Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a controlled medical procedure that involves inducing a generalized seizure in a patient to produce a therapeutic effect. ECT has been in use for over 70 years and continues to be more effective than antidepressant drugs for affective disorders. However, despite its long history of effectiveness, ECT is considered a controversial treatment because it involves intentionally sending electrical discharges into the patient's brain. In this essay I will address what exactly ECT is, history, indications, adverse effects, and much more. Electroconvulsive therapy was first started in 1938 by the Italian neurologist Ugo Cerletti. Together with Lucio Bini, Cerletti managed to quickly and successfully induce a generalized crisis using electricity. All this was done while maintaining positive therapeutic results. From this was born ECT, which quickly gained popularity due to the fact that it could effectively relieve symptoms in an era when no other alternative methods existed. This was the beginning of a new era in therapeutic optimism in psychiatry. (Kavanagh & McLoughlin, 2009) Until the late 1960s, ECT treatment was used very frequently and patients were not told a clear reason as to why they were receiving the therapy. There was no medical evaluation, follow-up, or teaching about ECT. Patients were often subjected to shock shock in the open wards of mental asylums, simply tied to beds without anesthesia or muscle relaxants. According to Cyrzyk (2013, p. 23), “many patients undergoing ECT felt mistreated, oppressed, punished, and harmed, which had a negative impact on the image of psychiatry in general.” Misconceptions about ECT treatment were highlighted in the film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest in 1975. This instill... half of the document... one. ECT treatment is a controlled medical procedure in which a generalized seizure is induced. to produce a therapeutic effect. Started in 1938, ECT has been used for a variety of mental illnesses including depression and schizophrenia. There are many benefits to having this procedure done, however, there are also many adverse effects such as memory loss that may never be reversed. Like any other medical procedure, legal and ethical issues also arise that could potentially deter the patient from considering ECT treatment. One of these ethical issues is the exact mechanism of action assumed by the treatments. There have been many theories, but no solid answers yet. Hopefully with continued research we will be able to understand how ECT works and potentially find a way to treat the patient without the negative effect of memory loss.