What It's Actually Like To Have A Lobotomy

A couple of weeks ago, we learned how lobotomies became so popular. It was a desperate measure to treat mental illnesses that we couldn't treat, but of course many people endured the surgery who shouldn't have. Even for those with serious mental disorders, lobotomies proved to be a hit-or-miss treatment, and the doctors who performed them really didn't know why. Altogether, it was a shameful period in medical history. Yes, it's true that some people's lives actually improved after a lobotomy, but those were the minority. The real tragedy is how eager doctors were to provide lobotomies for people suffering from such varied illnesses as seizures, schizophrenia, depression, dyslexia, and teenage rebellion, often just relying on a relative's reporting to make a diagnosis. Weird History hones in one seven actual victims of lobotomy, what precipitated the treatment, and how it turned out for them. You can read about even more cases in a list at Ranker.