Definition

Noun: 1. A medical treatment for certain severe mental disorders: This involves deliberately inducing a controlled seizure or convulsion in a patient, typically by applying an electric current to the brain (electroconvulsive therapy) or, historically, by using drugs. It is used when other treatments have not been effective.

Usage

• Shock therapy is a specific medical procedure administered by psychiatrists in a clinical setting.
• It is primarily used as a treatment for severe depression, catatonia, or certain other psychotic conditions.
• The term is often used in a historical context to discuss the evolution of psychiatric treatments.

Examples

• Noun:
  • For patients with severe, treatment-resistant depression, shock therapy can be a life-saving intervention.
  • Modern shock therapy is performed under general anesthesia and is much safer and more controlled than in its early days.
  • The use of shock therapy declined with the introduction of effective psychiatric medications.

Advanced Usage

• Economic shock therapy: This is a metaphorical extension of the term, referring to the rapid and simultaneous implementation of a wide range of radical economic reforms (like ending price controls, privatization, and trade liberalization) with the intent to quickly transition an economy from a planned system to a market-based one. The "shock" refers to the severe but theoretically short-term economic disruption caused by the sudden change.
  • Example: The country's economic recovery was painful after the government implemented shock therapy.

Variants and Related Words

• Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT): The modern, most common form of shock therapy.
• Electroshock therapy: A synonym for electroconvulsive therapy.
• Insulin shock therapy: A historical form of shock therapy induced by insulin.

Synonyms

• Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
• Electroshock therapy

Related Idioms/Phrases

• A shock to the system: While not containing the exact phrase "shock therapy," this idiom shares the core concept of a sudden, jarring event that forces a significant change or reaction.
  • Example: Moving to a new country was a real shock to the system.

Noun

1. treatment of certain psychotic states by the administration of shocks that are followed by convulsions