Synopses & Reviews
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), despite its controversial history, may well represent the only viable treatment for severe psychiatric illness in those for whom medication is not an option. In Electronconvulsive Therapy, Dr. Max Fink draws on over 50 years of clinical experience to describe this safe, painless, and often life-saving treatment.
Extensively revised and restructured since its original publication a decade ago, the book provides readers with a detailed explanation of the ECT procedure, helping them to better understand and prepare for treatment. Discussions of the mechanisms of actions have been updated and sections have been added on the use of ECT in pediatric populations and to treat movement disorders such as Parkinsons. Case studies of ECT patients illustrate its often dramatic success in relieving depression, mania, catatonia, and psychosis. Clarifying the many misconceptions surrounding the treatment, Dr. Fink reveals how anesthesia and muscle relaxation techniques reduce discomfort and risks to levels lower than those associated with psychiatric drugs. He then provides a historical perspective of the treatment, from the discovery of ECT and its widespread use beginning in the 1930s, to the 1950s when it was replaced by psychotropic drugs, to its revival in the last 30 years as a viable psychiatric treatment. Dr. Fink concludes with a straightforward discussion of the ethical issues surrounding ECT use, and on its similarities to and differences from other modern brain stimulation techniques.
The classic text on the subject, written by a renowned researcher and physician, Electroconvulsive Therapy is an excellent resource for patients, their families, and mental health professionals.
Review
"...The author offers the prospective patient, family member, and professional an appropriately detailed, direct and balanced discussion of technique, treatment responses, and side effects. Modern ECT methods are described in detail, replacing the movie-land macabre with reassuring well-reasoned text and clearly-explained images....this book is...held positively, and commended for clarity and thoroughness even by several who express negative views of ECT. This reviewer recommends it highly for patients, families and clinicians who seek accurate answers to common questions about ECT indications, procedures, risks, and benefits."--Ronald M. Salomon, MD, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, in Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
"This reviewer recommends it [Electroconvulsive Therapy] highly for patients, families, and clinicians who seek accurate answers to common questions about ECT indications, procedures, risks, and benefits."--Ronal M. Salomon, MD, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
"This new edition is an instructive and readable guide to ECT for clinicians, patients, and families faced with severe, unrelenting, and disabling psychopathology."--Doody's
Synopsis
In this readable and informative book, Dr. Max Fink draws on over 50 years of clinical experience to demonstrate that electroconvulsive therapy is a safe, painless, and often life-saving treatment for numerous emotional and mental disorders as well as some movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease. The book tackles such questions as: For whom is electroshock effective? How is it administered? What are its risks? How long does the treatment take? Is it a cure? These questions are answered in an easy-to-read fashion, by a world leader in education and research. This extensively revised paperback has updated discussions of the history and mechanisms of ECT and brand-new chapters on brain stimulation, ethics, and the use of ECT in children. The author shows how anesthesia and muscle relaxation techniques have refined ECT, reducing discomfort and risks to much lower levels than that of psychiatric drugs. The book also includes case studies that address the criticisms of this treatment and it shows why ECT may be the best choice for many people suffering from depression, bipolar disorder, and other ailments.
Synopsis
Electroshock therapy has long suffered from a controversial and bizarre public image, effectively removing it as a treatment option for many patients. In
Electroshock, Max Fink, M.D., draws on 45 years of clinical and research experience to argue that ECT is now a safe, painless, and sometimes life-saving treatment for emotional and mental disorders.
Dr. Fink traces the development of ECT from its discovery in 1934 followed by widespread use for two decades, to the 1950s when it was largely replaced by the introduction of psychotropic drugs, to its revival in the past twenty years as a viable treatment. He provides actual case studies of patients who have been treated with ECT and illustrates that many disorders--such as depression, mania, catatonia, and schizophrenia--respond well to it. As he explains the whole procedure from preparation to recovery, we see what the patient experiences. Fink also shows how anesthesia and muscle relaxation have refined ECT, minimizing discomfort and reducing risks to a level far lower than those experienced by patients using psychotropic drugs routinely prescribed for the same problems.
Clarifying the many misconceptions surrounding ECT, Electroshock is an excellent sourcebook for patients, their families, and mental health professionals.
About the Author
Max Fink, MD, is Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology Emeritus at State University of New York at Stony Brook