The healing power of ECT

<p>Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) carries stigma thanks to negative portrayals in movies like "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." Such portrayals hide ECT's true value — and the truth about the treatment: ECT has a decades-long track record of safety, and it offers a fast-acting solution for difficult-to-treat severe depression. ECT is also effective for patients with suicidal ideation or depression with psychosis or catatonia, says <a href='https://www.northwell.edu/find-care/find-a-doctor/psychiatry/dr-sohag-natvarlal-sanghani-md-11366957'>Sohag Sanghani, MD</a>. He joins Sandra Lindsay, RN, and Rob Hoell to dispel myths and misunderstandings around ECT. In Part 1 of this two-part episode, the director of the ECT service at Zucker Hillside Hospital — which was the second in the US to ever use ECT in 1941 — explains how ECT works, who benefits from the treatment and how it changes lives.</p> <p>More from our expert:</p> <p>Learn about <a href='https://www.northwell.edu/news/insights/ect-brings-patient-back-from-brink'>ECT</a> from the patient's perspective.</p>