Article content

Five years ago, surgeons placed a heavy metal crown over Bruce Ross’s head, fixed his skull into the frame with screws and then bolted it to an operating room table.

In an experimental procedure called deep brain stimulation, they implanted two thin electrodes into the white matter on each side of his brain. When stimulated, the devices did what 21 different drugs, “shock” therapy and years of psychotherapy had failed so miserably to accomplish: “It has taken the negative thoughts away.”

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Possibility that incurable depression meets criteria for doctor-assisted suicide raises ethical concerns Back to video

The 55-year-old father and credit union executive no longer has thoughts of killing himself. He sleeps better and has a better appetite. He feels more relaxed and upbeat than he has ever felt since depression first engulfed him when he was in his teens.

Now, however, there may be another, darker alternative for those suffering from severe, intractable depression. Though largely overlooked in the debate sparked by last Friday’s Supreme Court of Canada ruling legalizing doctor-assisted death, the decision applies to more than just patients with incurable physical illnesses.