#502 – Psychiatry, Insane Asylums, Mental Illness, ECT, Lobotomies, Freud & Jung

Historian Andrew Scull joins Lex Fridman to explore the tumultuous history of psychiatry, from the brutal era of ice pick lobotomies and insulin coma therapy to the rise and fall of asylums entwined with eugenics. The discussion covers the shift from Freudian psychoanalysis to cognitive behavioral therapy, the controversial legacy of electroconvulsive therapy, and the enduring debates around antidepressants and the chemical imbalance theory. Scull provides a critical lens on how mental illness has been defined, treated, and often mismanaged, raising urgent questions about the future of psychiatric care.