Overview Of Electroshock Therapy
Since childhood, depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder continually destroyed a man’s life. After seeking help for many years and attempting multiple methods, such as medication and psych wards, the doctors had one option left: electroshock therapy. Although he was skeptical of its efficacy, the physician finally convinced him to follow through with the procedure. The doctors directed the man to an operating table, where he was put under anesthesia. The next thing he knew, he woke up feeling fantastic and ready to return home. If this treatment was not an option, his depression and mental disorders would have harmfully affected his life and his whole family. Thankfully, several advancements have improved electroshock therapy to the point
…show more content…
where it is considered a safe and effective way to treat mental illnesses.
Each year, around 35,000 Americans are faced with suicidal thoughts, which is greatly influenced by depression and other mental disorders. With the assistance of electroshock therapy, those faced with depression can be dramatically affected by the results in reducing their mental disorder (Harley). The use of electroshock therapy, also known as electroconvulsive therapy and ECT, has been a controversial topic from the start due to the side effects, such as memory loss and the rare nature of the procedure. However, this type of therapy has been known to be the most effective treatment for individuals with severe depression and bipolar disorder. In fact, Sarah Hollingsworth Lisanby, Chair of the Psychiatry and Behavioral-Sciences Department at Duke University School of Medicine, performed a study which found that ninety eight percent of individuals that have received electroshock therapy would likely undergo the treatment again if their depression returned (qtd. in Hurley). However, the lack of funding for electroshock therapy limits other individuals faced with mental disorders from receiving help and assistance from professionals. The majority of patients are satisfied with the ending result, being that they had experienced far less depression and suicidal thoughts (Hurley). Even with the lack of funding, electroshock therapy is still considered an extraordinary treatment for individuals with severe mental illnesses (Kelly and Kelly). Numerous people, who are influenced by media, believe it is very harmful to the patient’s mind as well as their everyday lives. In contrast, people firmly believe it can provide a cure to mental disorders. With the input from scientists and past patients, electroshock therapy has dramatically developed over the years with new techniques and medicines.
Electroshock therapy has been remodeled to a healthier and safer method for the patients and their families.
This style of therapy has existed for many years, but it only became safe and prominent in the 1930s. Before then, in forty seven AD, a “court physician” would treat patients headaches by using an “electric torpedo fish” on their head. This would consequently result in a temporary cure for the patient's headache. Numerous years later, in the eighteenth century, physicians would use electrical devices to cure body symptoms that individuals were facing (Katsnelson). In fact, this would be the primary breakthrough which has made a significant impact on the discovery of electroshock therapy. Many years later, an Italian neurologist by the name of Ugo Cerletti, introduced electroshock therapy as a way to treat patients with major depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia (Kelly and Kelly). Specifically, this treatment was the first of its kind to use electricity instead of using harsh chemicals like the other doctors at this time. Being the first treatment like this, many scientists were surprised and shocked at how much faster it worked on the patient (Cloud). When ECT was first administered on patients, the jolts of electricity were much stronger and less targeted on the brain. Additionally, patients experiencing this treatment would not be induced with anesthesia or any drugs to diminish the pain on their body …show more content…
(Hurley).
Even with this fear of the treatment, many individuals faced with mental disorders invested their time and money in ECT hoping it would cure their disorder. Electroshock therapy was gaining popularity and usage until the 1940s and the 1950s. In the 1940s, Jack Nicholson starred in a film, One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, which portrayed electroshock therapy in a vivid, horrifying way to the viewers (Fischer). The novel and film caused numerous people to view this treatment as a harmful method for treating individuals with mental disorders. Around ten years later, there was another decline in the use of ECT on patients. This was due to the introduction of antipsychotic drugs in the medical world to reduce the sign of depression in individuals (“Electroconvulsive Therapy”). This occurrence resulted in a significant drop in electroshock therapy which would consequently harm the physicians and patients whom relied on this treatment. However, even with all of the declines in usage of electroshock therapy, it is still widely known by the public as a beneficial treatment to cure mental disorders.
