Shock: The Healing Power of Electroconvulsive Therapy

A number of people who give testimony about ECT in this book refuse to use their last name because there is still such a stigma attached to the procedure and that is a shame because this shit works. More people should talk about it. I'll start.I've had four treatments so far and I feel better than I have in the last ten years. I still have about four more to go before I'm done and it is likely that I will have to go for maintenance treatments for the rest of my life but I don't care because it w [...]

(Larry Tye is the former medical writer at the Boston Globe.)Preface: "There is treatment in psychiatry more effective than ECT.""The U.S. Surgeon general, the National Institutes of Health, and much of the psychiatric establishment agree than ECT presents a better prospect for relieving severe depression than even the best antidepressants or the sagest psychotherapists.""ECT has an enviable success rate for a series of other debilitating mental conditions."(Even number chapters are Kitty Dukaki [...]

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 [...]

I beg you: no matter what you read about ECT, please know it is a harrowing and nightmarishly life-altering treatment. As time passes after your series of shock treatments, you may find an improvement in the quality of your life. But the process itself is barbaric and horrific.

"Shock therapy? They still DO that?"That's the usual reaction anyone gets if they let slip that they are being treated with ECT or electroconvulsive therapy. But most likely a person receiving shock therapy never tells anyone because of the stigma involved. Kitty Dukakis, wife of the three-term governor of Massachusetts Michael Dukakis, decided that enough was enough. She teamed up with award-winning medical journalist Larry Tye to write a book looking at all aspects of shock therapy. The result [...]

You would have to be pretty darned interested in learning about Electro-Convulsive Therapy to really enjoy this book. Alternating chapters are written by Kitty Dukakis about her own experience while the other chapters are written by a medical journalist about the history, facts, and figures about ECT (aka "shock therapy"). I wouldn't have bothered even posting this book here, since I am probably the only one remotely interested in mental health treatments like this, BUT I wanted to report that I [...]

A brief history intertwined with a personal battleA brief history intertwined with a personal battle. Overall, a decent read that gave a positive view on a controversial subject, while not shying away from the contradictory points of view. As far as readability - it could have been trimmed with less repetition.

Kitty was supposed to be a keynote speaker at a conference but she had to miss it because she was getting ECT. Mike Dukakis spoke instead and handed out copies of her book. It was interesting to read a modern account of ECT, which has always been looked upon with fear. I have less of a bias towards the practice of ECT after reading this account.

Dukakis' description of being in the throes of depression will ring true with anyone who has suffered from the disease. She sheds new light on the old therapy of electroshock, something that many of us hold outdated and incorrect ideas about.

This book was a good look at the controversy of shock treatment, although I ended up finding Kitty's chapters more enthralling than the chapters written by Globe reporter about the history/controversy of the therapy.

this book is a bit sterile, probably not actually written by ms dukakis.ough its crammed with plenty of information, differing viewpoints, all together, quite a acomprehensive read (though I'm still not convinced that ECT is for me).

Her description of coping with depression / bipolar disorder over a lifetime is pretty powerful, and she's very candid about her experience with ECT pro and con, but the chapters by her co-author get a little long.

Highly readable introduction to shock therapy and the controversies surrounding it.

Absolutely fascinating. It's not pseudo science anymore.

I often recommend this to patients and families considering ECT. Informative, readable and one of the most accessible texts out there introducing the lay person to a potentially life saving therapy.

Not bad. explaining the ECT (electroconvulsvie therapy) and it explains the history of it, the cons and pros of it it's something that should be offered more often.

Interesting, and an easy read.

Very informative. Gave me a new prespective on depression on another cure that should be explored more often.

Didn't finish it, but learned a lot from the 2/3 that I did read. Would recommend to someone looking to learn more about ECT.

Fascinating.