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This book is partially a memoir by Kitty Dukakis, recalling her struggle with severe depression and how ect saved her. Every other chapter is written by journalist Larry Tye, each going in depth into a different aspect of ect, electroconvulsive therapy, from its origins, media portrayal, risks and benefits to future projections. No one knows the exact science behind why it works, yet for patients with severe enough symptoms or where all other treatments have failed, ect can be worth the risk of memory loss.
Like LSD, electroshock therapy was once used (effectively) to treat depression. This book talks about the history, evolution and current use of electroshock. About 3/5ths is written by a journalist, and the rest is a first person account from Kitty Dukakis. The chapters go back and forth. It's an interesting read if you are curious about this type of therapy. Having the two perspectives keeps things human and balanced.
cw: suicide descriptions, alcohol abuse
ECT is a great treatment that many, many more people should consider. It does not deserve the reputation it has.
However, this book contains far too many graphic descriptions of self harm. If you are considering ECT treatment, I recommend looking into videos from medical institutions rather than reading this book. The videos I've found have been very helpful while not being graphic about self harm or other triggering content.
ECT is a great treatment that many, many more people should consider. It does not deserve the reputation it has.
However, this book contains far too many graphic descriptions of self harm. If you are considering ECT treatment, I recommend looking into videos from medical institutions rather than reading this book. The videos I've found have been very helpful while not being graphic about self harm or other triggering content.
challenging
informative
slow-paced
I found the book interesting because the topic (electroconvulsive treatment, or ECT) is something I have had done myself. However, with the book being over 20yrs old, some info was vastly outdated. A decent resource for dispelling myths re: the treatment.
Unless you or someone you know is going to have or has had ECT, then this book probably wouldn't interest you. It is, however, very informative with regards to the pros and cons of ECT and I wish I had read this before I underwent the procedure; but it hadn't been published yet.
Shock is actually two books in one: it consists of Kitty Dukakis's experience with having ECT for her depression, and the other part, written by Larry Tye, is a history of ECT. Tye also presents various theories as to how the treatment works and interviews ECT patients who are both critical of the therapy as well as praise it. A valuable resource.
Shock is actually two books in one: it consists of Kitty Dukakis's experience with having ECT for her depression, and the other part, written by Larry Tye, is a history of ECT. Tye also presents various theories as to how the treatment works and interviews ECT patients who are both critical of the therapy as well as praise it. A valuable resource.