Britain's Most Dangerous Psychiatric Hospital (Broadmoor Documentary) | Real Stories 

The amount of talent the patients in this hospital have is absolutely astonishing. I loved the one chap's remark, "they are mentally ill, but they are not stupid."

You know you're a talented artist when they feel the need to blur out your self-portrait.

I got so emotional when the guy said the voices were telling him to stab people as he was making the fruit salad but he didn't listen and finished it.

I like how they specifically mention that they made sure they had complete consent, and didn’t take advantage of someone’s mental state. Very professional.

The drawings of the one guy were absolutely stunning.

These people have one of the toughest jobs and I think they don't get appreciated enough. It must be physically and mentally exhausting. Thank you for your service!

IM SO PROUD OF THE GUY WHO MADE THE FRUIT SALAD AND DIDN'T HURT ANYONE

My mother worked in such a place for 15 years. It changed her into a very cautious, watchful, solitary person. She had to learn to be that way to protect herself and it never left her even decades later. I respect people who can do this work with professionalism and compassion.

I just want to say, wow. This is the most supportive and heart warming comment section I’ve come across in a while...Good on everyone here for treating mental illness with compassion and kindness instead of stigma & moral judgement .

As someone who experiences auditory (and visual) hallucinations I sobbed over the man who finished his fruit salad and didn’t hurt other people because I am so proud. It’s such a hard thing to not give into your hallucinations and it just made me so proud to see him achieve that 🥺🥺😭

The guy who draws. If he ever picked up a tattoo machine without killing someone he would make BANK. Extremely talented and absolutely stunning work! Id love to see his work in a gallery one day.

I've worked in psychiatric units for many years, what I've come to realise is that nearly everyone I've ever worked with is just a vulnerable child that never got the chance to grow up supported and cared for. Working in mental health is extremely challenging but at the same extremely rewarding when you get the chance to bring at least some positivity to someone who may have never had any in their life up until now.

I love how they have a dog that visits weekly that they can hang out with! Dogs can provide great therapy just by being there. It’s a sweet gesture to the patients.

I used to live near here when I was a child and I remembered being so frightened when we heard the sirens going. That meant there was an escape. Our teachers had to walk us home so we would be safe. Memories!

It's sick how many times you hear a child say they was abused in the system, you hear it far too often, WTF is going on... the people that should care for them the most are abusing the children. Makes my blood boil every time I hear it.

I am absolutely speechless on those portraits that patient drew. I can’t believe how beautiful that picture of that woman was. He could easily be a famous artist.

Watching this from the USA and I am literally shook watching the way the nurses and staff were so calm yet ready to fight if needed.

the fact he had impulses to stab everyone in the room with that knife and carried on making his fruit salad makes me really proud of him- that’s growth and resilience

When the nurses and staff come together to discuss what could have been done better/ recollect themselves, it just blew my mind. 41:00 We talk about the toll of being in the facilities, the affects on patients, but this goes to show the people who work in the places are also affected. These people are wonderful humans, they do a job many of us would turn our nose up at.

The staff deserve the most credit. To work somewhere like this would be incredibly stressful. To be constantly vigilant for violence would be exhausting. And to see these prisoners as patients would be difficult, as separating what is mental illness from what is the person themselves is very difficult

that one dudes drawings looked like photographs, mad talent

Really respect the staff who work with these disorders everyday !!

i’m so glad they included the eyes of daniel’s self portrait. there was so much emotion in there. i’m really proud of all of these guys and i don’t even know them.

I had unfortunately been checked into a mental institution last year when I tried to end my life (i've made a lot of progress since then). Most of the patients (besides an old lady who threw something at my head and tried to fight me) were very intelligent, kind and talented. What made my stay bad were the doctors who mocked, ridiculed and laughed at me while I was quite literally dying from poisoning of the body. (the nurses were great).

I don’t know why I watch stuff like this.

I work in a residential home and one of our residents came to us from broadmoor, his rehabilitation has been incredible since the move, goes to show not everyone from this place is a monster

Most of the root cause of the cases are child abuse. Heartbreaking and disturbing at the same time. 😔

Those poor people. To be at war with your own mind is torture. The staff are so compassionate, it takes special people to work with the mentally ill and I have great respect for those who do it so well.

“I don’t want anyone to know I work at Broadmoor”.... goes on a publicised documentary about Broadmoor, appears as a worker 🤔

After watching this, I found I was impressed by how respectful the staff seems to be towards the patients. That has a huge effect

The man who resisted the voices and continued making the salad - what a legend. Hope he never loses another battle with them

The guy at 35:30 breaks my heart. He speaks so eloquently and level-headedly about the root causes, about how the systems failed him, about how vulnerable children are ignored while horrific things are done to them, and the response is still in effect to not fully acknowledge the root causes.

