Electroconvulsive Therapy Analysis

Electroconvulsive Therapy is a dangerous yet effective treatment for severe depression. In the video we were introduced to Mary. Mary was a distraught women who had previously tried to commit suicide; she had no interest in living and felt no emotions at all. This lack of emotion was portrayed by her body language and tone of voice. I believe that without Electroconvulsive Therapy she would have been successful in taking her own life. Her husband also played an antagonizing role in her condition by not taking her seriously when she was trying to convey her feelings, about herself, to him. However, I think the doctors gave Mary an accurate diagnosis, and they took the necessary steps to properly treat her depression. Electroconvulsive …show more content…
Some humanists would say she would have been perfectly fine living out the rest of her life on a medically induced cocktail of anti-depressants and mood stabilizers. But is that really living? Maybe a psychiatric hospital would have been successful in observing her every move, to be sure she didn’t succeed in killing herself, or maybe she would slip through the cracks and eventually end her life time of emotional suffering. Electroconvulsive Therapy gave Mary her life back; it ended the intense, overwhelming feeling of guilt and shame that consumed her every thought. It gave her a positive outlook on the world and a motive to live in …show more content…
In the video Dr. Max Fink stated “With the severe form of major depression, with psychosism, that Mary has—in that illness, medication is usually not very helpful, and so the best alternative is Electroconvulsive Therapy.” In order to save lives Doctors must be willing to take risks. The side effects of Electroconvulsive Therapy are considered acceptable risks because they are minor hazards compared to the alternative. This form of therapy should be used when professionals think it is the only option for successful treatment of major