Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has faced significant misunderstanding and stigma, largely influenced by historical events like the "Eagleton Incident" in 1972. Senator Thomas Eagleton's disclosure of his ECT treatment led to his dismissal from George McGovern's presidential ticket, highlighting societal fears around mental health. Misrepresentations in media, particularly films like "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," exacerbate these misconceptions by portraying ECT negatively. New research may help clarify the neural mechanisms involved in ECT, potentially alleviating some stigma and misunderstanding surrounding this treatment.
The "Eagleton Incident" influenced political candidate selections for decades after and ECT today remains the subject of misinterpretation and stigma.
When we don't understand how something works, we are prone to cast aspersions on it.
Collection
[
|
...
]