I fear that by the time you get to such a point, the "patient" has lost their legal right to consent (which is probably what is causing the depression) and some "guardian" is consenting. Scary, but if the individual and not a guardian consents, I guess it's good if they've got some research but I'd damn sure hate to be one of the test subjects.

Meanwhile, if you're going to mention that article, why not this really cool one on "schizophrenia:" http://health.nytimes.com/ref/health/healthguide/esn-schizophrenia-ess.html

Sure the articles not perfect but it's important.

The amazing thing about DBS at least as reported in that NYT article you cite is that the people who undergo the procedure still don't end up drug free, so how in the Lord's name can anyone tell what the DBS is really doing? If you're still drugged up on a cocktail of psych drugs after such a procedure even if it's a different cocktail than it was before I am not sure claims of benefit or otherwise for the procedure alone are very valid or free of some darn serious confounding effects. Of course the manufacturers of the DBS device like to brush over that little issue. And frankly it's an issue in all sorts of clinical trials -- the confounding effects of other medications that are allowed but rarely mentioned in the results.

I think it should be MANDATORY for all PSYCHIATRISTS to TEST their METHODS on THEMSELVES FIRST! ...

I am ambivalent about the shock treatment I received. It's a quagmire. I was depressed when I first got into the quagmire of drugs they put me on, but not as depressed as I was after years of taking them. My brain was awash in chemicals. They just wouldn't work anymore. Electroshock seemed like a terrible thing for anybody to do. I agreed to it finally because I felt desperate enough to try something terrible because I thought it was healthier than suicide. I wasn't planning or attempting suicide, though. It did have a temporary helping effect, like the medication. I still feel it is part of the quagmire, though, because it is very damaging, and I believe it loses its benefits in a similar way to the drugs, and also causes debilitating memory loss, not all of which is temporary, and would get worse with "maintenance treatment." These treatments all ultimately necessitate further and more invasive and risky treamtments. I am trying to believe that I can get through this thing I am going through and ultimately enjoy life again without their treatments. In a way, I think it is impossible to get through this with their treatments, because they can prevent necessary crises that I may need to survive through.