6 Psychiatric Treatments Once Considered Normal (Now Outlawed)
The history of mental health treatment is a sobering journey. It includes sincere attempts to help and also shocking practices we now view as barbaric. For example, practices once considered mainstream care can seem horrifying by today’s standards. These condemned procedures remind us how far our understanding of the human brain has come. Consequently, examining these outdated treatments highlights the importance of scientific progress, patient rights, and humane care. This article explores six psychiatric treatments that are now outlawed or universally condemned.
1. Trepanation
Trepanation is one of the oldest known surgical procedures. It involves drilling or scraping a hole into the human skull. In ancient times, people believed it released evil spirits, which they thought caused mental illness, seizures, or headaches. Amazingly, the practice saw a minor revival in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. During this time, surgeons performed the procedure to relieve supposed pressure on the brain. While surgeons perform modern craniotomies for legitimate medical reasons, this historical use of trepanation was primitive and dangerous.
2. Insulin Coma Therapy
Doctors developed insulin coma therapy in the 1930s to treat schizophrenia. In this treatment, they repeatedly injected patients with large doses of insulin to induce daily comas. The theory was that these hypoglycemic shocks could somehow “reboot” the brain. They hoped this would alleviate psychotic symptoms. However, the procedure was extremely dangerous, posing significant risks of brain damage and even death. Patients endured these comatose states for hours at a time over several weeks; therefore, the treatment proved notoriously traumatic. As more effective antipsychotic medications emerged in the 1950s, doctors finally abandoned this practice.
3. Metrazol Shock Therapy
Similar to insulin comas, doctors introduced Metrazol convulsive therapy in the 1930s. They used it as a treatment for schizophrenia and depression. Clinicians injected patients with the drug Metrazol to induce violent seizures, which they thought had a therapeutic effect. However, the seizures were incredibly severe. They often led to spinal fractures and broken bones. Furthermore, they caused extreme terror in patients who were awake when the convulsions began. This treatment was unpredictable and brutal; in short, it prioritized effect over patient safety. The more controlled method of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) quickly replaced it.
4. Frontal Lobotomy
The frontal lobotomy is perhaps the most infamous outdated psychiatric treatment. Doctors hailed it as a miracle cure in the 1940s and 1950s. The procedure severed connections in the brain’s prefrontal cortex. Surgeons often used an instrument resembling an ice pick, inserting it through the eye socket. While it sometimes reduced agitation, the cost was catastrophic. In fact, it left patients apathetic, emotionally blunted, and intellectually impaired for life. Doctors performed tens of thousands of these procedures worldwide before the devastating consequences became undeniable.
5. Hydrotherapy
In the 19th and 20th centuries, doctors commonly used hydrotherapy in asylums. They treated a range of disorders like anxiety, mania, and insomnia. This was not the gentle spa therapy we know today. For instance, asylum staff would forcibly submerge patients in ice-cold or painfully hot baths for hours. Another form involved tightly wrapping patients in cold, wet sheets, a practice known as the “wet pack.” The goal was to calm agitated patients; however, the methods were often punitive, grueling, and psychologically torturous.
6. Rotational Therapy
Erasmus Darwin, Charles Darwin’s grandfather, invented rotational therapy. He based it on the idea that spinning a patient at high speeds could cure mental illness. A clinician would strap patients into a suspended chair or bed and then spin them violently. The primary effects were extreme dizziness, vomiting, and unconsciousness. Unfortunately, clinicians misinterpreted these effects as a therapeutic success. This bizarre and nauseating device therefore stands as a testament to the speculative and often harmful nature of early psychiatric treatments.
Learning from a Dark Past
The history of these outdated psychiatric treatments teaches a powerful lesson in medical humility. Specifically, it underscores the danger of using invasive procedures without a solid scientific understanding. It also highlights the deep respect all patients deserve. While modern psychiatry still has much to learn, it operates under strict ethical guidelines. These rules focus on patient consent, safety, and evidence-based care. The ghosts of lobotomies and shock therapies remind us to remain critical and compassionate. Indeed, we must stay committed to finding better, more humane ways to treat mental illness.
What are your thoughts on how far mental health treatment has come? Share your perspective in the comments.
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