Ect in Modern Psychology

ECT in Recent Psychiatry
The use of electroconvulsive therapy in present day psychiatry is a widely debated subject. It is one of the oldest psychiatric methods used, dating back to the 1930's. The side effects are considered to be very scary to many patients. Current studies have been done to find out the side effects directly attributed to electroconvulsive therapy and what ones result from remission of the illness. Some psychiatrist consider it the the most effective treatment in this day and age, claiming numbers of 80%-85% success rate. The other side of the argument states that electroconvulsive therapy is a short term solution to a long term problem.   Each side has its own reasonable points, like with any treatment the patient must make a choice about the possible adverse side effects they might have. For many mentally ill electroconvulsive therapy is the only chance they have at having a natural life with their families.
ECT is one of the most controversial treatments in psychiatric therapy today. On one side critics say it is a crude harmful tool. They feel that electroconvulsive therapy is a invasive and brain damaging treatment. The critics also feel that no reasonably sane person can give informed consent to such a treatment. The idea behind these feeling is the memory loss associated with the treatment. Along with the memory loss there is the fact that with out other treatment electroconvulsive therapy's effectiveness only last around 6 months, and a relapse is almost guaranteed. Some researchers even insist that no study shows improvement past 4 weeks. There are also patients that claim that electroconvulsive therapy has left them worse then they was before the treatments. The infamous electroconvulsive therapy will stay controversial because of its effectiveness and it potential cognitive side effects related to the treatment.(Reddy 105)
The infamy behind electroconvulsive therapy comes from many places, some are the natural fear of electricity...