That artwork is brilliant.!! He may never be released due to the severity of the crime, but what a talent.

Why am I watching this instead of studying

My heart goes out to all the patients in Broadmoor. A dark and despairing and loveless child hoods led these people here. Message to parents, if you miss treat and disrespect your children then you may unleash a monster beyond your imagination upon the world. Why are the parents of these patients not locked up for their part in this ! Blessings, peace and love to all at Broadmoor.

Was a Porter/Custodian in a place like this Always tried to clean patients rooms with empathy and compassion. Always showed respect ( Knocked before entering, please, thank you ) Some people were just curious what I was doing, or just needed someone to chat with... Of course I was always aware of my surroundings at all times, and kept my tools close. Taught me to be EXTREMELY grateful for what I have in life.

Wow his artwork is so accurate that they had to blur his self portrait. Such an intelligent and skillful man, it's a pity that he has gone down such a wrong path

There was so much joy in his voice when he said Crystal was "just FABULOUS!" And then the pride in the voice of the man making the fruit salad when he talked about ignoring the voices... the magnitude of talent in the sketches... I wish there were better options for these men. I can't imagine living like this. My heart breaks for their lost possibilities.

That charcoal portrait of the girl at the 10:20 mark is so good I thought it was an actual photograph! That guy is a Mozart when it comes to drawing portraits.....absolutely phenomenal talent!

My uncle is in here has been for years. He has wrote his own poetry book and got a law degree while there

why was every asylum built in the victorian era, the buildings always look so damn creepy!

My heart goes out to each and evey one of them! My mom is bipolar paranoid schizophrenic and I love her to death. Now She is properly medicated, regularly goes to therapy, and has a loving partner and support system and she is lucky because most people like her would be homeless or in a hospital like this long term.

As someone who is having an absolute plethora of mental health difficulties at present, it scares me to know that if my screws were just the tiniest bit more loose, there aren’t too many steps for me to end up somewhere like this. It’s terrifying( but we receive so, so little mental health treatment as it is. I really hope that whatever anyone reading this is going through, that you make it out the other side. I won’t pretend that it’s easy-it most definitely is not-but if I can make it this far; you can make it at all. You got this! You can do it!

the way the guy said "fabulous" at 20:57 when talking about wanting to be a drag queen was heartwarming, i know his face is blurred out but you could still tell how happy he was talking about his aspirations and dreams!

it's crazy to see how talented that young man was when he channeled the emotion into his artwork rather than his actions, there's a real bright soul inside there somewhere it's in plain view

Child abuse sexually and emotionally is such a sad thing

It's a good thing that this documentary was made. It dispels many misconceptions about Broadmoor and institutions like it.

The guy who got dropped off by his mom at 9 breaks my heart. I just don't understand at all how someone could give up on their kid at such a young age. Or at all really. He deserved better.

I've been in a psychiatric hospital for the last 6 weeks. Obviously it's nowhere near the same institution as Broadmoor, but the empathy (as far as they can allow) as well as the work the employees put in deserve major kudos no matter at which level they work. If the healthcare system in the UK is even a little bit similar to the one in Switzerland, these crucially important people are certainly understaffed and underpaid. My thanks go out to the people that made this documentary, the people at Broadmoor as well as the lovely comment section. As a mentally-ill person, you guys' empathy gives me hope.

"Daniel" is one cracking artist. I hope he gets recognition for this.

Staff and patients of this place are some of the strongest, bravest, and most caring, dedicated people I've ever heard of. Where the majority on both sides of the doors would have given up, these people are working towards a brighter tomorrow for all of them and their families. Amazing and sobering documentary.

Am I the only one having a really hard time understanding what most of the patients are saying? They're mumbling a lot, and since they have their faces blurred out as well, I can't even read their lips. I wish videos like these had subtitles.

9:50 this guy is so talented!! I really hope he gets better and people can see his amazing talent. Sad that he's where he is right now but I sincerely hope everyone that passes through gets better

I'm so proud of the guy that used the sharp knife to cut the fruit and didn't listen to the auditory hallucinations telling him to kill the people in the room. It may not seem like a lot, but it probably took a lot of courage to tell the voices no. Well done. We have to want progress if we want rehabilitation.

Buddy in the red 1952 shirt is trying so hard. I hope he continues to progress.

