Randall, age 37, was one of the most popular teachers in the local high school.
He always had time to talk with students about their problems
and still managed to hand back their papers on time.
So it came as quite a shock to everyone when Randall suddenly changed.
He began leaving the building as soon as the bell rang.
He came to school late, spending most of the day staring out of the window instead of teaching his classes,
and sometimes he didn’t show up at all.
When fellow teachers stopped by to express their concern about his behavior,
Randall responded by locking himself in his bedroom for the next three days.
It took two weeks for hiWEBVTT
Randall, age 37, was one of the most popular teachers in the local high school.
He always had time to talk with students about their problems
and still managed to hand back their papers on time.
So it came as quite a shock to everyone when Randall suddenly changed.
He began leaving the building as soon as the bell rang.
He came to school late, spending most of the day staring out of the window instead of teaching his classes,
and sometimes he didn’t show up at all.
When fellow teachers stopped by to express their concern about his behavior,
Randall responded by locking himself in his bedroom for the next three days.
It took two weeks for his family to get him admitted to the local hospital
and by then the psychiatrist diagnosed Randall as suffering from major depression.
The psychiatrist tried a series of antidepressant medications, but Randall didn’t respond to any of them.
So the psychiatrist put Randall on an intensive treatment plan
that included three therapy sessions per week over a four-week period.
At each of these sessions Randall received a muscle relaxant and a general anesthetic.
While Randall was unconscious, an electric current was passed through one side of his brain,
producing a seizure that lasted about a minute.
When Randall regained consciousness after each session, he had no memory of the treatment.
Like most depressed individuals who undergo this type of therapy,
Randall began showing improvement after about two weeks of treatment.
Six months later, Randall had returned to his teaching position at the high school. s family to get him admitted to the local hospital
and by then the psychiatrist diagnosed Randall as suffering from major depression.
The psychiatrist tried a series of antidepressant medications, but Randall didn’t respond to any of them.
So the psychiatrist put Randall on an intensive treatment plan
that included three therapy sessions per week over a four-week period.
At each of these sessions Randall received a muscle relaxant and a general anesthetic.
While Randall was unconscious, an electric current was passed through one side of his brain,
producing a seizure that lasted about a minute.
When Randall regained consciousness after each session, he had no memory of the treatment.
Like most depressed individuals who undergo this type of therapy,
Randall began showing improvement after about two weeks of treatment.
Six months later, Randall had returned to his teaching position at the high school.