Treatments for mental illnesses often include psychotherapy, psychotropic medications, and even ECT and deep brain stimulation ... but what about surgery? Termed psychosurgery, a new field is evolving that offers treatment to those who have failed other forms of therapy. Take a read of the article, "Psychosurgeons Use Lasers to Burn Away Mental Illness" to learn about this new specialty and see how some physicians are using it to help those with OCD ...
"This is the shape of modern psychosurgery: Ablating parts of the brain to treat mental illnesses. Which might remind you of that maligned procedure, the lobotomy. But psychosurgeries are different. And not just because the ethics are better today; because the procedures actually work. Removing parts of a person’s brain is always a dicey proposition. But for people who are mentally ill, when pills and psychiatry offer no solace, the laser-tipped probe can be a welcome relief."
"This is the shape of modern psychosurgery: Ablating parts of the brain to treat mental illnesses. Which might remind you of that maligned procedure, the lobotomy. But psychosurgeries are different. And not just because the ethics are better today; because the procedures actually work. Removing parts of a person’s brain is always a dicey proposition. But for people who are mentally ill, when pills and psychiatry offer no solace, the laser-tipped probe can be a welcome relief."
RSS Feed
