Behind the Bastards Part Two: Dr. Sleep: The Australian Psychiatrist Who Made People Sleep Themselves To Death
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Mar 5, 2026 
Gabe Dunn, writer, comedian, and podcaster, joins to react and provide sharp commentary. They unpack Dr. Harry Bailey’s charisma and coercive power. They discuss horrific deep sleep therapy practices, coverups, and the tragic patient outcomes. They also cover whistleblowers, legal fallout, and the reforms that followed.
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Charisma Enabled Medical Abuse
- Dr. Harry Bailey used charisma and professional status to build trust while repeatedly lying about outcomes and exaggerating successes.
- Colleagues described him as well-dressed, charming, and dogmatic, which let him sell Deep Sleep Therapy despite weak scientific rationale.
Teenager Electroshocked Without Consent
- A 13-year-old anorexia patient was drugged into coma, strapped naked to a chair, and given repeated electric shocks without anesthetic or parental consent, leaving her brain damaged.
- Records and patient accounts document nonconsensual ECT sessions during DST in the early 1960s at Chelmsford.
Child Died After Months Of DST
- Fourteen-year-old Craig with progressive blindness was kept four months in DST, electroshocked at night, developed fever and bedsores, and died; parents were billed after his death.
- His mother was the only relative allowed to witness the sedation ward practices.