Those who have debated the procedure are unaware of the benefits and techniques used on the patient. For instance, all procedures today are performed on patients who have received muscle relaxants, which prevents them from going into intense shock and harm (Hurley). In additional, patients who receive this procedure are administered with anesthesia which assists to reduce the feeling of the shocks in ECT. Electroshock therapy is well known for sending an intense jolt of current to the brain, which results in a seizure lasting up to two minutes. Doctors are on constant observance over the patients; if the patient experiences a seizure in that time, the doctor will stabilize them with a drug (Kelly and Kelly). In fact, the most therapeutic part of electroshock therapy is the seizure caused by “a rapid firing of neurons” through the brain, not the electricity (Fischer). Furthermore, convulsions are used in electroshock therapy as a result from producing a “cerebral seizure associated with a bilateral tonic-clonic” (Kelly). As defined by Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, convulsions are a “series of involuntary contractions of the voluntary muscles” (“Convulsions”). In fact, those who are treated with this procedure receive it twice a week over a six week period, are more likely to see significant results in curing their depression (Kelly). The controversy of the topic leaves electroshock therapy to be less frequently performed on patients now than in the past. However the effectiveness in treating depressions and other mental illnesses outweighs the consequences presented by the leading side effects.
The controversy related to the treatment is mainly impacted by the side effects from electroshock therapy. Electroshock therapy can completely cure the patient’s illness, but it can also harm the individual. It heavily depends upon the circumstance and what stage the patient is currently in. In addition to effects on the patient's body and brain, some patients are affected by their daily lives and interactions with others. In the late 1980s, Sarah Lisanby, as mentioned above, witnessed the effectiveness of ECT on humans. This occurred when she was observing a woman, who was suffering from advanced depression; the woman was mute and malnourished. After electroshock treatments, the woman’s severe depressions were diminished leaving her able to talk and eat again (Hurley). Additionally, Sarah Lisanby was directly impacted by the usefulness and effectiveness of the treatment from her grandfather. In the 1950s, back when anesthesia was not used, her grandfather was a patient of ECT. She believed that if ECT was not performed on him, then he would not be alive for her to get to know him (qtd. in Hurley). From these sightings and experiences, Lisanby was more connected to the therapy and the effectiveness of the patients.
Not only is the patient’s daily and personal life affected, but also their neurological and body functions are affected. After operations, some patients have reported in experiencing headaches, nausea, and muscle pains. The most common and dramatic are memory loss and confusion (Kelly). According to a British Medical Journal in 2003, at least thirty percent of electroshock therapy cases confirmed that there were slight signs of memory loss after their procedure (qtd. in Cyrzyk). Evidently, scientists are considering these concerns and effects by examining other ways of operating to minimize the side effects. By doing this it will ensure the safety and effectiveness of the treatment for the patient. In contrast, many patients have reported a “total remission” with no sign of memory loss after their series of treatments (Hurley). A recent study performed by Mayo Clinic discovered that ninety one percent of those affected by electroshock therapy were satisfied with the procedure and the results (Fischer). Even after all the controversy relating to the effects on the patients, such as memory loss, a majority are pleased with the results. Over the past few decades, electroshock therapy has transformed into what it is today, after many new and improved updates and techniques. Over the past few years, electroshock therapy has become more popular with the assistance of new techniques and better equipment.
When ECT was first discovered, it was very harmful and hazardous to the patient’s body. But after many years of improvement, ECT is now considered to be a safe, reliable and effective way for treating individuals with mental illnesses (Kelly). This improvement has been a result of doctors who have discovered new techniques with beneficial results for the patients; saying that ECT is “no longer a source of torture” (“The Return”). Additionally, these new results have increased the success rate and reliability for the treatments. According to this month’s American Journal of Psychiatry, ECT is producing “consistent and dramatic results” for those patients suffering from mental disorders. Also, this treatment has been acknowledged the best treatment by having a seventy to ninety percent success rate
(Fischer).
Numerous patients, who were originally nervous of the treatment, were surprised and ecstatic with the dramatic results after the treatment. A sixty three year old, native New Yorker, was concerned about the treatment when she first heard about it thirty years ago, but when her depression increased she knew she needed a new treatment. After the electroshock therapy, she woke up from the anesthesia with no depressed thoughts; she was back to her normal self. In the interview she said, “‘Thirty years ago, I was afraid to get ECT. This time, I begged for it”’ (qtd. in Fischer). Many other individuals recall this as well, saying how relieved they are that they were given electroshock therapy to cure their mental disorders, even with all the controversy about the shocks involved. Since new techniques and treatment have been discovered, many patients are thrilled with the results. With the new and improved treatment, ECT is now considered to be more effective in targeting discrete brain circuits than medications (Hurley). At one point in time, the use of electroshock therapy began to decrease, but over the past few years this treatment has been on a rise (Cloud). This rise has been in accordance to the latest improvements to the treatment. Scientists have discovered new methods which will benefit the patient in a positive manner.
