The FDA to Decide the Future of Electroshock Therapy
In 1975, a movie titled, “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest” was released. If you saw it you’ll probably never forget it, as it dealt with the shocking inhumane conditions in a mental institution. One of the treatments, electroshock therapy, was depicted in an especially negative light.
Here’s a quote from the movie that describes ECT treatment.
“The Shock Shop, Mr. McMurphy, might be said to do the work of the sleeping pill, the electric chair and the torture rack. It’s a clever little procedure, simple, quick, nearly painless it happens so fast, but no one ever wants another one. Ever.”
Electroconvulsive therapy then and now. But that’s Hollywood. The truth is electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) bears little resemblance to the way it was depicted in the movie. Psychiatrists have used ECT for decades to treat cases of depression that can’t be helped by antidepressant medications. Actually, electroshock therapy has seen something of a revival as roughly 100,000 people in the United States receive such treatments the year.
However, ECT may have an uncertain future. The FDA is considering whether the machines used in ECT need tighter regulations than what they undergo now. If the FDA decides more oversight is needed, many experts are afraid that the use of electroshock...
This Content is restricted to our Community.
Login or
Sign Up for an account to continue reading!
