around the house, sometimes breaking things or waking up screaming. He received only minor physical injuries, comparatively speaking, but was traumatized, probably by what he saw when his ship was torpedoed.

[@mfanwelikeit3760]

Shell shock

[@gabe-po9yi]

@@mfanwelikeit3760 The term shell shock first came about in WWI, which I didn’t realize until I watched a documentary about the war.

[@MarioMastar]

A large part of it was the general mindset and what it means to call something a "mental illness". When watching these videos, I detect a strong sense of "excusing" rather than actual empathy treating the patient as if his condition is merely a light switch gone off or a simple condition. But based on how the patient sounds, it sounds more like he wants to ask "Why am I here? what am I fighting for?" without infuriating the officials above. Not one of them asked how he felt in a way that would allow him the comfort of expressing himself, and dragging him around like a prison inmate isn't helping. Sadly....it wouldn't be until around "Now" (around 2023) that people would start taking mental illness seriously by actually letting the patient speak for themselves on thier issues and helping them come to terms with the root of the problem, rather than just pulling the "You'll be fine. you're just upset cause you haven't done this before." and making it more about rejoining the squad. Especially in the military. There's NO way any of these men received genuine help for a war they were ushered into fighting but didn't know why beyond their commanders telling them they "had to". Point blank....these guys didn't care about anything but the tool called a soldier. You can hear it in the tone of thier voices and the "textbook" emphasis on recovery, not at all genuine empathy.

[@angelaf5040]

I think it was called "shell shock" in the beginning.

[@mariekatherine5238]

Shock therapy without anesthesia! Yikes!

[@Lalaland-q2z]

The shock knocked you out, one was lucky to regain memory my cousin had shocks in 1949 and thereafter was like a forgetful child .

[@margiethessin8975]

Apparently Gen. Patton never saw this training film.

[@mariekatherine5238]

General Patton was so thick-skinned and hard-boiled, it wouldn’t have made any difference.

[@JasonSaunders-eu8ct]

- "shocked me right back to normal ! "

[@dewilew2137]

Thank god mental healthcare has come a long way since 1944. 😔

[@MarioMastar]

Amen.... I'm getting angry just watching the first 5 minutes of this... the way the corporals talk to the patients like "Ah, you're just sad" while telling US audience "They're just sick, just give em a pill and they'll be in fighting shape no problem! Everyone has it! It's normal and not a big deal." disgusts me, knowing these men (the patient) is biting his tongue to not tell the commanders "I don't want to fight anymore" lest THEY rip his head off. "C"mon, just eat! You'll be back on the ship in no time! ... That's a perfect example of empathy!" Said by men who would disown their own son if he didn't have 2 stripes at 16... and seeing comments about shock therapy, I've seen enough.

[@mikesebphoto]

Were you watching the same video the rest of us were watching?

[@oldcop18]

I went through Hospital Corpsman A School, Great Lakes, in 1965. Funny to see what training we got 20 years earlier.

[@AaronBlox-h2t]

Congrats.... You made it to 2024. How old are you know?

[@oldcop18]

@ Late 70s.

[@lindathrall5133]

THE HOSPITAL CORPMAN HAVE A FEW IDEAS TO HELP THOSE IN HIS CARE

[@TheRealNewBlackMusic]

Wow these old films from the 40s are great and they did a good job with the production as well one interesting thing that I see in all of these films is that back in the forties america drank a ton of milk no lactose intolerance I wonder what changed

[@MarioMastar]

Primarily one ethnic group was ever shown in these videos...generally the same small town of people who were hired as the actors for these films. and a lot of "pretending the whole world can be summed up in what town in California looks like". Our living grandparents can attest life was NOT this rosy back then.... just ignorantly rose tinted.

[@cindirose3390]

Let us All not forget These examples are one codt of war, not to mention civillianls in same conditions. And here we are in 2023 with wars still happening.😢😢

[@DubzCo]

All the comment seem to think this is really how patients were treated in reality lol

[@JiveDadson]

They flew the cuckoo's nest.

[@MarioMastar]

Oh no...we KNOW they were treated WAY worse....

[@owlthepirate5997]

What was the hydrotherapy supposed to do? I'm guessing they don't use it anymore..

[@shellwalsh3317]

Hydrotherapy was used commonly to help someone "calm down" & to relax and also used on drug addicts in rehab. Popular in 40's to late 60's & basically not used since. Alot of BS.

[@owlthepirate5997]

@@shellwalsh3317 oh, wow.. I learn something new everyday. Thank you for answering my question! ☺️

[@mariekatherine5238]

Went out of vogue in the mid-1960s. It was supposed to calm agitated patients. It WAS generally relaxing, but so is a warm shower or bubble bath! You can do it in your own home, especially if you have a hot tub, deep bath tub,

[@andym6110]

A needle shower and spray???