With the pace of individuals suffering from depressed thoughts growing exponentially faster each day, new and improved treatments are essential to cure mental disorders. Thankfully, electroshock therapy is performed differently than in the past, and if conducted correctly, it can be a safe and effective way to treat these mental illnesses, such as depression. However, electroshock therapy has been combatting a battle to be the most frequently used practice for treating mental disorders. Compared to the past, electroshock therapy is on a rise due to enhanced techniques. The future for electroshock therapy is skeptical due to advanced medication in the near destiny.
where it is considered a safe and effective way to treat mental illnesses.
Each year, around 35,000 Americans are faced with suicidal thoughts, which is greatly influenced by depression and other mental disorders. With the assistance of electroshock therapy, those faced with depression can be dramatically affected by the results in reducing their mental disorder (Harley). The use of electroshock therapy, also known as electroconvulsive therapy and ECT, has been a controversial topic from the start due to the side effects, such as memory loss and the rare nature of the procedure. However, this type of therapy has been known to be the most effective treatment for individuals with severe depression and bipolar disorder. In fact, Sarah Hollingsworth Lisanby, Chair of the Psychiatry and Behavioral-Sciences Department at Duke University School of Medicine, performed a study which found that ninety eight percent of individuals that have received electroshock therapy would likely undergo the treatment again if their depression returned (qtd. in Hurley). However, the lack of funding for electroshock therapy limits other individuals faced with mental disorders from receiving help and assistance from professionals. The majority of patients are satisfied with the ending result, being that they had experienced far less depression and suicidal thoughts (Hurley). Even with the lack of funding, electroshock therapy is still considered an extraordinary treatment for individuals with severe mental illnesses (Kelly and Kelly). Numerous people, who are influenced by media, believe it is very harmful to the patient’s mind as well as their everyday lives. In contrast, people firmly believe it can provide a cure to mental disorders. With the input from scientists and past patients, electroshock therapy has dramatically developed over the years with new techniques and medicines.
Electroshock therapy has been remodeled to a healthier and safer method for the patients and their families.
This style of therapy has existed for many years, but it only became safe and prominent in the 1930s. Before then, in forty seven AD, a “court physician” would treat patients headaches by using an “electric torpedo fish” on their head. This would consequently result in a temporary cure for the patient's headache. Numerous years later, in the eighteenth century, physicians would use electrical devices to cure body symptoms that individuals were facing (Katsnelson). In fact, this would be the primary breakthrough which has made a significant impact on the discovery of electroshock therapy. Many years later, an Italian neurologist by the name of Ugo Cerletti, introduced electroshock therapy as a way to treat patients with major depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia (Kelly and Kelly). Specifically, this treatment was the first of its kind to use electricity instead of using harsh chemicals like the other doctors at this time. Being the first treatment like this, many scientists were surprised and shocked at how much faster it worked on the patient (Cloud). When ECT was first administered on patients, the jolts of electricity were much stronger and less targeted on the brain. Additionally, patients experiencing this treatment would not be induced with anesthesia or any drugs to diminish the pain on their body …show more content…
(Hurley).
Even with this fear of the treatment, many individuals faced with mental disorders invested their time and money in ECT hoping it would cure their disorder. Electroshock therapy was gaining popularity and usage until the 1940s and the 1950s. In the 1940s, Jack Nicholson starred in a film, One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, which portrayed electroshock therapy in a vivid, horrifying way to the viewers (Fischer). The novel and film caused numerous people to view this treatment as a harmful method for treating individuals with mental disorders. Around ten years later, there was another decline in the use of ECT on patients. This was due to the introduction of antipsychotic drugs in the medical world to reduce the sign of depression in individuals (“Electroconvulsive Therapy”). This occurrence resulted in a significant drop in electroshock therapy which would consequently harm the physicians and patients whom relied on this treatment. However, even with all of the declines in usage of electroshock therapy, it is still widely known by the public as a beneficial treatment to cure mental disorders.
Those who have debated the procedure are unaware of the benefits and techniques used on the patient. For instance, all procedures today are performed on patients who have received muscle relaxants, which prevents them from going into intense shock and harm (Hurley). In additional, patients who receive this procedure are administered with anesthesia which assists to reduce the feeling of the shocks in ECT. Electroshock therapy is well known for sending an intense jolt of current to the brain, which results in a seizure lasting up to two minutes. Doctors are on constant observance over the patients; if the patient experiences a seizure in that time, the doctor will stabilize them with a drug (Kelly and Kelly). In fact, the most therapeutic part of electroshock therapy is the seizure caused by “a rapid firing of neurons” through the brain, not the electricity (Fischer). Furthermore, convulsions are used in electroshock therapy as a result from producing a “cerebral seizure associated with a bilateral tonic-clonic” (Kelly). As defined by Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, convulsions are a “series of involuntary contractions of the voluntary muscles” (“Convulsions”). In fact, those who are treated with this procedure receive it twice a week over a six week period, are more likely to see significant results in curing their depression (Kelly). The controversy of the topic leaves electroshock therapy to be less frequently performed on patients now than in the past. However the effectiveness in treating depressions and other mental illnesses outweighs the consequences presented by the leading side effects.
