these grounds these buildings they're all so dark everything's dark even the sky i'll never get out george he's turned them all against me even bett they keep talking about me why won't they let me alone what will happen to fred nile what happens to all of them the men and women from every walk of life who each year pass through doors like this into the mental hospitals of our land here in the story of fred platen and the typical oklahoma state hospital to which he came the spotlight focuses on these people many patients are old and often there's a tragedy of hospitals such as this the tragedy of fathers and mothers too old to work rejected by their own children plasticine island committed to mental hospitals because there is nowhere else for them to go yet given proper care they can still adjust make new friends to ease the passing of  some patients are disturbed not able to care for themselves a normal life situation others are physically as well as mentally ill many are capable of limited adjustment able to work at very tasks within the hospital there is no better in return from years of service overseas the farmer who would never set foot outside his home county daily gain here the duration chronic conditions limit hold for some others may go home tomorrow meanwhile they're living here thirty two hundred men and women all gathered together in a modern in mental institution city in itself complete with every facility for effective treatment those shortages and hospital personnel do exist patients are secure and comfortable and most of them are happy but while mere custody of care can never be enough a favorable environment and human comforts are essential in any therapeutic system where most meals are served cafeteria style food is plentiful and good at investment in patient he just making the bread for three thousand people is a man sized job above although these kitchen chores offer patients work the therapy of busy hands laundry more chances for patients to focus on specific realities outside themselves first step along the road that leads to recovery and really the patients tell you the power plant smokestack is five hundred twenty five feet tall they seem to take a personal pride in it maybe because power is so important here the sick must have heat and light there's water to be pumped and food cooked and laundry wash patients must be housed and today's new hospital buildings center on human needs and comfort whether they provide living quarters or treatment facilities whether they're for convalescent older people the de burgh it or veterans or occupational therapy these modern structures are part of a long range integrated plan to improve conditions for all who live within  especially those provide homes for nurses and attempt to play a vital role in helping patients to regain health in addition to the regular staff student nurses come here to learn to recognise and care all the mentally ill fishing hospital farm cuts operating cost providers fresh truck and dairy products and the familiar scenes the work help make patients from rural areas feel at home they come from all sorts of homes these patients all kinds of backgrounds but somewhere along the line life became too much for them some apply for voluntary admission to the hospital one of the three procedures by which residents may enter a state mental institution in oklahoma many former patients return of their own free will when new troubles assail them all applicants for voluntary admission are held a minimum of fifteen days for examination before they may be released other patients are certified for admission to government medical examiners this is the second method by which patients end of the hospital under the terms of oklahoma's mental health law the majority however or come by court order committed either by a judge or a six man jury this was the case with friend the admitting clerk records friend's case history as soon as he enters the hospital takes care of valuables until he is sufficiently improved to be trusted with them he gets a blood test part of the medical examination given each patient on admission there's a chest x ray also and a spinal fl finally comes a neuro psychiatric tech designed to bring out data related to the patient's mental disorder a clinical psychologist gives fred a variety of specialized tests in order to make possible a more accurate evaluation obvious total personality following the examination and testing an informal meeting of the hospital staff arrives at a tentative diagnosis of schizophrenia paranoid type friend benefits from the skill and experience of all members of the staff as well as the psychiatry  diagnosis and staff approval completed the patient is transferred to a treatment blog for therapy in france case insulin shock is prescribe a common treatment for schizophrenia whatever the motive treatment it's essential that it be supplemented by an atmosphere of security and call the effective hospital must always serve as a refuge for its patients place where they can live quietly during that period of in which they learn how to achieve better adjustment to the world outside in other words our light in life every turn from private worlds to the here and now as patients improve they are moved towards in keeping with their condition though given the opportunity for contact with others we're also getting better at their status as individuals recognize that no matter what their problem there still is hope case insulin therapy but relatively quick improvement close link with it helping further was personal follow up attention by the psychiatrist directing his treatment and care occupational therapy reinforced shock treatment helped fred to draw away from his feelings of antagonism and suspicion and move closer to reality boredom is always an enemy of the mentally ill now improving fred begins to take increasing interest in the library of recreational facilities patients enjoy movies just as much as anyone and a hot game of dominoes or pool the sewing room is popular and the permanent wave may serve as a milestone of self respect for many women in spite of the b books mean so much to so many brings added privileges a more normal li what could be better than an afternoon softball game friday dances give fred a chance for contact with women on a social plane help to spark is dormant pride religious services in the chapel or inspiration then there's a happy day when fred is granted grounds privileges what a difference it makes at last bread can be outside once more working enjoying the sun of the season  the days when visitors come the chance to talk again with betty and george comes to and somehow he doesn't seem quite as bad as he did before it's not too long till the psychiatry's decides that fred can try it for a while at home he talks with betty and with george helps them to understand that they too have vital roles to play in a thread to adjust successfully to the world outside a cigarette from the dr and friends hand a steady packing at last a man can be proud of the things he's created with his own two hands and a hospital can be proud too proud to see a patient face the world as a man again this is it today i'm going home six months it's taken if i'd come here sooner i might have been out in three but all i could think about was fear the way everyone was all against me how much i hate george how wrong i was for no not wrong sick and now that i'm well again i can't help feeling just a little sad the way you always do when you're little place where you live but no matter what they say or do one thing i know these people here this place and time have given my life back to me