When you hear the words “electroshock therapy,” you no doubt have images in mind that are probably generated from Hollywood, whether you realize it or not. Those movies portray therapies like this one in a very negative way. This is where you probably think I’m about to say that they are wrong in their portrayal, but I won’t, at least not immediately. You see, our understanding of electroshock therapy is driven by a very dark history of abuse in the world of psychology. The American version of that includes hidden experiments conducted on both Canadians and Americans.

Electroshock Therapy

From Mad Scientists to Ethics Codes

It may surprise you to learn that much of what we gleaned about memory comes from those experiments when the CIA was trying to figure out how so many prisoners of war were released from wars overseas, but completely “brain washed.” This isn’t a conspiracy anymore. It’s documented. You can read about it yourself, but be warned that the information is ugly. And you will notice, once you start digging, that certain names seem to continue popping up over the decades. Most notably, the names of psychiatrists.

Those stories are often horrific in nature. Not gory, just horrifying. And those are the stories that have shaped our understanding of therapies like electroshock, also known as electroconvulsive therapy. However, it was situations like these that gave birth to ethical standards and review boards which utterly changed the rules. Nevertheless, can you imagine how stunned I was when an older friend told me she had received electroshock therapy for her severe depression? And, even more to my horror, if certain symptoms arose again, she had to go back for more. That conversation was less than 10 years ago. Obviously I needed to be schooled on this because I thought those days were archaic and completely behind us. So, just what is electroshock therapy then?

The New Electroshock Therapy

Electroshock or electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has come a long way from its terrifying origins. Even the Mayo Clinic explains, “Much of the stigma attached to ECT is based on early treatments in which high doses of electricity were administered without anesthesia, leading to memory loss, fractured bones and other serious side effects.” Now it’s performed under general anesthesia and with muscle relaxers. Electrodes are placed on the patient’s scalp so that small currents can pass through the brain to deliberately trigger a brief seizure. Apparently, this action and effect changes brain chemistry in a way that can quickly reverse the symptoms of some mental illnesses. Although there are some side effects from ECT in our day, it is much safer than the old days.

Who Needs Electroshock Therapy?

For the record,  I put this treatment in the same category as all the medical data that came from the Holocaust. It raises the ultimate ethical dilemma: do the ends justify the means? How you answer that is irrelevant because we do indeed use that data. And, as far as we know, it has been used for the good, as in the case of my friend who received the treatment for severe depression. Even though people endured excruciating, cruel, and often lethal experiments with ECT, what was learned from that time is now used to help people get better as well. For example, patients with severe clinical depression who haven’t had success with medications seem to benefit greatly from electroshock therapy. In fact, ECT must be referred by your psychiatrist in cases of severe depression and other psychiatric disorders, such as severe mood disorders. The Mayo Clinic also lists severe mania, catatonia, and agitation and aggression in people with dementia.

They add, ECT may be a good treatment option when medications aren’t tolerated or other forms of therapy haven’t worked. In some cases ECT is used:

• During pregnancy, when medications can’t be taken because they might harm the developing fetus
• In older adults who can’t tolerate drug side effects
• In people who prefer ECT treatments over taking medications
• When ECT has been successful in the past

If you are suffering from depression and mood swings because of another illness such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, or chronic pain in general, this is probably not a therapy to consider. However, it is imperative to make your psychiatrist aware of these conditions, in the unlikely event that you failed to mention it. Before something like ECT is performed, you will go through a full medical examination anyway. And part of your treatment includes ongoing psychotherapy as well. There are several stories online of people who have had success with this therapy. And, like any treatment, you’re likely to find the opposite. Just know that electroshock therapy is nothing like it used be. In fact, the only side effects generally are headache, nausea, jaw pain, or muscle pain. No more bone fractures, lost memories, or visions of Victor Frankenstein standing over you with a wild grin.

Have you experienced this kind therapy? Was it successful? Please share your story with us.