Lobotomy: A Flawed Solution to Mental Health

Lobotomy, a surgical procedure that involved cutting or scraping the connections between the frontal lobes of the brain and the thalamus, was performed primarily as a treatment for mental illness during the mid-20th century. The procedure was seen as a last resort for individuals who did not respond to other treatments, such as therapy and medications. The consequences of lobotomies were often devastating, with patients experiencing significant changes in personality and behavior, including apathy, disinhibition, and memory loss. Moreover, the procedure was often performed without informed consent and on vulnerable populations, including individuals with disabilities and those who were incarcerated. The development of psychotropic medications in the 1950s and 1960s led to a decline in the use of lobotomies, which are now widely discredited as medical treatments.