ECT today is a sophisticated procedure – nothing like how it's portrayed in that old movie. Today, ECT is performed under general anesthesia. Patients are monitored continuously to reduce the risk of complications.

Is electric shock therapy still legal?

It is legal in the United States, though it's illegal to give it to patients younger than 16 in Texas and Colorado. In some cases, with the permission of courts, doctors can force very sick patients to get ECT. One of the more serious side effects of ECT is memory loss.

Is ECT treatment still used?

It was used unethically in the past. ECT was used far more in the 1950s to 1970s than it is today, and it was used without anaesthetic and often without consent.