Real Dictionary

shock therapy
uncountable noun: You can refer to the use of extreme policies or actions to solve a particular problem quickly as shock therapy.

shock therapy in American English
noun: any of various therapies, as insulin shock therapy or electroconvulsive therapy, that induce convulsions or unconsciousness, used for symptomatic relief in certain mental disorders

shock therapy in British English
a method of treating certain mental disorders by applying electric current to the brain or, less often, by injecting drugs: it results in convulsion or coma
noun: the treatment of certain psychotic conditions by injecting drugs or by passing an electric current through the brain (electroconvulsive therapy) to produce convulsions or coma