I like the fact that the staff have reflection after something that is also traumatic ( physically and mentally ) to them ( as well as the resident themselves) , but working in this field I understand how important this is, and wish I got this in my last company I worked for. Talking with your colleagues ( or even being allowed to talk, which wasn't the case for me ) can help so much

Lowkey disappointed that the interviewer isn't the black dude with the calm voice from the other prison documentaries, but still enjoyed it :)

I had an ex boss that worked in Broadmoor she loved it there. Only left to open up a home for senile dementia patients, as she saw a great need in the community for them.

This documentary only fuels my desire to work with and care for people on psyche wards. They have a mental illness and they should be treated and cared for.

I’ve been in a psychiatric hospital. I was there for a suicide attempt, and was placed into the “level 4” section of the hospital. That 72hr involuntary hold changed my life forever. I sympathize with these people, a chemical imbalance can destroy your life.

I have huge respect for these Doctors and Nurses. The emotional/ mental assaults are more exhausting and damaging than the physical. I hope that they all have a positive way to unwind after everything that they deal with throughout the day. 🙏🏼🤟✌

This is so heart breaking, I have dealt with a loved one with mental illness for the past 18 years, and even though everyone's case is different, it is true when they say that although they are perpetrators they are also victims at the same time. Hats off to the staff and I truly hope that things continue to improve for these patients. Such a lot of talent going to waste!

This is a really fascinating documentary. The staff seem really competent and organized which is refreshing to see. The facility is clean and its good this place is an option for people who would otherwise become worse and more dangerous in prison.

Imagine the experimentation that went on in that place even 50 years ago

I'm an American. Over here, each of these people would likely be tossed into one of our horrendous jails, with no treatment, no protections, and no future. It's amazing to see them encouraged to explore their (in some cases phenomenal) talents, given access to varied therapies and experiences, and really urged to improve their lives, instead of being given a life sentence with no options but despair and death. While it may be many awful things to the British, if you compare American prisons and our mental health system, you'll see that Broadmoor does, in fact, give these men at least a chance at some day having a life outside of its walls. That is more than they'd get over here, and I wish them all, especially the ^^dedicated staff^^, the very best.

I just want to say how much I respect Mo! He is so compassionate and he treats all of the patients like people❤ Its really wonderful to see.

Could they have a garden? Then they could grow their own healthy food (at least some). That could help a tad with the obesity...?

I wish technology could understand British people so I could read these subtitles

SOMEONE GET THAT MAN A LONG FABULOUS WIG RIGHT NOW

I can see why growing up and surrounded with loving parents is really important to a child's mental health. I'm sad that out there there are children who grew up in an abusive environment and then later on in life the victim becomes the vixtimizer 😢😢😢 I pray for these people and those working in this kind of institution as well.

I highly respect the doctors, nurses, psychotherapists, psychologists and extra staff who deal with these problems every day. Well done to them from Australia

I don't know what they pay those nurses and staff, but I am sure it is nowhere NEAR enough.

I swear in every prison documentary all I hear is *these are the most dangerous prisoners in the world/country*

I'm proud of these interviewed patients. Admitting your faults can be the hardest thing you ever do, but it's the first step in getting help. Healing isn't a straight line, sometimes you backtrack, but the important part is to not give up.

My grandmother quit nursing after working in a mental institute. She had nightmares for years because of her experiences while as a registered nurse there.

The one guy is so talented. It like looking at real magazine pic.

My mom was admitted into a psychiatric hospital because the physician prescribed her the wrong medication. She was all well mentally once they found out, but she could not remember any of her episodes. It was a really frightening time in my life. I believe this is why I suffer from anxiety and dissociation disorder 😭

i have had the pleasure of meeting Lenny, and he is a wonderful man. as a 17 year old girl at the time, he treated me with so much kindness and we just stood and spoke about his artworks for hours. he is a lovely man, and this documentary just shows how misunderstood these people are. thank you for your professionalism.

We need more places like this with a focus on mental illness , especially in the US.

Total respect and admiration for these people, who work under very challenging conditions and remain calm and humane. Remember, these guys are not paid a lot. Years ago, I worked with someone who had been on the control and restraint team at one of the big secure hospitals. He was a huge, ex army, Welsh guy. Very modest, respectful, and caring. Nicest guy you'd ever meet. Then one night in a pub, some "tough guy" started on a colleague. The welsh guy stood up looked him in the eye and calmly asked "Is there a problem?" The colour just drained from the other guys face. End of problem. It was hilarious. Speak softly and carry a big stick.

