Electroconvulsive therapy or ECT has been around for some time.  It was introduced to psychiatry in the 1930's and gained much popularity in the 40's and 50's.  What is ECT?  The simplest definition is that this treatment uses electricity to induce seizures for the purpose of a therapeutic effect.  Electroconvulsive therapy has been used in the treatment of the mania most often present in bipolar disorder and has also been used for treating schizophrenia.  But predominantly it has been used as a method to help those who suffer from major depressive disorder when other treatments including antidepressants do not work. 

There are many who may have a negative view of this type of therapy gleaned from abuses highlighted in films such as One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest where electric shock therapy was given to patients without their consent.  This scenario was once not so far from the truth, as in the case of my mother, who suffers from schizophrenia.  She described being involuntarily shocked and without any anesthesia back in the fifties.  She also reported to me that she lost some of her memory due to this treatment.  So has ECT changed over the decades?

As a partially objective observer (I have not had this treatment myself) I would say the answer is a cautious yes.  Many people all over the world, an estimated one million people worldwide, voluntarily receive this type of treatment each year.  Some of these people include the rich and famous such as Carrie Fisher. In this article, Fisher discusses how she underwent electro shock therapy as treatment for her bipolar disorder and how she loved it at first, except for the part about losing some of her memory.  Clearly this type of therapy is not without risks.

Despite the fact that some psychiatrists and patients believe that ECT is a safe and effective method of treatment for mental illness including major depression, it is still considered to be a controversial way to help those who suffer from depression or other mental disorders. 

In order to gain some greater insight about this particular method of treatment, I have enlisted the aid of a fellow blogger who is known to his blog audience as "Doctor Shock."  I do hope that the following interview will shed some new light into what is known as electroconvulsive or electric shock therapy.  Doctor Shock will also discuss his general thoughts about depression as well as why he enjoys being a psychiatrist.

I now present to you Doctor Shock.

Name: Walter van den Broek

Type of Therapist: Psychiatrist

Type of Therapy: Supportive Psychotherapy

Blog Name:  Dr. Shock, MD, PhD

Blog Name and link: Dr Shock MD, PhD   

Can you tell us more about how you chose the name Dr. Shock for your blog persona?

Doctor Shock is a nickname given to my by our residents. One of the pleasures of working in a University Hospital is educating students and residents. Their use of this nickname is an insider's term of affection mostly used when being together at parties, dinners and discussing psychiatric problems such as indications for electroconvulsive therapy.