Is electroshock therapy safe?
Safer than depression. You have every right to be concerned because often when one hears about electro shock therapy they often see images of a monster of a doctor hanging over you, a rubber mouth-piece inserted between your teeth (so you don't crack your teeth or swallow your tongue) and the list of horrors goes on on. Don't fret, it's not like it use to be. Up until the 50's no anesthesia was give, but it's different now. Before having this procedure done talk to the doctor that will be performing it and if you don't like the answer to your questions then don't do it! Electroconvulsive therapy involves inducing a grand mal seizure in a patient by passing an electrical current through the brain. It used for untreatable depression or bipolar affective disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder or anxiety disorders. In these cases, it is considered a safe and effective procedure, when carried out under a clinical protocol which involves EEG monitoring, application of muscle blocking agents and general anesthesia or sedation.
Can electricity be used to change the outlook of the brain?
Yes. The discipline is called electroconvulsive therapy, and (under proper medical supervision) can be used to treat mental disorders such as major depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. The layman's term for it is electroshock therapy, but many practitioners avoid that term, considering it somewhat derogatory.