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Comment by hexo | Hacker News Reader

Whoa, I firmly believe the electroshock "therapy" was debunked a few times already, wasn't it?

Do you recall where you saw this? As for some counter evidence to your memories, I would suggest you check out the studies cited by the linked paper.

ECT is not for everyone, but a last option when all else fails.

No, quite the opposite. The general consensus is that it’s underutilized.

No, not even close

APA position ECT:

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) is a safe and effective evidence-based medical treatment. ECT is endorsed by the APA when administered by properly qualified psychiatrists for appropriately selected patients.

https://www.psychiatry.org/File%20Library/About-APA/Organiza...

You’re welcome to disagree with the APA, or point out that the APA only represents a small fraction of psychologists, or question whether this is really a consensus opinion.

The APA isn’t god.

But I don’t think you can say things like “No, not even close” and expect to be taken seriously.

ECT is a really mild form of what used to be electroshock therapy, and you have full agency over if and when to stop. It works for a lot of people.

The problem is the side effects. The memory loss is really rough. Based on my background as a software programmer, my psychiatrist (who has recommended and done ECT for other people) recommended very strongly against ECT for me and said I should try ketamine instead.

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