Ray Osheroff was a successful doctor in the DC area until his depression became debilitating. The way he was treated — and not treated — changed psychiatry. Rachel Aviv tells the surprising story of the rise of psychiatric medication.

Today’s show was produced by Miles Bryan and edited by Matthew Collette. It was engineered by Paul Robert Mounsey, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, and hosted by Noel King.

Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained  

Support Today, Explained by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices