ECT is a ~10 minute procedure where the patient is put under general anesthesia to deliver a medically induced seizure with an electrical current to the brain. It is surprisingly one of the most effective treatments we have in psychiatry to this day, but generally reserved for more severe cases of depression, catatonia, psychosis, or mania due to the risks of general anesthesia and memory/cognitive side effects. The exact mechanism is not known, but something about the brain’s natural ability to stop the seizure is where the therapeutic benefit is said to come from. It is widely underutilized, both because of stigma from problematic historical use and film depictions, as well as simply due to limited availability of ECT centers outside of large cities. At my institution we have a whole ECT suite on our psychiatry floor with a dedicated mini OR, PACU, nursing team, and anesthesiologist, along with an ECT psychiatry attending and resident (me for these 4 weeks!). So far I can totally...