shock therapy

noun

1. (not in technical use) any of various therapies, as insulin shock therapy or electroconvulsive therapy, that induce convulsions or unconsciousness, used for symptomatic relief in certain mental disorders.

shock therapy

noun

1. the treatment of certain psychotic conditions by injecting drugs or by passing an electric current through the brain ( electroconvulsive therapy ) to produce convulsions or coma

shock therapy

1. The treatment of a mentally ill person by passing electric shocks through the brain .

Word History and Origins

Origin of shock therapy¹

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

When Milei assumed the presidency, he promised shock therapy, devaluing the peso by 50% and cutting the number of government ministries by half.

From BBC

Emma was kept away from her children for two years and received endless forms of electric shock therapy.

From Los Angeles Times

The IMF has endorsed Milei’s shock therapy for Argentina, agreeing to disburse $4.7 billion from a bailout package the country took out six years ago.

From Seattle Times

Mr Milei has said the country needs "economic shock therapy" to fix its current economic crisis, deemed the worst in decades.

From BBC

Fanon’s thinking on the mental health of the oppressed and the liberating force of violence — “shock therapy for the colonized mind” — was embraced by the Black Panthers, who helped resurrect Fanon in the late ’60s.

From Los Angeles Times