Task 1. Summary of Main Topic
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is one of the oldest biological treatments for mental illnesses still used by psychiatrists today, despite its controversial roots. ECT is currently prescribed to an estimated 100,000 patients in the US every year. The majority of these patients, who suffer from major depression, will have a remarkable 85-90% chance of full recovery (Abrams, 2002), thus providing a much safe alternative to psychotropic drugs. Of course, the proven safety of ECT today does not account for it’s notoriously unethical evolution. This is most apparent regarding specifically the treatment of patients exhibiting schizophrenic symptoms, where the rights of these patients were often wavered in the doctor’s …show more content…
Modern techniques have been refined to a degree that regards ECT as the most effective treatment for mental illness, though, most predominantly for manic depression, and is often applied when psychotropic drugs have failed to relieve symptoms of psychiatric disorders. Applying electric current through the brain or the consumption of chemicals to induce seizes in hopes of reducing abnormal brain function, on the surface sounds inhumane, but the introduction of anaesthesia, controlled oxygenation and muscle relaxation considerably lowered the risks previously involved in ECT tratment for those with mental illness (Fink, 2008). It is argued that the controversy surrounding the continued use of ECT to relieve depression, schizophrenia and bi-polar is unsupported by scientific evidence and much of the push back is attributed to collectives against psychiatry in a broader sense rather than purely anti-ECT (Kellner, 2011). If not for the inaccurate stigma surrounding the concept of electroconvulsive therapy, the treatment could become more readily available and better administered by educated professionals, aiding in the recovery of more patients, more efficiently (Fink,
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is one of the oldest biological treatments for mental illnesses still used by psychiatrists today, despite its controversial roots. ECT is currently prescribed to an estimated 100,000 patients in the US every year. The majority of these patients, who suffer from major depression, will have a remarkable 85-90% chance of full recovery (Abrams, 2002), thus providing a much safe alternative to psychotropic drugs. Of course, the proven safety of ECT today does not account for it’s notoriously unethical evolution. This is most apparent regarding specifically the treatment of patients exhibiting schizophrenic symptoms, where the rights of these patients were often wavered in the doctor’s …show more content…
Modern techniques have been refined to a degree that regards ECT as the most effective treatment for mental illness, though, most predominantly for manic depression, and is often applied when psychotropic drugs have failed to relieve symptoms of psychiatric disorders. Applying electric current through the brain or the consumption of chemicals to induce seizes in hopes of reducing abnormal brain function, on the surface sounds inhumane, but the introduction of anaesthesia, controlled oxygenation and muscle relaxation considerably lowered the risks previously involved in ECT tratment for those with mental illness (Fink, 2008). It is argued that the controversy surrounding the continued use of ECT to relieve depression, schizophrenia and bi-polar is unsupported by scientific evidence and much of the push back is attributed to collectives against psychiatry in a broader sense rather than purely anti-ECT (Kellner, 2011). If not for the inaccurate stigma surrounding the concept of electroconvulsive therapy, the treatment could become more readily available and better administered by educated professionals, aiding in the recovery of more patients, more efficiently (Fink,