-
When the Jargon is Scarier than the Diagnosis: Lessons from Pediatric Neurosurgery
Being referred to neurosurgery is perhaps one of the most frightening experiences anyone can have in a hospital. There are a myriad of concerns that patients may have before going under for brain or spine surgery, from general fears of anesthesia to imagining all of the possible cognitive and physical side effects. The neurophobia that…
-
Electroconvulsive Therapy: Scary or Misunderstood
Electroconvulsive therapy, commonly known as ECT, has been a “scary” treatment for pharmacoresistant psychiatric illnesses since its conception in the 1930s. Efforts to make ECT less fearsome, however, have been a work in progress. The history of ECT can be traced back to several important physicians. Hungarian psychiatrist Lasidlas Meduna induced seizures using the chemical…