Preston Hollow resident Julie Hersh will appear on “Dr. Oz” at 4 p.m. Wednesday to weigh in on the controversial electroconvulsive therapy as a mental health treatment. Watch the promo here.
Hersh, who is the Dallas Children’s Theater board chairman*, credits ECT with her recovery from a life of depression and suicidal tendencies. We featured Hersh in our March 2011 issue about neighbors who have turned their lives around and are now giving back to the community. Since her recovery, Hersh has worked with nonprofits including Suicide and Crisis Center and Mental Health American. Her book “Struck by Living” chronicles her experience.
Hersh will be one of several guests on the “Dr. Oz” show Wednesday talking about ECT, a treatment involves sending electricity through the brain. It is only recommended for severe cases of mental illness when nothing else has worked. It has a bad reputation and, let’s face it, it sounds kind of barbaric. But Hersh swears it worked for her – and about 80 percent of other patients who have had it.
Check out this Advocate video to hear more about Hersh’s story:
*A previous version of this article stated that Hersh is the Dallas Children’s Theater board president. She is the Chairman of the Board.
Update: The “Dr. Oz” episode has been postponed with a tentative date of Jan. 25.