[@nonchalantree6604]

needle spray showers are those big showers with showerheads on the sides. they often take a lot of water were no more effective than a normal shower, so people don't use them anymore

[@owlthepirate5997]

@@nonchalantree6604 sounds lovely..

[@choccows]

Does anyone know the location of the name hospital at the opening scene?

[@D.N..]

This is a film with actors. Its not a real hospital... The man walking in .. @2:24 is President Reagan ,.. he worked in military films during the war.

[@andym6110]

A lot of hydro therapy in this video.

[@themovietheatre]

at 23:30

[@patriciaroysdon9540]

It was popular therapy back then.

[@johnincinncinnatti-bp8lv]

Comments from modern victims talking about the war get removed automatically.

[@TAROTAI]

What does *N.P.* stand for?

[@TheLyric300]

Navy patients I guess

[@shellwalsh3317]

NP stands for "NEURO PSYCHIATRIAC" ( any form of mental illnesses & like battle fatigue..etc or newer diagnosed PTSD ( which exists since say early Gulf War service etc... decades ago it used to be called to be "shell-shocked"

[@owlthepirate5997]

@@TheLyric300 awsome guess, lol! (I would have guessed nocturnal penguins..)

[@TheLyric300]

@@owlthepirate5997 I tried lol

[@SOULRELIEF22]

@@owlthepirate5997 I believe they told us earlier in the video...

[@danielburch3377]

was that Oswald early in the film? o_O

[@johnryan2193]

unbelievable that people still believe James Forrestal jumped out an upper storey window . lol

[@maureen4856]

A false story?

[@childoftherisenone8566]

Is this a movie or actual real footage?

[@MarioMastar]

Movie, they're all movies commissioned by the US military, but all the people in these films are actors.

[@D.N..]

@@MarioMastar This is a training film. At @2:24 is Ronald Reagan

[@HaosCosmic]

the mind is its own universe

[@Hallowworth2]

You take your cover off when inside….😊

[@AaronBlox-h2t]

I don't know why I'm watching 80yo actors on screen....circa Dec 2024.

[@lindathrall5133]

THIS SETUP WOULD BENEFIT ALL VETERANS TO GET WHERE THEY'RE GOING

[@adrianh332]

That ECT was barbaric

[@jim7627]

Let's see: shock therapy, waterboarding .... try pulling his fingernails out next-geeez!

[@MarioMastar]

Men were never known for empathy... watching this makes me in 2023 remember I had difficulty trusting male doctors cause of that stigma. But fortunately in modern day, empathy is no longer gender specific anymore. No it's not me being sexist or anything, it's more so referring to the attitudes and cultures taught back then and what it ultimately lead to behavior wise.

[@Mark_Ocain]

The pink pills stop you screaming .

[@andym6110]

They look blue! Or scared.

[@Mark_Ocain]

Too much water, not enough ice pick action ...

[@anthonytarczynski5423]

Mark O'Cain Well the leukotomy was developed in 1935. This film was made in 1944. I don’t know when Walter Freedman pioneered the ice pick trans orbital method but I don’t think it was that popular yet.

[@barrybarry1117]

I wonder if this is propaganda or real

[@INDREAMSBEGINSRESPONSIBILITIES]

24:26 King LUCIFAH

[@drpoundsign]

MOST of those Men probably had PTSD. ...and, if they developed Bipolar or Schizophrenia while in the Service (they were of the Right age for that to happen) they should have Immediately been Honorably Discharged. Maybe some were Gay, and ashamed of their orientation.

[@Cheezburgercatz]

13:25 there it is... lol most successful

[@supernewf3722]

Wow how delusional were they back then. Smoking was a healthy choice as so it seems lol.

[@MarioMastar]

More like Apathetic. THey needed to send these guys to their deaths for ... something. Have you ever asked yourself "WHY DID we fight in WWII? What exactly threatened the US?" especially considering what happened in Vietnam and also how little the US is even attempting to stop Nazi mentality from entering congress nowadays. It wasn't to stop the Nazis we know that much.

[@Eirinen_E34]

Nicotine and tobacco with out all the poisons is actually good for you. It's a natural pesticide It's the poisons they put in the cigarettes that are bad.

[@marcomarcello3337]

*DEMONS*

[@kore865]

Lies

[@tinkletink1403]

sickening .... it's basicallly the same today just "modernised" ... psychiatry is evil

[@oscarprendergast7295]

Wow Ronald Reagan -so young vibrant HANDSOME all that and an animal head of hair!

[@dewilew2137]

Ewww.

[@BeefZupreme]

Thats whos talking?!?

[@54321-p]

@@BeefZupreme No, I THINK Ronald had a few non speaking parts in the video. Hard to tell if it was him, but sure looked like him.