Shock therapy and Dukakis

[technoextreme]

I thought this stuff actually died down but aparently Im wrong. I discovered a forum being given about shock therapy by former presidental candidate Michael Dukakis and his wife. Is this stuff woo or is it an actual legitimate medical procedure? I know from my brief readings that some people swear by it. Common sense dictates that current going through the brain is a bad bad bad idea.

 

[Loriciferan Universe]

I know it’s an “actual legitimate medical procedure”. Friend of mine had it done, as did my grandma, they both said it changed their life. But I suppose that’s expected when you have high volts of electricity put through your head...

 

[technoextreme]

I know it’s an “actual legitimate medical procedure”. Friend of mine had it done, as did my grandma, they both said it changed their life. But I suppose that’s expected when you have high volts of electricity put through your head...

Supposedly this is what Hemingway said after his treatment:

"Well, what is the sense of ruining my head and erasing my memory, which is my capital, and putting me out of business? It was a brilliant cure but we lost the patient...."[

 

[Gord_in_Toronto]

I am not in favour of forums being given shock therapy by unqualifed medical staff such as ex-presidential candidates and/or their wives.

However, there does seem to be some evidence that when it is correctly administered it can be effective in improving a patient's mental state. I think that these days it is a treatment of last resort and that the voltages used are a lot lower than they used to be.

Be aware that there are some people who are very, very negative about the whole concept and many of them are ex-patients on whom the procedure has been used.

 

[technoextreme]

Be aware that there are some people who are very, very negative about the whole concept and many of them are ex-patients on whom the procedure has been used.

I don't know. You can't get much more negative than saying your writing career is over. Not only that but reading Mrs. Dukaksis' response just scares me even though she's very positive.

However, there does seem to be some evidence that when it is correctly administered it can be effective in improving a patient's mental state. I think that these days it is a treatment of last resort and that the voltages used are a lot lower than they used to be.

It's still a significantly high voltage.

 

[Jeff Corey]

Back when I was an undergrad, I worked in a number of psychiatric facilities during the summer recess. The first job I had was to monitor people during and after they had received electroshock or insulin "therapy". I asked the psychiatrist in charge how these worked and he gave me a bunch of papers about the history and so forth. "But, how does it work?" I asked.
"Well, you know, when your TV goes on the fritz, sometimes giving it a good whack fixes things up.'
"Well, maybe you're just shocking this guy every day until he cheers up."

 

[Dancing David]

I thought this stuff actually died down but aparently Im wrong. I discovered a forum being given about shock therapy by former presidental candidate Michael Dukakis and his wife. Is this stuff woo or is it an actual legitimate medical procedure? I know from my brief readings that some people swear by it. Common sense dictates that current going through the brain is a bad bad bad idea.

Electro convulsive therapy is still used.
First it has been modified extensivly, the voltages are much more appropraite and much smaller.
Second physical consideration of the muscles spasms are now taken into account to make the patient more comfortable.

However it is very limited in use, it is a hospital procedure and requires a psychiatric hospital that is willing to do it, the other means of chemo and talk therapy should have been tried before the ECT.

It is a therapy that is very effective with certain forms of obsessive depression and psychotic depression.

 

[Professor Yaffle]

It does seem to be effective in treatment resistant depression. A great aunt of mine had it and it really helped, but it is usually kept as a last resort because of the disrupting effect on memory - my great aunt had trouble with her memory for several months afterwards. But in her case it was definitely worth it because her depression had become so severe. I was asked whether it would be something I would consider by my psychiatrist after we had gone through several types of medication without me getting any better. He said if the current one didn't work, either lithium or ECT would be the next option. Luckily the combination I was on did help and I didn't have to make that decision.

 

[dogjones]

Didn't House use it to cure a guy who's apparently unrequited love was giving him heart attacks?