I did a placement for uni at a similar institution for women and adolescents and also spent a day at a men’s facility. It was very much an eye opener and very emotional at times. The staff do deal with a lot and deserve a lot of praise. It’s mentally and emotionally draining but also rewarding when you see progress.

Daniel is an incredible artist, every little detail in his portraits is perfect.

It would be nice if they were allowed to shop for something other than junk food.

Good job with this one! It’s so nice to see a realistic and compassionate view of these patients. Yes they have hurt others, but they are not undeserving of help and understanding of what compelled them to act out these negative external behaviors in the first place. Kudos to the staff for taking on a job that requires commitment and strength ❤️

The Artist patients portraits in charcoal were absolutely spectacular! That young man has serious talent.

I am a doctor and I wish we had such facilities in Africa 💯 Mental health is becoming a real issue lately and we don't have sufficient rehab facilities

The artwork is absolutely amazing. I was genuinely blown away.

That nurse with the vest knows his stuff. I'm very impressed with him. He know's what's going on and is completely prepared to deal with anything that comes his way! He looks ready for anything! ~ United States Marine Corps (Vet.)

Bless the staff, particularly the nurses near the end of the video. They seem professional and good at their work. I also pray for the patients - I hope they recover and no longer pose a threat to themselves and society. I understand how difficult and devastating mental illness can be.

That moved me Bob. Especially the part at the end with how the staff met together to talk about their feelings after dealing with such extreme behavior. I think I would have break down and cried. It actually brought tears to my eyes to see how these people had to deal with this and then go on from their like nothing happened. Human behavior is so much far more complex than I ever imagined until I got older and started studying it as a life course. This only gave me a deeper understanding of what we're going through as a species. The human condition is beyond my imagination.

The Staff Put Up With So Much In Hospitals Like These, Bless Them...

The amazing staff here are heroes. They are doing an amazing job in such an intense and unpredictable work environment. Putting their own lives on the line and getting assaulted often. These people have incredibly compassionate and forgiving hearts. God bless all of the workers taking care of those who are unable to care for themselves!!

People with very serious psychotic conditions, while aware that their actions might be seen as unusual or unacceptable, often cannot accept that they are, in fact, mentally ill. To them, there is a logical reason for their actions and thought processes, even if they accept those actions are seen as dangerous or anti-social by a wider society. Such patients have an inability to personally police themselves and feel that they are victimized and misunderstood. Often self-obsessed and lacking the emotional intelligence that would encourage their empathy and awareness of others, they have no ultimate regard for how their attitudes or actions might impact upon those they interact with. If you combine this with an environmental history of child neglect or physical or sexual abuse, the lack of loving parenting, substance abuse and early trauma, the lack of routine normalcy, it is not surprising that an individual might 'lose the plot' in common parlance. That said, it is not yet clear whether or not serious mental illness is innate or caused by circumstance, or a combination of factors involving both and other issues. What is most clear, is that some people are not safe to be unsupervised outside of a clinical environment, both for their own safety and for that of others. Of the subjects/patients profiled in this program, it is interesting to note that not one seems to have committed a criminal act with the desire to gain or profit personally from that criminal action. (Crimes were not detailed or described, and so sexual or sadistic violent crimes cannot be considered if indeed they are existent). A criminal like the murderer/rapist Peter Sutcliffe, also in Broadmoor, must be considered most differently. Mental illness, in all its forms, remains the most serious and unexplored problem in modern society. While those at Broadmoor represent the most extreme examples of mental ill-health, many other people struggle with less serious though equally devastating non-neurotypical conditions. More help and understanding is needed. Thank you for your post and allowing me to comment. xx SF

This place is very special, thank you for giving us a glimpse. The staff are remarkable, dedicated people. The patients have such sad back stories, it’s heart breaking.

And the Highest of Praise to the staff. Can you imagine just how hard many aspects of their vocation must be, I can’t.

Respect to the amazing staff ... oh my God, what a job.

Okay, this place is EXACTLY like the mental health residential hospitals I was sent to as a kid. Glad to see that suicidal teenagers in America are treated the same as extremely violent insane criminals in the UK

I lived in a therapeutic community with a young man who had been in Broadmoor .He was a lovely gentle person,but had done something violent when he was very ill

I went to school around 5 minutes away from Broadmoor and I remember us all having to stay inside every Tuesday break time due to Broadmoor's weekly escape drill. It's interesting to find out what actually goes on inside that mental hospital

i wish the patients all the best and hope they recover and feel better soon, and thank you to the staff for handling such a challenging job and giving these people the most dignity they can