The controversy related to the treatment is mainly impacted by the side effects from electroshock therapy. Electroshock therapy can completely cure the patient’s illness, but it can also harm the individual. It heavily depends upon the circumstance and what stage the patient is currently in. In addition to effects on the patient's body and brain, some patients are affected by their daily lives and interactions with others. In the late 1980s, Sarah Lisanby, as mentioned above, witnessed the effectiveness of ECT on humans. This occurred when she was observing a woman, who was suffering from advanced depression; the woman was mute and malnourished. After electroshock treatments, the woman’s severe depressions were diminished leaving her able to talk and eat again (Hurley). Additionally, Sarah Lisanby was directly impacted by the usefulness and effectiveness of the treatment from her grandfather. In the 1950s, back when anesthesia was not used, her grandfather was a patient of ECT. She believed that if ECT was not performed on him, then he would not be alive for her to get to know him (qtd. in Hurley). From these sightings and experiences, Lisanby was more connected to the therapy and the effectiveness of the patients.
Not only is the patient’s daily and personal life affected, but also their neurological and body functions are affected. After operations, some patients have reported in experiencing headaches, nausea, and muscle pains. The most common and dramatic are memory loss and confusion (Kelly). According to a British Medical Journal in 2003, at least thirty percent of electroshock therapy cases confirmed that there were slight signs of memory loss after their procedure (qtd. in Cyrzyk). Evidently, scientists are considering these concerns and effects by examining other ways of operating to minimize the side effects. By doing this it will ensure the safety and effectiveness of the treatment for the patient. In contrast, many patients have reported a “total remission” with no sign of memory loss after their series of treatments (Hurley). A recent study performed by Mayo Clinic discovered that ninety one percent of those affected by electroshock therapy were satisfied with the procedure and the results (Fischer). Even after all the controversy relating to the effects on the patients, such as memory loss, a majority are pleased with the results. Over the past few decades, electroshock therapy has transformed into what it is today, after many new and improved updates and techniques. Over the past few years, electroshock therapy has become more popular with the assistance of new techniques and better equipment.
When ECT was first discovered, it was very harmful and hazardous to the patient’s body. But after many years of improvement, ECT is now considered to be a safe, reliable and effective way for treating individuals with mental illnesses (Kelly). This improvement has been a result of doctors who have discovered new techniques with beneficial results for the patients; saying that ECT is “no longer a source of torture” (“The Return”). Additionally, these new results have increased the success rate and reliability for the treatments. According to this month’s American Journal of Psychiatry, ECT is producing “consistent and dramatic results” for those patients suffering from mental disorders. Also, this treatment has been acknowledged the best treatment by having a seventy to ninety percent success rate
(Fischer).
Numerous patients, who were originally nervous of the treatment, were surprised and ecstatic with the dramatic results after the treatment. A sixty three year old, native New Yorker, was concerned about the treatment when she first heard about it thirty years ago, but when her depression increased she knew she needed a new treatment. After the electroshock therapy, she woke up from the anesthesia with no depressed thoughts; she was back to her normal self. In the interview she said, “‘Thirty years ago, I was afraid to get ECT. This time, I begged for it”’ (qtd. in Fischer). Many other individuals recall this as well, saying how relieved they are that they were given electroshock therapy to cure their mental disorders, even with all the controversy about the shocks involved. Since new techniques and treatment have been discovered, many patients are thrilled with the results. With the new and improved treatment, ECT is now considered to be more effective in targeting discrete brain circuits than medications (Hurley). At one point in time, the use of electroshock therapy began to decrease, but over the past few years this treatment has been on a rise (Cloud). This rise has been in accordance to the latest improvements to the treatment. Scientists have discovered new methods which will benefit the patient in a positive manner.
With the pace of individuals suffering from depressed thoughts growing exponentially faster each day, new and improved treatments are essential to cure mental disorders. Thankfully, electroshock therapy is performed differently than in the past, and if conducted correctly, it can be a safe and effective way to treat these mental illnesses, such as depression. However, electroshock therapy has been combatting a battle to be the most frequently used practice for treating mental disorders. Compared to the past, electroshock therapy is on a rise due to enhanced techniques. The future for electroshock therapy is skeptical due to advanced medication in the near destiny.