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

National renewal: The country must be reinvigorated from its decadence by a kind of shock therapy; this trait is a function of an exaggerated nostalgia and a hatred of the present.

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But the “Rite” came across as shock therapy.

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Voters would rather endure Milei’s shock therapy a while longer, apparently.

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The measures—part of what Milei calls shock therapy—have restored some credibility to Latin America’s third-largest economy, but about one in three people still live in poverty.

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A former TV pundit, Milei came to power in December 2023 promising shock therapy for Argentina's long-ailing economy, revving a chainsaw as a symbol of his plan to slash state spending.

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