{"product_id":"the-sleep-room-a-sadistic-psychiatrist-and-the-women-who-survived-him-hardcover","title":"The Sleep Room: A Sadistic Psychiatrist and the Women Who Survived Him - Hardcover","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eJon Stock\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe shocking account of the women tortured by a legendary psychiatrist in his infamous \"sleep room,\" and the survivors fighting for change in the system\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Sleep Room\u003c\/i\u003e is thriller novelist Jon Stock's investigation into one of the most revered figures in British postwar medicine, the private world of the Sleep Room in Ward 5, and the science of the psychology that produced it. Building on the testimony of eight survivors, Stock looks at the problem of the limited tool kit psychology has at its disposal, and the shadowy interface between medicine, the intelligence community, and dangerous charlatans. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Dr. William Sargant ran a lucrative private practice and published multiple books on psychiatry, and he was awarded the Starkey medal and prize by the Royal Society of Health for his work on psychiatric medicine. But what he was best known for was the apogee of his career: the Sleep Room in Ward 5. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e This was a dark gallery where patients selected by Sargant were, often without their consent or that of their families, subjected to deep narcosis, sleeping for more than 21 hours per day for weeks at a time, and roused only for sessions of electroconvulsive therapy. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e There, Sargent practiced his enthusiasm for now-discredited treatments such as lobotomy and electroshock therapy with zeal. Inspired by the work of Pavlov on conditioning in dogs, and by the post-Freudian revolution in psychiatric pharmacology, Sargant believed in aggressive interventions. When his patients finished their treatment, they had lost not only memories of trauma, but also any sense of who they were or why they were there. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e At least four of them died in the room. Between 1964 and 1972, hundreds of women were treated in the now-shuttered ward of the Royal Waterloo Hospital for Women and Children. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e A group of survivors, now in their 60s and 70s, have come forward to share their stories and advocate for change.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eJon Stock\u003c\/b\u003e (who also writes under the pseudonym J.S. Monroe) is a journalist and novelist. He worked at the \u003ci\u003eTelegraph\u003c\/i\u003e for ten years on the books desk and as Weekend Editor. Stock has written investigative features for \u003ci\u003eThe Observer, Private Eye\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eGQ, \u003c\/i\u003e the \u003ci\u003eTelegraph\u003c\/i\u003e, and the\u003ci\u003e Independent\u003c\/i\u003e. He writes psychological thrillers under the pen name J.S. Monroe, and his most recent thriller, \u003ci\u003eNo Place to Hide\u003c\/i\u003e, was published in 2023 by Head of Zeus; this is his first nonfiction book.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 432\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.42 x 9.12 x 6.35 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e July 22, 2025\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51979112579373,"sku":"9781419774478","price":28.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0938\/3185\/6429\/files\/wJwlkE0a2X9781419774478.webp?v=1775819056","url":"https:\/\/ishookbooks.com\/products\/the-sleep-room-a-sadistic-psychiatrist-and-the-women-who-survived-him-hardcover","provider":"iShook Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}