This chapter of the podcast discusses the misconceptions surrounding electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and how it is portrayed in popular culture, specifically referencing the film 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'. The speaker explains that ECT is a controlled medical procedure and not the barbaric treatment depicted in the movie. It also delves into the history of ECT, which started in 1938, and the speaker's role as a clinical psychiatrist and researcher in the field.
Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) has a chequered history, but its modern iteration is nothing like the scenes depicted in films like One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Used to treat severe depression and psychosis, ECT's side effects include some degree of memory loss. We delve into the discussion around benefits vs side effects, and speak to three patients about their varying degrees of success with the treatment.